Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1844-04-06

any aftectatlOn OF humility, remain longer silent
You ask me, "lfyou live and are able to vote
at the approaching Presidential election, will YOU
vote for Henry Clay? If the Third Party or
Liberty men should have an Electoral Ticket in
your State, would you vote that ticket in prefer
-ence' Were you a citizen of Ohio which of
these tickets would you vote?" The last two
questions are such as would require various other
suggestions to be made, before conld gives suit
able answer in justice to myself and all the parties
concerned, which would be too vOluminous for the
space of single letter: and for all practical pur-
poses, they wlbe sufficiently answered in my re-
ply TO the first question: that, IS my most deci-
ded determination "to UOte for HENRY CLAY for
President" Men never have and never will, in
all cases. think alike: all Government is necessa-
rly sacrifice, to some extent, Of individua will:
that is the best Government to each individual
which fosters or allows the most of what that indi-
vidua believes to be conducive to his best interests
The question then is not, Can | find some man
to vote for among seventeen millions, who thinks
i'll all respects as myself? but, who is the man,
all things present and remote considered that will
most probably be able by success to rive cflectua-
ton to those great measures which deem condu-
Give to my welfare, and the welfare of my whole
country" This question every voter in the Re-
public must determine for himself: For myself af-
ter looking calmly upon all the surrounding cir
cumsmnces, Conscience, Patriotism, and (if 9TH
ers prefer the term) enlightened setinterest con-
strain me TO vote for Henry Clay. The Tariff,
the Currency, the Lands, Economy Executive
and Ministerial Responsibility, and many other
interests, all depend in my humble Judgment, on
Mr. ClayS election for beneficial determination.
And if he is elected, the decision of 1910 passed
by the People, will be confirmed, and the policy
of the country settled. Then, and (such is the
anarchy of the public mind) not till then, shall we
have time to look about US, and project that other
great reform, the reduction of American Slavery
to its constitutional limits and TO concentrate the
united condemnation of the civilized world to its
final and utter extinction.
Mr.. Clay is indeed SlavehCder-I 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 abundan'ly able to do himself. 1t
remains with postery to determine how much shall
be due him for the glorious impulse his fervent
spirit has given to Liberty throughout the world
and with them also to say, how much shall be sub
traced from this appreciation, for his having only
failed to do all that could be done in this holy
cause. Cyrus, Themstocles, Plato Cato Artist
des, Demosthenes, Cincinnatus and Cicero, sacri-
feed to base heather gods: yet no man, because
they knew not the true God, will say that they
were not religious, great good and patriotic men.
L. b. Macaulay, one of the most acute and en-
ghtened men OF this or any era, in his review of
his life of Francis Bacon, Justly says:
owe should think it un Just to call St. Louis a
wicked man because, in the age in which federation
was generally regarded as SIM he prosecuted
hertics. We should think it unjust to call Cow
per's friend John Newton, hypocrite and mon
ster, because, at time when the SIavetrade 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 Guinea voyage. An immoral action being in
a particular society generally considered inno-
cent, is good plea for an individual who being
Que Of that society, and having adopted the notions
which generally prevail among his neghbors, com
mits that action"
cannot, then, because Mr.. Cf4y is SIavehod-
er, in community where the 4hole Christian
Church otall denomlnations-the only proiessed
teachers Of morals among the people-are also
Shareholders, prescribe him, for that single thing
of difference between us.
In saying thus much in Justification of my course
in voting for Mr.. Clay, should be false to my
own reputation, ungratefuI to to that large portion
of Antlslavery men who have sympathized with
me in my feeble efforts in the cause of Universal
Liberty, and recrednt to the glorious cause itself,
if / did not avow my belief thar the time is near
at hand when the public sentiment will not,
ought not, and cannot hold the Stakeholder guilt
ieSs-Yes, will go yet farther, and declare in the
name ofthe Christian Religion and our Repub-
can institutions, based professedly on the princ-
pie of the greatest good to the greatest NUMBER"
that no man, after the next Presidential Election,
when so much light shall have been shed upon this
subject, should be deemed fit TO rule over Re-
publican, Christian People, who shall violate, by
holding Slaves, the ouy two principles upon which
either Christianity or Repubcanism can stand
the test Of philosophical scrutiny for single mo-
ment.
In coQclusion, in refutalion of the saunders the
Washington Globe, which are ever harmless
where that print is known, in justice to Mr. Clay,
and in VIndlcuton of my own self respect you will
allow me TO say, that my opinion and my action on
the subj ect of Slavery are all my own; that, how
ever much may esteem Mr.. Clay as man, a
Statesman, and fricnd-though may regard him
as one of the most frank, noble, practical, wise,
eloquent and patriotic of those who, in this or any
other age, have assumed to govern great Nation,
the editor of the Globe but makes an exhibition of
his own ignoble spirit, when he insnuates that
Henry Clay would play double part to deceive
the American People, by debating to me- or that l.
humble as may be in the estimation of my coun,
! try, would be used by him, or any other man. or
set Of men, for any dishonorable purpose, or be
treated with upon any other terms than those OF
absolute equality.
Trusting that your wishes, as well as the pur-
poses of those persons who have done me the hon
or to address me by letter on this subject, will be
best subserved by my making this answer pub
lie, send it at once to the press.
Respectfully your obedient servant,
C. M. CLAY.
p s.. Reform, in Jeremy Bentham's dav. was
termed innovaton;" this w-faced age has inn.
proved in this respect-now, " funaticsin" is the
worl--a strong word-yet when will Americans
=