The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-04-05
MIR. CLAWS LETTER TO THE WINGS OF
NORTH CAROLINA.

Joulucu.
MR. CLAY's LETTER TO THE WINGS OF
NORTH CAROLINA.
We had hoped that this honorable gentleman
would have bid adieu to political life, in the spi
rit indicated, in some degree, by his farewell
speech in the Senate. At the age of sixty five
or sixty-six 1--WE know not which he has attain
ed) one would suppose that the passions would
be calm, the judgment well balanced, and the
heart bearing no malice. But we regret to find
different state of things existing with Mr.. Clay
He steps upon the arena of North Carolina
Whiggery with his gloves on, clad in the ar
NOR of political knight combatant, and draw
ing his sword, makes desperate pass at the
&c acting President of the United States," Eve
quote his own expression, since it may be por
tentous of the future, and calls attention to
the fact of Z" a President without party, and
parties without President" as matter deep
ly to be weighed and considered In this last
sentiment we fully concur with Mr.. Clay. No
man than Mr., Clay understood this thing better.
Mr.. Tyler, in his inaugural address to the Peo-
pie Of the United States, Swallowed forth this
very condition Of things. He anticipated what
was most likely to be his condition, when he
held the following language: "For the first time
in our history, the person elected to the Vice
Presidency of the United States, by the happen
ing of contingency provided for in the Con-
stitution, has had devolved upon him the Presi-
dental office. The spirit of faction which is d.
rectly opposed to the spirit of lofty patriotism
may in this, find occasion for assaults upon my
Administration--and in succeeding under cir
cumstances so sudden and unexpected, and
to responsibilities so greatly augmented, to the
administration of public affairs, shall place in
the intelligence and patriotism of the People
my only sure reliance" We doubt not that
the President plainly !oresaw from the first, that
his only sure reliance, was not on Mr.. Clay,
nor on any other leading politician, but on the
People. He doubtless saw then, as every one
has seen since, thatuness he would consent to
hold "a barren sceptre," and to surrender the
seal of authority into the hands of some bold
and daring factionist who, backed by host Of
allies ready to obey his nod was standing on the
tiptoe to make assaults upon him, that the coun
try would witness ga President without a
party, and parties without a President" He
doubtless foresaw then, as plainly as we all do
now that some reckless asplrant for the success
sion, whose sand Of life was so nearly run out,
that unless he attained most speedily the great
end and object of his existence he could never
attain it at all, would seek, by all means in his
power to produce mutual disrust" between
the President and Congress-that if the Pres-
dent dared to have an opinion of his own,
shout of treason. treason, should deafen the
ears of the natves-should be Numbered from
the Capitol, imboded in a Manifesto, repeated
by a servie press, which years of extreme toll
had served to affiliate and exhibited in the glare
of burning effges. All these things might
have been anticipated, and we doubt not
were anticipated by the acting President Of
the United States. But we have our doubts
whether he or any other, could have an
ticipated that any leader, or would-be
leader of any party, would have adventured
under his own sign manual, to put forth other
statements contained in Mr. Clay's letter. We
could have wished that Mr. Clay would have
had the goodness to have pointed out the prin-
CtPtCo uPoH WHiCu HS lVpICoCHlo NIL yiSi %
making war Every man who knows any thing
of Mr. Clay is well aware that his assaults here
tofore, in his political course, have been made
upon specific charges against the perso he
saed-and no man knows better than himself
the ridiculous figure which any man must cut
who steps forward as the accuser of another,
without making specific charge. We desire
to Mr. III ,rI
rassment, by calling for specifications. Pray
tell US then, thou man of acknowledged consist
ency, what principles of the party that elevated
him to office, Mr.. Tyler makes war upon p
Does he deny to any man the right to think as
he pleases? Does he make war upon Mr..
Clay, because Mr.. Clay thinks nothing but
an old farhioned Bank can do any good to
the country. Mr.. Clay, if he chooses, may
live the balance of his days among the fading
spirits of the banking institutions, which, IN
their substantalites, have passed, and are pass
ing away. He may ruminate upon the bless
ngs of corporators and direc tors, and may, by
his last will and testament direct that his wind
ing sheet be made out of their hollow promises
to pay, and we cannot bring ourselves to believe
that Mr.. Tyler would feel toward him any
other sentiment than that entertained toward
an old man of an old and broken down
dynasty, who still wears the buckles OF
the age of Elizabeth, and refuses to appear
at court except in the coat Of by-gone centuries.
Did Mr.. T. make war upon principles when he
vetoed the Bank bills of the last session p
Ehew miserable! Bills so defective, so ut
tery incongruous, so much at war with all
sound practical legislation, that no one believes