Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1844-10-24

+ statesman of this century, he has ever jo;ne
, another, never united with it except wher
, the capacious mind was found with hear
the largest. Rigidiy as his siatesmansliJ
) has always kept within the bounds of tn,
positive, yet no man has ever more warml,
displayed the politics of The feelings, wherev
er such could be legimaiely INDUCED, wherev
!. er the mere sympathies were not met by
something far more sacred--drect duties
While, therefore, no man has ever hailed with
more genuine enthusiasm the dawn Of free
principles Tor regions long sunk in the night
OF despotisn--for Spanish America or lor
Greece--no man, on the other hand, has been
frmer to rePress the mere uncalculaiing glow
OF those natural emotions, when things We,
more imprescripible, the obligations of peace
! for his own country, or the immediate sane
ti,y of our p!igh:ed friendship aud faith, FOR
babe an indulgence of the mere sentiments
Wise as he has been for every real and sure
! Improvement or ameioraiion, and warm as he
has been for every generous national impulse,
he has never slid into the ruin of visionary
system OF politics, nor the crimes of sent-
mental one. Let Free Trade, let Hard Mon
ev, let N Notification tell the former tale let
Canadian and Texian sympa,hes tell the lat
ter.
or his earlier public life, it was the chief Of
many honors to be one of those who led the
way in indicating against the aggressions of
a naughty and powerful rival our national
honor and independence, and TO have borne,
through the doubtful contest that ensued, a
part second to no man in the firm and wise
counsels that brought that war to an issue the
haPpiest-a safe peace, which he had large
sharein negotiating. OF the opposite term of his
! life, it has been the still lofter and more haz-
ardous distinction TO have withstood, under
every Encouragement and disadvantage, the
triumphant predominance of ill, the wild as
tendency of a faction as dangerous as ever
shook free institutions, the personal domino
ton OF chief welding the nation at his will,
and smiling whatever stood up against him
with hand as unsparing and as fierce in CT
vii affairs as it had been in battle. Against
him, and the havoc which he poured at once
upon the whole system Of public things and
upon all as his individual enemies who re-
sisted, enc man-though almost blasted from
the first by his subornation and a craft as
deadly as his opener violence was furious
has stood up mistaken when the hearts of
others tainted, unseduced when so many
yielded, unterriGed by all the successful evil
about him, the hope, the rallying point of
distressed honor and civil virtue, the last tai
tered ensign, still flying, however torn, to
which the eye Of those who ,rould not be con-
quered could ever turn, high above that seem
ingly lorlorn fight
Between these extremes Of his past career
/ intervene two other memorable achievements
such as have seldom crowded a single public
iiie-we mean, of course, the paciiication of
the Missouri question, due (as all know TO
nm alone, and snatching us. as all have said.
I al,
the compromise Of 1888, which again rescued
us from the horrors of fra.ernal strife, that
none but he possessed the patriotism (though
certainly there was another that possessed the
lpower) 10 avert.
| Why should we any further affect 10 avoid.
in tribute as just as this, name that these
peculiar praises could alone designate to eth
er friend or foe? is there any body, per-
chance, that even locolocoism can pretend to
decorate, OH lis side, with these titles to pub
lie esteem, with these long and consummae
services, narrowed to no party, but broad and
general as the country itself, valuable as its
honor, wide as lis entire interests, precious
as It's freedom and union Let Locolocoism,
/ il i! dare, lift up its voice and say that these
sober and certain facts are not true of Henry
CLAY-are true OF somebody else Ay, let
it so proclaim, and then tell us, if it can. why,
there being such man. JAMES X. Polk is
their choice for the Presidency
long labor it would be TO exhaust the
facts public life various and signalized.
through public affairs difficult and shifting
as ours have beer, by great abilities SO per-
petuaIiy and so usefully exerted. Details,
known as they are, and particular measures,
we scarcely touch at present; for these we
have often displayed al large, as each was in
question. We seek at present to touch only
the greater trats-less the measures than the
likeness of the man, as painted in those me;-
sures themselves.
OF him who, among the ancients, most near
~ united those shing qualities of persuasive
speech which distinguish Mr.. CLAY with his
sagacious craftsmanship and commanding
character, it was, when his lamenting friends
were around his bed COMMUNICATING his great
acts and his services to the State the expiring
remark ~ on have, of all my life, forgotten
that which ! myself esteem its chief praise
that never caused one Gclow-citizen TO put
'on mourning" That dying consolation of
Perces--the thought Of power blamelessly
+ used-wll be Mr.. CLAWS. n stain of civic
blood is upon bls hands no needless as we'll
! as illegal execution no guilt Of laws tram
! pied upon or wresed to individual oppres-
sion 10 measures of partisan violence, that
plunged half the land in want and tears.
Under MIR. CLAY-beneath mild and ben
efcent policy such as once blessed the land
those bitter divisions chat yex it, those dis
fractions so arlfuly FED on all sides for the
personnel purposes of faction and its mana
gers, that rash and cruel legislation that makes
..,t.-s h. Al.