Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-05-05

MR.. CLAY's SPEECH AT LExINoT or,

MR.. CLAWS SPEECH AT LEXINGTON
On Monday last, agreeable to no,;co AZ
Clay addressed one OF the largest assemIlaI'
of people we have ever witnessed in tho Cases
House yard. We had the pleasure to so oouI'
ny of our wing friends from adjoining cons, nla-
drawn hither by the announcement tbs, ms,
great Kentuckian would once more addras. , .ne
people upon the state of the Nation ue
We have often heard Mr. Claw. but nina,
that never did he appear in our estimation 'ay
such advantage as on this occasion. ri "
was scarcely topic of National momen, ,t eIe
he did not touch, and touch with cIe.ro 'nu
and ability that astonished even his old ad1,
rers. '-
Mr. Clay commenced his speech BY be,rr
iul acknowledgment 10 all parties on his I,,.
trip TO the southwest for the honors thew b s,I
showered upon him, and he thought tbs ,. nau
er place TO make these acknowledgements ,op-
TO the people Of Fayette, where he IivsJ w WA,
TO whom he said be was chiefly ndeb,o'I 1 no
whatever distinction he had acquired. or wb ,U'
ever opportunity had been afforded 10 b;nn -
doing service TO his country. Ut" VI
His connection with the Bank hills n a.
Extra session-his defence Of himself aa,;n",
the charge of having abandoned his old y;s, nss
in regard to a Bank-his reference IN tho inv,
~ per cent. clause in the Distributor act Nv
Tarill--the Bankrupt act-were all discnssoS
and lmpuiations upon him in regard TO ,bsS1,
subjects put at rest, we suppose forever.
We regret that we cannot present n m.
readers the whole OF Mr. Claws sneecb. h.,
there was one part it, relating to the admin
istraton OF the Government, so very mporor,
as 10 require that il should be published snj
we think we can present il in the precise lan.
guage of that gentleman.
hay a.. IL
istraton had totally abandoned the nrin,Tnl".
and the party which brought il into nors,.
had identified itself with the Democratic mar
~, with which it was now one and indiyisibe.
and was Systematically and corruptly admins
tering the patronage of the Government TO buv
up the people OF the United States, or rather
buy up the Democratic party TO The support Of
mr. lyler. Mr. Clay proceeded to saw: "that
he mad no hesitation 10 express his opinion as
an humble and private citizen, thai no man
who had any feeling of selErespect. or honor
or patriotism, could take or hold any Office. the
tenure Of which depended on the Presidenrs
will, subject to the degrading and diseracelul
conditions which were imposed upon lis Dos
session: and that it would be the bounden d.
~ of the next President elected, be he whip or
democrat, to purify the public service BY
promptly discaTding all such contaminated in
eumbents. He hoped there were many, he
knew there were some, now in office, who dis
dalned TO submit to any such disgracefuI con-
dltions, and they ought, and he doubted not
would receive just and full consideration, and
be Judged according TO their capacity, honesty
and hdety 10 their country"
Mr. Clay went on further 10 say, "that in
his opinion, if wing President should be elect
ed, II would be his imperative duty to do am
Pile justice, in The administration of the public
patronage, 10 the great wing party Of the coun-
try-which he verify believed for years had
majority of the people of the Unit
cd states. That party, for upwards OF fourteen
years past, with the exception OF one month.
had been Systematically prescribed and excu.
ded from all public employments. Not only
from original appointments, but, when they
held Office, they have been hurled out to make
way, often for unworthy persons of opposite
politics. And so far as Mr. Tyler now pursu-
ing tins practice that he is dismissiDg men
whom he puts in, not only without charge,
without fault, without any species OF trial. but
with full knowledge that the duties of their
offices have been diligently, honestly and faith
fully executed, and putting back in their places
men whom he had himself dismissed! Every
consideration oil equality, of equity, and of JUS
tice, demands, said Mr. Clay, that the most iul
and complete reparalion of the injuries done 10
the wing party should be hereafter made. Nor
would that be prescription. Ii would be the
severest rebuke of prescription. On the con-
trary, to continue in office men, who had been
put there by the dismission of other and better
men, for political reasons, would be to sanction,
consummate and perpetuate prescription. But
II Il could be regarded as prescription, who is
TO be justly reproached with beginning pro-
scripiion in this countryi~
mo man felt more profoundly than he did
The evils which were likely TO grow out of
struggles for the prize of Government, with
The distribution of all its honors and offices ex-
,luslvely confined 10 the successful party. He
doubted whether our system could long endure
lhe consequence of such struggles. But he ho-
ped remedy would be hereafter found, either
~ The amendment of the Constitution or the
Law, to guard against these evils.'
MIR Clay's noble appeal to the wings, in con-
,lusion, to stand by their cause, was, we be-
leve, responded 10 by every wing in the vast
,rowd, and we doubt if every wing did not
cave the ground with his faith strengthened,
md his zeal renewed ten fold in behalf of the
glorious principles of his party, and the glori-
Jus chief who so nobly maintains them.
We have the qualification TO assure our
rends at distance, that never was our dstin-
rushed neighbor in finer health and spirits, and
hat he assures them of his mistaken conf
ence IN the triumphant issue of the great
truggle which is shortly to come off.
The following exquisite piece of selEcomplacency
emarks the New York Express, in one of Prof.