Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1844-08-08
I.cmry Clay ans: the Right OF znstruc-
tiou---;hc r~ic-L5eItia. Election of
Es2s md Tic f..n:.rup. E.lW OF I'll.

recr, be vas cinphatcally TIE DEMOCRAT. There
was no popular doctrine to wi ich hcdidnot subscribe.
lie wa always lor TIE pco, Re and pifb the people:
and sc belee IL was eome distinguished E.ngl4 Imam
Who called HIN "tte gr,ct Copmoqer.'
No man went further IN lnrul-atine the duty Of
obedience to lie VILE # thc people BY tier servants
III CcngFcss and he Legislatures e the States, or
was mo-c prompt IN dencunc NJ and ATTEMPTING 10
punish delinquent Senators and Representatives. IN
1911 Tic VIII of the Safe of Kcnuvhy, wa clearly
expressed against reciarter.ne tie cid Bank of the
United States bat John Pope. tacn tlay's Colleague
Al tie tnitcd States Senate, G~isobeyed the !n,truc-
tion-. and voted for the recaarter. For that act clay
ard his friends Put hin down in Kentucky. though a
man Of excellent talents and better character than ms
rval.
-hltAoagh aIr. Clay aflcrward, went over to the
lank lie continued 10 profess the same faith On the
subject II instructions, 10th popular and legislative.
lie voted fr tie celebrated Compensation BIZ at the
session + Congress n Isi5-l6. and for is repeal at
tie succeeding session. The reason lie gave for tins
change wa The uiY al his ems. i;aeaix. In a speech
which may - found in the National Inteihgcncer of
January, 1917. lie tius laid down the doctrine Of IN
s~tructlons, as 10 recognized II both IN theory AID prac-
tee, VIZ:
"Nr. Clay said he agreed perfectly in the sentiment
that instructieuS gwen by the people are obligatory on
the Representatives. THIS was u principle cousecIaied
by the Revolution. iuseDarabe )rom al free gorerameat,
and which he therefore hoped never 10 see departed from
~ practice, IN ours. Whilst, Then, lac had Il seal on this
floor, Clay said, 1t was immatcriaI how he arrived at The
will of las constituents. or " hat were the frtdcHcCS al II
II was sufficient that lac should know 1t. In all cases OF
expedicncy. he held the daetriue of an obligation ON his
part, 10 observe the instructions, express or implied, of
lis constituents.
Put clay was ambitious t. be President. lie lad
seen tie Secretary of State succeed - tie Presidency.
until lie looked ugan it a. tie Established order of>uc-
ccss.ea. lie thought he Should be sccureof the frizc.
ii he could but place himself ~ tic Inc Of "safr irc-
codruts,' - hC himself called tAat position in 10.
Wien, by tie rrull e the electoral election III
I52i, it Was found tlat tie contest III tie House Of
Representatives. would be between Andrew Jackson
and John q. Adams. tie Legislature of Kentucky, by
IN overwhelming maloT.ty, adopted Tie following re-
solutions. ":
personalities in the Congress oi The United States, from
this State. be requested TO vote for Andrew Jackson. as
President Of The I niicd States.
..BeSoIrcd. as tie opinion If THIS legislature, That G,n
Andrew Jackson i Ihe second choice Ut The State of e
lucky for the next President of the tuiicd States, that a
very large majority of the people uf Inns State prefer Gen
sral Jackson Ia Adams or Craw ford and HAT the MEM
hers 81 the lloIse Of Representatives IN the Congress "i
the United States VIII. by complying with the request
herein sI.niied, faithfully and truly represent the feel
ings and wishes of the good people of Kentucky
What SD Clay! In Il letter 10 a friead in Virgin
in dated Feb. IN. lS25. and published IN Tie Nation
al Journal of --th Of April, I@2@, lc sud:
"Nhat do YOU de>irc' That | should vote for Caw.
ford cannot. For Gen. Jackson l WILL NOT
Slitiny he acton 70 tie wordShevoted for Adams
and hy lI> vote ame influence made h.n irc>.dent,ard
received the Office # Secretary If State at his hands.
