The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-11-03
PEELING.


and other encumblances, the operation is called,
in the Language Of the ring" (Which has be-
come quite classical in England,) peeiing. H.
of course, renders his movements lighter and
more unembarassed /; and, after the combat is
over. he can resume his vestments sound and
unsullied.
One of our Presidential candidates seems
about preparing himself for his last desperate
struggle pretty much in the same way, heula-
lively sneakng and 40 doubt with the same uIti-
mate intention Of resuming his old habits after
the contest is decided he is eisurely laying ASIDE,
one by one, garment, by which The outer man
has been known for thirty years past; and MS
friends are lending an active hand in stripping
their lavori,e champion OF every thing that may
hamper him. He is mol 10 "die with harness
on his back"
Three wears ago, such letter as Mr.. Clay
has lately written to DR.. Bronson, Of Georgia,
would have been at once pronounced an mpu-
dent forgery but, after the Lexington speech oil
April last, no one could doubt its genuineness,
and it is now merely regarded as an mpudent
attempt 10 deceive The People of The South
In this letter, he tells DR.. Bronson that . the
sum and substance" Of his opinions with
respect to a tariff is briefly this: 81 think
that whatever revenue is necessary 10 an eco
nomicul and honest administration OF the Gov
evrnment ough; TO be derived fron duties impos-
ed on foreign imports. And believe that IN es-
tablishing a tariff of those duties, such d'scr'-
minaho ught 10 b made as Will incidentally
,u.,,l 70 ennaIle urOtpctiQn la our national IN
,e estsn He further tells him that he vas not
in Congress when the high iarifi OF 1873
was ma sed and that he thinks il was highly
discreditable 10 American legislation" Alter his
return TO Congress his eff rts were directed 10
the notification and reduction OF the rates oil
duty coniaine in the act Of 1928 he was not
in Congress when the act of 1912 passed, and
has mo means of judging" whether there are
any "cxcessesn in that act; but II there be
g hey ought to be corrected"
Its true that Mr.. Clay was not in Congress
a, the precise lines specified but his friends
were-,he same friends who had showed them
selves such devoted followers and instruments,
on occasions when he was present, IN aiding
rrrn ~ Urnvr nIgn-nanded measures on The
country. But he" he Dicralor'-never at
tempted, we presume, 10 offer any advice or
suggestions to his friends in Congress, unless
he happened to be in Congress with them. or
what occurred during his absence he knows no
thing and has no means OF judging"
And the country has all this time been griev-
ously mistaken in supposing Mr.. Clay 10 be The
Father OF the American System. IL is an un-
lucky, mischevous banting, Of which he has
no desire and no right to claim the paternity /;
and which was begouen and fostered by The
Lord knows who This is dose, we think,
for the Jew Apela
Now, If Mr. Clay had not intended TO deny
or equvocate respecting theory and project
with which his whole public life has been motto
riou.ly identified ever since his return from
Europc, the sum and substance" of his
reply TO Dr. Bronson would have been
somewhat after this fashion: q am surprised
thu, YOU should, at this day, inquire what my
opinions are respecting Tariff They have
been 50 repeatedly and so explicitly made known
in innumerable speeches, addresses and letters
intended for publication, and have occasioned
SO much violent debate and opposition, that hard
toned can well plead ignorance Of them. They
are the same now that they have been for thirty
wears past; and can assure you that neither
the opinions, nor my expression OF them, are
likely to be modified by any views or wishes
tha, may have formed Cor my friends for me
respecting the result Of the next Presidential
election BE pleased to communicate this reply
i l. h.. L., ,l.,
yoring. through ignorance, or underpretencc Of
friendship, tomakc me appear guilty of tcreiv-
ersaiion which my soul abhors." Such reply
would have been manly and if not Characters
tic OF Mr.. Clay, as he really il, at least worthy
Of the high reputation which he has enjoyed.
lis understood that MIR. Clay expressed the
utmost surprise and Indignation on hearing Of
Mr. Webstcr's declaration that the Bank was
."an Obsolete idcan Mr.. Webster, we think,
may now return the compliment with any mea-
sure Of mingled astonishment and di,dain that
may be convenient Here is Rowland for a
Oliver, with a vengeance: a mutual misunder-
standing cleared up almost as hreicaly as that
,ftbe two short-sighted sons Of Erin who ch,l-
leor each other BY misiake-each supposIng
the other 10 be- some one else who had afIronted
him. and did not discover The bunder until they
were placed on the ground, face TO face, within
good seeing distance. "Af'nt you O'Dougher
ty ?" cried one, in amazemenf. mo and yoa
are not o'Bfitn! Why, by J--s, it, nailher
Of US "
We remarked that Mr.. Clay's friends, hackers
and holders, were very busy in helping him
TO peel or dis-equip himself of his political regi-
mentsls. Some ten days, or fortnight ago. he
editor. Of the National lnteligencer, in the
simplicity Of their hearts, came out with an in
nncsnt propos itIop that in the approaching ron