Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1842-11-11
SPEECH OF MR.. CLAY,
And Occurrences on The Delivery Of an
Abolition petition to him, al
Richmond, Indiana.

vs.
being on his wey from Dayton, in Ohio,
toIlndianaPolis, the seat Of Government
OF the Stale OF Indiana, to which he
had been previously invited, stopped at
Richmond, a tlourishing town 10 thai
Slate, where a vast multitude, amounting
10 fifteen or twenty thousand, had as
sembled 10 meet him, and greel& vel.
come his arrival among them. Alter
taking some relfeshment, he repaired
TO a stand, provided for tho occasion.
from which he addressed the immense
assembIage, in his accustomed manner,
on the public topics of the day. 1t 10
not intended 10 report any part Of that
Speech which was received with enthu.
siaslic applause. Alter its close, Mr..
Clay was informed that a Mr.. Menden-
hall was present and DESTROYS Of pre-
sen'ing a petition to him, and he was
requested 10 ascend the stand. lie did
so, ard delivered The petition 10 Mr..
Clay. He handed it to a friend who
read it aloud 10 Mr.. Clay and to the as
sembly. The petition prayed, or reques.
ted, that Mr.. Clay would forthwith lib
crate ali his slaves, unjustly, as it aIIeg.
ed, held in bondage, and placed the APP
pIicalion principally on the ground that
by the Declaration of American indie.
~pendence it is declared "that all men are
created equal, that they are endowed BY
their Creator with certain unalienable
rights" &c.
Alter the reading of the petition
The vast Assembly manifested g,eal
sensation, some cried Out pull him (Mr,
M%endenhalI down, and a high degree OF
excitement, of anger, and Of lndigna
ton were ~kindling against hun. The
slightest manifestation Of displeasure on
the part Of Mr., Clay, might have expos
ed Mr.. MendenhalI to great personal
danger. But Mr. Clay rose with per.
feet calmness and composure, and frs.
addressed the multitude Ia a STRAIN OF
persuasion Rud eE,reaty. lie hoped
that Mr.. N. might be treated with the
greatest forbearance and respect. He
assured his fellow citizens th9re coIlec.
ted, that The presentation of the petition
had not caused him the slightest pain
nor excited one solitary disagreesbIe
emotion. II it we're to be presented tc
} him, he preferred that il should be done
in the face OF this vast and respectable
assomblage. lie thought he could give
it such an answer as became him and
, the subject of which it treated, At al
events he beseeched his fellow citizens
for their sake, for his counlry's sake, loI
his cake, 10 offer no disrespect, no in
. dignity in word or deed, to Mr.. Men
denhall.
This appearing to compose the as
= sembIy, Mr.. Clay bowed 10 Mr.. Men
denhaIl, and addressing him said:
will now, sir, make to you and II
+. this petition, such a r%esponse'as becomeI
me. Allow me 10 say that | think yol
y have not con(ormed TO the Independent
character OF an American citizen in pre-
6 senting a petition to me. | am aIlk'
yourself, but q private cltlzen. A peli
, ton as the term implies, generally pro
S ceeds from an inferior ia power or STA
ton 10 q superior; but between US Their,
is entire equality And what are tn
) circumstances under which you haV,
Q chosen 10 offer IN | am a total strang
g or, passing through your State 90 m.
way to It's capital, in consequence Of a.
o invitation with which nave been hon
. ored to visit it, TO exchange friend.
saIutations with such OF my fellow cili
zens OF Indiana as think proper TO NEE
y me, and accept Of my thanks Tor theI
hospitality. Anxious as ! am 10 Sc
them, and TO view parts Of this Stat
o which | had never seen, | came her
d with hesitation and reluctance, becaus
unprecedented that the motives Of m
Journey might be misconceived and pc
d ver,ed. But when the luIiIment Of a
10 old promise to visit Indianapolis was il
: sisted upon, | yielded TO the solicitation
IS Of friends, and have presented myse
q among you.
'r Such is the occasion which has bee
is deliberately selected for rendering lb
petition to me. am advanced in year
aud neither myself nor my residence
l.. altogether unknown to the world. Ic
might, at any time within the last rs
10 80 years, have presented your petite
TO me at Ashland. II you had gor
r. there for that purpose, you should ha'
+ been received and treated with porte
10 respect and liberal hospitality.
Now, Mr.. MendenhaIl, let US reverJ
n conditions, and suppose THAI you bf
been invited TO Kentucky to partake
lg its hospitality; and thatpreVious to yo'
10 arrival, ! had employed such means as
IL. under sland have been used to get up III
ne petition, TO oh ain the signOtures OF Ct
u zens of that Stale to a petition to pr
to sent to You. TO relinqulsh our farm
IL ---Il $1,000. -.