Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-10-24


That thew were very much disappointed at the
new revelations OF MIR. Ciay's letter 10 Ala
oama, is apparent from the fact, that they
either wholly failed TO publish them, or else
gave them To The world without note or
comment. Mr. Webster seems 10 have been
SO much afflicted by them, that he did not men,
ticn either Clay or Texas during The whole of
some OF his speeches made shortly after their APP
pearance, las instance his speech at the great
mass Wing Convention at Albany though. before
that time opposition 10 Texas, and pathetic APP
peals to the third party" had been the burhen
OF his song. IL was about this time, that the re-
nowned Cassius thought proper 10 come to ''the
help OF the sinking cause of his great kinsman,
and set forth upon his pilgrimage TO. he Abolition
lists of New York. Indeed no one can recur
TO the events which transpired during the latter
part OF the month OF August and the early part of
September, without percciving that panic had
all OF sudden taken possession of the Wing
ranks at the North, al the prospect Of a distinct
organization of the so-called Third Party" And
indeed the movements otthat party were Of cha
racler 10 excite the alarm of The Northern Wings;
Tor, we see them, in the month of September al
ter due notification Of il, holding Convention at
Utica, numbering, according 10 their account,
some four thousand, and issuing an Address 10
their friends, in which they recommend that theil
distinct organization should be kept up. In this
Address, they reviewed the position of the two
great parties, and the opinions OF Messis. Clay
and Polk upon slavery generally, and particularly
upon the question of Texas annexation; and they
alude TO these letters OF Mr.. Clay 10 the South,
and declare that they "have il, the trankly-ex-
pressed opinions of him, whose principles are the
chart of The (Whis) party, that, first, he is not
opposed 10 annexation because II would extend
slaverv-our chief reason Tor opposing it-and,
second, so far from having any personal objection,
he should he glad 10 see il, with slavery if ii
could be obtained without war; dshonor, and BY
the common consent OF the Union" And they
further say of Mr. CLAY: Elect him 10 the Pre-
sidency, and will not the man set TO work 10 neso-
tiate for lis admission! ana if he can succeed will
the existence OF slavery be any obstacle? He SAYS
not Such were the deductions OF The anti.save-
~ party Of New York. from the 2d and Sd letters
OF Mr.. Clay; and, accordingly, they recommend
ed 10 their followers no, 10 vote for either him or
Mr.. Polk, but 10 adept a distinct Organization
To suppose that The events which preceded and
Swallowed forth this course Of the sa-calVd "Third
Party" in the NGrh escaped the attention OF
MIR Clay and his friends, would be vastly to un-
dcrrae their powers Of observation, and The inlc.
rest they tc in The issue The vigilan, eye OF
the great leader of Whi.gew, which has watched
with seepiesS gaze every revolution OF the great
wheel ireighed with his political fortunes al once
perceived the importance of tie movements
against him, and the necessity Of immediately
countcracing Them a, all hazards. The elections
in the great noI-slavehoiding States of Pennsyl-
vania, Ohio, aud New Jersey, were Just about TO
come Oft and in two of ihem AT least, the abo!i-
tonS,s were believed 10 hold the balance of pow
err. Withou. their aid, all was lost TO he Wing
party in those States, aud losing them. Mr.. Clay
might not hope to reach the Chair of Stale Ac-
corilngly, we frd him preparing for his last des-
! pera'c conrse on the subject Of annexation; and
we behold him issuing his Manifesto No. ". I'M
der date OF 23d September, directed to the Editors
Of the National Inteiiigencer-,hou he had
previously addressed t!co other letters one 10
citizen OF Portage county in Ohio, and the other
10 Messrs. Purdue and 0rth in Indiana and
I which were apparently intended for ncghborhood
circulation, as he does not even allude To them in
| this letter 10 the ln;cgencer. OF all the extra
| ordinary productions OF this most extraordinary
/ leer-writer, this undoubtedly is entitled 10 the
palm otdisiinction. IL was apparently conceived
with the intention of announcing 10 an unfortu-
nate country, the astounding intelligence, that lis
author, considering the near approach of the
/ Presidential election" should thereafter write no
! more letters! Heavens what caasirophc,-
! No more letters from Mr. Clay,- more from
/ him whose pen has, during the last few months,
added so much 10 the epis:o!ary literature OF the
country But no, so fast, Me>siS. Editors ior,
row That look again ii is APPARENT ha. the self
denal which Mr. Clay has imposed on himself
/ is not 50 great, Is al fI>t sight, We might ina
giGe; for. you will perceive that lie merely de
clines 10 transmit for publications. any letters from
/. (hm) in answer 10 inquiries upon public mat
lers' So that after ALL doubtless, ''cousi!eriE..
