Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1844-04-16

cue of his uncle Henry. We were fast
lapsing into admiration of Cass;us III. CLAY.
His bold advocacy of human rights and uni
versal freedom, in the strong holds of slave
ry, in words of eloquence and power, led US
to look upon him as one who cherishing no.
BILE principle in his bosom, was ready to
brave even mariyrdom, if necessary, in its
advocacy. The letter to which we allude
announcing his determination to vote for
Henry Clay for the presidency, and giving
what he calls his reasons for so doing-has
completely dssi pated all the admiration we
cherished. 1t may look as though we were
influenced by prejudice in the matter; but
we defy his warmeSt friends to read this let
ter and contrast it with his former express
sions and conduct, and not feel and know
that the man is lacking in the qualities of a
great and independent mind. He has before
or is row acting with gross hypocrisy, and
so plainly does his ridiculous position ap-
pear on the face of his letter, that we have
cot yet seen it copied into single wing paper
since lis appearance in the Tribune. Our
readers doubtless know that he is the strong
anti-slavery champion in the south. He has
for long time specially devoted himself to
this cause, and even gone SO far as TO lbe-
rate his slavcs--and now when questioned
as TO whether he will vote for the Liberty
or Wing candidate for the Presidency. says.
without hesitation, that he shall vote for
Henry Clay. We make the following OK
tract:
Mr.. Clay is indeed Slave iholdef-@f wish he
were not. Yet it does not become me, who have
so lately ceased to be Shareholder myself to con-
denim him. 1t is not my province TO defend Mr..
Clay: this he is abundantly able TO do himself. 1t
remains with posterity to determine how much
shall be due him for the glorious impulse his fcrvent
spirit has given to Liberty throug hout the word
and with them also to say, how much shall be sub
tracted from this appreciation, for his having only
failed to do all that could be done in this holy cause.
| Cyrus, Themistocles, Plato, Cato, Arlstldes, De-
mosthenes. Cincinnatus and Cicero sacrificed to
| base heather gods: yet no man, because they knew
not the trre God, will say that they not
llglous, great good and patriotic men. T. b. Ma
caulay, of the most acute and enlig htencd men
OF this or any era, IN his review of the c OF Fran
CHS Bacon, justly says
awe should think it TN Just to call ST. Louis
| wicked man because, in age in which liberation
was generally regarded sin, he prosecuted
heretics. We should think it UNJUST to cal Cow
per's friend, John Newton, hypocrite and mon
stcr, because, at q time when the SlaVettrade was
commonly considered by the most respectable peo-
pie as an innocent and beneficial traffic, he went
largely provided with hymn-books and handouts,
on a Guinea voyage, An Immoral action being in
particular society generally considered as inno-
cent, is good plea for an individual who being
of that society, and having adopted the notions
which prevail among his ne ghbors, commits that
action"
| cannot, then, becatise MIR. Clay is Slave-h
der, in community where the whole Christian
Church Of all denominutions-the only protested
| teachers of morals among the people--are also
hodets prescribe him. for that single thing of
difference between lis.
In saying thus much in Justification OF my course
in voting for MIR. Clay, should be false my own
reputation, ungraeful to that large portion of ANU
Slavery men who have sympathized with me In nay
feeble efforts in the cause OF Universal Llberya and
recreant to that glorious cause itself, if did not
avow my belief that the time is near at hand when
public sentiment will not, ought not, and cannot
hold the Shareholder guiltless-Yes, l will go yet
farther, and declare, in the name of the Christian
professedly the principle of the greatest good
10 the greatest number, that man, after the next
Presidential Election, when much light shall have
been shed upon this subt tct should be deemed fit
to rule over Republican, Christian People, who
shall violate, by holding Slaves, the only two prin-
ciples upon which either Christianity or Repub-
canism stand the test of philosophical scrut-
ny for single moment.
Mr. Clay says 1t does not become me
who have so recently ceased to be slave
holder to condemn him. The English of
this, taken in connection with what follows,
is, that Henry Clay is not so great a man as
Cassus NJ Cassius Nj. has dared to do
right-has emancipated his slaves, in the
very midst of the society which condemns
him; but Henry Clay is not expected to do
as much Cassius Nj. did not seem to think
that the opinions of society were any justi-
fication for him, nor did he feel it an excuse;
but it is both justification and excuse for
Henry. Wherein does true greatness con-
sist, and what is the province of great
mind? Greatness consists in daring TO do
right in the face and eyes of the whole
woodland the province Of greatness is to
step forth in the cause of right, and battle for
it in the face of the world. What fmsy
justification for man, that he is not expect
ed to do good because society around him
is vicious. What made the glory ofthe mar
tyrs of old? In that dark age, they dared to
90 TO the stakc--to encounter the blazing
faggot, in support of the creed of their CON
science, but in this enlightened age, the
man who seeks to be first among the men
of this republic, is not expected TO do right,
because society may point its finger at him.
This is Mr.. Clay's justification for dueilng.
He admits the wrong, but for fear of society
dare not do the right. Shame! shame! Oh
such greatness Ne earnestly hope that
such an example of greatness may not at
tain the Presidency of this republic. And
look at the last paragraph of our quotation
Is it not a NEST singular manifestation of
,bo aIacfiop &c 1914 whom