1t was rug WILL. or Mn. Clay. not TIE uiR 81
KeniRclv. which gave her vote 10 Adams, and gave 4
President 10 tie nation.
Whatever WEIGHT n gilt &c given 20 Mr. Clay's cx-
cusc for his fragrant violation # he VIII and wishes
If h> State IN GIVING Lcr votc FIR Adams IN i>26,
there ia more recent ca.c IN which he stands with
out Tie shadow If an apology. Since tlat time. he
has recon. zed tie doctrine Il distractions 10 tie iHl-
lest extent. ia tie Iltl January, l-3o, certain re-
solution f the l,Tiil Carolina Legislature were pre-
seu-al II fHn plfet SHES SENATE. OF winch Mr.. lay
wds hen n mcfa5cr, requesting Their Senator's II vote
tor r cnding the eNPuuging resolution. fr the DIS
trlbution Of the land money, &c, with which TIE sen
at1r> from that State refused t. comply. Clay gratu-
it0usk took them - task and in q short speech. re-
ported in the National lntclligcnccr If Jan. 10, i-39,
thus In d down the dlctrinc of instructions, viz:
..Nud what i the doctrine of instructions, as it il held
by all l. II not that We are 10 conform To the wishes q
our CONSTITUENCIES Is not that we are Ia act. not M GU
own. but in a deleg ited character And Will any who
s;and here pretend that, whenever they know the wIsiIe'
and will of those who sent them here, they are not bound
To conform To that will entirely Is II not the doctrine
that we ac notilin. more than the mirror to reflect I'll,
Will of those who called IL I" our dIgniiied office ThH
is the view take of the doctrine of instructions
.And now ask, l. any peculiar language necessary
other than that by which the Will OF our constituents ma,
be understood and carried out' l. there but one wor,
thai will answer-no other word bat the word iasfr"cf
Is there no language tantamount. 10 that 1.-THE icgsia
ture SIMPLY express their wills that not an cqpiyalen
word to insfructf Nay. more i II not more respectful
to those receiving the Instructions, 10 avoid than 10 US
tC WIZ
"And il appears to me. ,ha, if the Legislature have tn
right. aud choose 10 give Instructions, II i no matter y
what " words or Iansaas- those instructions are gwen; an
1 should feel myself bound to conform 10 their wishes thu
communicated.
Here We have the doctrine from the mouth Of Ga
himself. IL ~
10 conform to the VIII ,f eur on-tiuent~."
40 act. n; in our own, bit n 4 defeated claraC
ter"
whenever they know the wishes ana viii oftlos
who sent them here, they are bound 70 confirm 10 tia
Will entirely"
" are nothing more than tie mirror 70 reic,
the Will OF those who called "a, to our GIgn..ed -
tons"
1T Is no matter in wAa, words or language ihos
instruct nS are given"
I'm! L." says Clay. after maintaining that Ii
word rcqRes. l. better. because more respectful. tina
the word instruct. SHOULD FEEL MYSELF BOUND 7
Comfy WITH THEIR WISHES THvs COMMUNICATED
Let Us now see how fr tbs preacher followed h
own FreccPfs.
At the extra session Of Congress in Isl. Clay too
leading part in the passage II the Bankrup; Law
which lie called a link in TIE great system II VII.
mSa>ure>-"
A. antcipatcd. the PEOPLE Of kentucky rose l
against the law, AMI demanded i repeal almost una
imou>lv. Their wishes and VII were very sion
fcantly Indicated through tie Legislature.
On tie 9TH e January. iSi.. tie kentucky Hon
Of Representative adopted the following resolution
unanim,u-ly-or at lca>. without & dlFl>loa-v.z:
II. Rfsolred. That in the opinion Of the General \
semb!, of the Commonwealth ct keniueky, u : the q
sire Of a large majority Of the people OF keniuck, that II
Bankrupt law, enacted al the late extra session Vi %
grcss, shall be repealed.