the near approach OF The Presidential election, he
NAV still wite letters lin answcrto inquiries upon
public affairs with The pToviso only that they are
not intended ''ior publication But he intends
TO write no more letters! and yet in making this
| annunciation he takes occasion 10 write the most
| important one probably which has emanated
from his pen during the present canvass: for, like
! the postscript Of iady'> letter ::,c latter part o.
this epise conveys 10 us the real object !or which
| ii was written. la announcing this his detcrlni-
natioa llen Mr.. Clay iacidentaAg "availed him
self OF the occasion" Ia correct certain eflo:.eous
interpretations which he ;iiei9eS had Teen put
upon his Maniits;ocs Nos II and lllo Alabama.
upon the question of the annexation oi Tcyas and
lie declares 'tha, most unwarrantcd allegations
had been made that those letters were incon>i>-
tent with his Raleigh letter on the same subject
Now, the first thing to be remarked about this
broad charge of misrepresentation which Mr..
Clay makes is that il strikes his friends TO less
than his opponents; for, il will he horne in mind,
that these ''Gnwarranled allegations were frs,
made BY the papers which published those letter;
.)r the Editors OF those papers certainly seem 10
think that those letters did place Mr.. Clay in a
very different position towards Texas from that
which he is made 10 occupy in his Raleigh lei
tcr-and sol apprehend thought many, not most
of his Southern Texas supporters al least we
all know that so they argued and endeavorci TO
satisfy the people; and 50 also thought, apparent
IT, that considerable and respectable portion OF The
| Coniederacv," which assembled al Utica and
whose views upon the position of Mr.. Clay on
this question, after his Alabama letters, have
been above referred 10. But lei us see what are
the misrepresentation referred TO- and how MIR
Clay attempts TO extricaic himself from the LADY,
rinth OF Inconsistencies, into which lie has beer
involved by his eager desire to please both The
North and the South And fist, we remark: tia
he has evidently now made up his mind 10 take
his final stand upon this question: so as 10 secure
at least the appreciation Of the opponents OF an
nexation, leaving its friends to take care OF them
selves; for, he sets out By distinctly declaring
that he adhercs 10 every feeling, sentiment and
opinion expressed in his Raleigh letter Nay
having determined 10 "a the irhOlc against annex
alton, he actually runs beyond all the objections
stated in his first letter. for, he declares that he
thinks it would be dishonorablc, might involve
the country in war, would he dangerous 10 the
integrity and harmony OF the Union; and even il
all these objections were removed, lie vet starts
another; for, he declares that even in that event
annexation 90 could not be effected according 10
any information he possessed, upon just and adj
Missile conditions" Having thus announced
his determination 10 discard his Southern views
and take a position wholly Northern upon
the question, leaving his friends in the South
TO shift for themselves as best they may, Mr.
CLAW next addresses himself 10 the task OF IN
saving, or explaining away, all the material
allegations of his Alabama letters, which might
in any way tend to interfere with the thorough
understanding which he has determined shall cx-
ist between himself and his considerable and re-
spectacle friends of the North; and in his anx-
e,y 10 effect this purpose, he assigns reasons for
using certain strong expressions in his Alabama
letters, which, to all appearance, have no exist
fence in point of fact; and, as 10 other of these
expressions, most glaringly rervert the plaincst
and most common expressions of the English Ian
| guage Thus, j, will be remembered, that in his
first Alabama letter, he uses the expression that
personally he could have no objection u annex
ation," and in endeavoring 10 account for The use
| If ibiS pynression no saws in his letter No 4.