New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-01-16


of New,York somers Court of inquiry Tin connuation)
City News, &c. see FRS, Page.
The Presidency and siavery--lIr. Clay
cannot be abandoned.
We are not Of those who believe it treason per
sc TO the Wing party to prefer or oppose the nom
iaation of any individual to any station. We re-
gard no man as more or less Wing on account OF
his individual preferences. But in regard to the
Wing candidate for the next Presidency there
seems to exist 50 very general aud heartya concur
renee in the choice and support Of Mr. Clay by the
Wings that it does seem to US al once idle and un
wise in any Wing TO speak Of any other man. OF
all the JOURNALS throughout the Union which call
themselves Wing, or permit themselves to be so
called, we believe full nnety-nine in a hundred are
advocates of Mr.. Clay. Does any man doubt that
these speak generally the local sentiments of the
Wings? Then, OF all the Conventions or Public
Meetings Of Wings held within year past.-we
mean all tina. have been called without reference
TO individual claims to express the Wing prefer
ence or which, being called for other purposes,
have incidentally expressed that preference-what
one has isped the name of any other than Mr..
Clay7 Gen. Harrison by death and Mr.. Webster |
by voluntary position being out of the question,
what hope can there be OF concentrating the Wing
strength, calling out the Wing enthusiasm, on any
other than Mr.. Clay
These questions. this article, which would other |
Wise seem supcrfuous, have been prompted by two |
or three letters recently received from Massachu-
Sets sustaining the demonstration recently made
in single journal Of this City. These import that
Mr. Clay must be abando ned because Of the bearing
of the Slavery question-that such is the deep.
seated and extending hostility TO Slavery in the
Free States that several of them, which would vote
for John M'Lean some other uneXcepuonable
citizen of Free State would by the obstinate re-
fusal of perhaps tenth par. of their otherwise
Wing voters to support Shareholder, be suffered
to 60 against US, and thus give the election to
Calhoun or Van Buren,. Let Us weigh this sugges
ton:
And first, as the abandonment of Mr.. Clay is
demanded as stroke Of party policy, we must
consider whether the matter has has not two
sides. Would not his desertion such grounds
unayoidably tend to transform our National into
Sectional party2 Would it not at once divest US
of any sympathy or support from the Slave Holding
States? Could the Southern Wings support our
alternative candidate with any selerespcct Could
we decently ask them to do it? In the color which
certain vital questions Of National Policy have
been made to wear, In the inveterate local preju-
dices which they have been forced to encounter,
they find encouragement and obstacle enough,
Yet they persevere ardenly and generously, be-
cause they realize that the best good the country
is involved in the triumph of Wing principles in
the Administration and Policy of the Government.
They gave noble vote TO Gen. Harrison; they
are preparing, in spite of all superficial seemings
to give an equally ardent and efficient support to
Mr. Clay They have palpably become far more
National and less Sectional than formerly, within
ahe last three years. But if the Wings OF the
North reoede as they advance-if we become Sec
sional as they become National-above ALL if we
establish test which virtually excludes their emil
nent and favorite Statesmen from all hope or
chance of reaching the highest s,ationn the gift OF
the American People-do we not virtually and vo-
UNFAIRLY shiver the bond Of our union and cast
them of for everf For, ler absurdiy say that
we pursue such e course for tais time only, aud
will afterward return to more generous:
Merit day tn. fatal precedent will Plead
The crisis viii alwsys be imminent, the result of
q pending struggle for the Presidency doubtful;
ana the al'hcul's will be fearfully augmented by
The simidity which yields to it. AS measure of
simple party psicy therefore, and looking at it in
the hight OF policy alone, it would be better for the
Wing party even lose the next Presidents,
Election with the man of their choice than to win
by concession SO pesilous 50 fatal.
Blu, the question raised by the effort apa;ns, Mr.
Clay has proiouader bearings than even this. II
Involves the moral integrity of the People-,he:r
discrimination between the proper use and h.
abuse of powey-the fidelity of the North TO the
spirit and essence Of the compact from which
sprung the Federal Constitution. All men must
realize tina, the Southern States, in concediag to
the Northern the posoer to choose President for
The whole Union, did nos concede q power TO pre-
scribe and ostracise their own citizens simply on
account Of the domestic institutions which they
neither stipulated nor intended to abandon. II the
idea had been broached in the Federal Convention
Of 'sY that the Free States could force an Adolf
tion Of Slavery BY rigidly systematically excluding
Shareholders from all places ST honor or trust UNI
der the Few Government, would no; tho alarm, have
been sopndsd-~.hs Nsr,a prefass of guarantees