Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1844-06-07
From the Eeser Transcript.
Henry CLAY,

the Wing Presidential candidate, written ny NY
self some twelve or fourteen years agO,-an ettu-
sion, which of COURSE does not express the matur-
ed opinions of the man whose name is attached to
it. have received letters and papers from other
individuals in reference to it, but have hitherto
considered the matter altogether too trltiln9 tor
any serious notice on my part And am lhduceu
to speak of it now only on account of some OF my
ant-slavery friends, who seem to think an eXplana-
ton due to myself and the cause OF freedom,
| have certainly no right or disposition to com
plain of the publication of the article in question:
provided it is not given as recent productio"
and as expressive of present opinion. lam Wil"S
to admit the fact of radical change OF oPinlou
since the piece written; but must p o'oo
against the charge of Hypocrisy implied ny is pre-
sentation under my name, unaccompanied by ell
Their date or explanation IN warm partlZan pa
pers, as a part of their electloneerlng material
The truth is, must say, think my wing frienas
have made quite too much of 1.-THE piece IN IT,
self has certainly no special claims upon pubic
considerations aud as for the author, what lmpor-
lance can be attached to the opinions OF an aboII-
ZIONIST whose very name is cast out as evil! men
who have assaed me with all approbious eplthets
and marked me out as fitting object for the exer-
else of mob-cOnservatism, and as candidate Tor
rho h""o-s ,f yn"h low. haUo PlOood my name IN
their newspapers as the endorser of their presden-
tial candidate, land quoted nv il-consdered rhymes
as his most fitting eulogy Shareholders have
sung them at barbacues -slaveholding editors have
garnshed their columns with them-they nave
foated over Wing gatherings, as the motto OF BAN
ners bearing the very respectable and appropriate
device of "ihat same old c0onE' Not long ago
saw them in the Richmond Wing, interlardng the
editorials of its chivarous Virginia editor: 4ney
have headed, for months together, advertisements
in sagehoding prints of Henry Clays speeches,
including his famous slavery speech IN the senate
They have served to exc out the stump speeches
of southern orators. They were grayely rected
by that frothy Wing declaimer, 5. 5. Prentlss, IN
the hearing of Henry Clay himself, when in be-
half of its scoundrel community OF gamblers, du-
ests, street-fghters and negro-traders, the Ken
lucky statesman was welcomed to VIcksburg-
amidst the obstfeperous applause OF men VINO
would have hanged its author on the first tree, and
the sweet smiles and soft cIapping of ladies who
would have twisted their mantlas into ropes to
strangle him. Nay, more. The democrats, Judg-
ing by this very general use which was made OF
my boysh folly, concluding that it must be pow
erful electonecring auxiliary, and sagely resolved
that the Wings should not have the entire benefit
ofit being in principle opposed to all monopolIes.
Accordingly it was transferred to their papers with
the name of Thomas Fl. Benton, substituted for
that of Henry Clay And as General Joseph
Smith from the latest accounts, is about to run as
the presidential candidate of the Latter day Saints,
confess should not be surprised to see this I'M
lucky bit rhyme appear in the Times and nd, Sea-
sons, addressed to the great prophet dImseI!
ton of the Wing editors and speech-makers,
whether my poor doggrel rhyme has not done sun
sient service to their cause be allowed to retire
and find its appropriate place in
HThe wallet which time hath ever at his back,
Wherein he puts aims to oblivion"
In the dearh and famine OF wing literature
which followed upon the Astounding plenty of 1910
the era of "Tippecanoe and Tyler too,' there
might be some some show of reason in hunting uI
the school-day rhymes Of fanatcal abolltionis
even, for necessity has no law but now, when un-
der the inspiration of the Baltimore convention
the very food-gates of rhyme are again opened
and the universal Wing throat is wearing raw
with the Dutch-sylIablcd chorus of "Clay and Ere
n,;GGxrih,uvsen" can they not let my old worn ou
stanzas pass Quietly in forgetfulness? Why place
themselves under obligations to an anoiI0nIst:
Why invoke the name of ''fanatc" in behalf OF
their canddate2 Does he stand in need of my
boysh endorsement? For shame, gentlemen !
Patronse your own poets. Such songsters as are
daily claiming the ear of your "Clay clubs, ,shoulc
not scribbIe in vain. Songs inspired by visions o.
clerkshps, consuIates and post offices, seen thro
the dim portals of 1916, should not "waste the
sweetness on the desert air.'' lfyou will but con
slider of it, mine is not adapted to the tlmes-lt il
deficient in one important particular at least-for
if recollect rightly, it contains no allusion what
ever to "hat same old" mischievous animal which
like the ape in the temples of Egyptian idolatry
has been setup in the high places of Wing politics
the titular divinity Of the party.
Seriously, however, it is scarcely necessary 70
me to say that the piece in question was writer
with an imperfect knowledge Of the character ant
position of Henry Clay, and under, circumstance
calculated to awaken that youthful enthusiasm
which is too prone to overlook moral consIdera
tons, in its admiration of exalted genius. Ever
now, would not qualify, or detract from, my est
mate Of the brilliant and fascinating powers ant
noble intellectual qualities of the Western states
mani can admire, as heartily as ever those glo
rious episodes in his political history, when tn
feelings of the man rose above the sordld and sci
fish calculation and prudent reserve OF the slave
holder; when forgetting what was consistent an
proper on such occasions, for man living upo
the fruits of the unpaid toll of slaves, he stood
in the Senate of the United States as the champ
on of South America and Greece. His speeche
on these occasions show, that under other clrcun
stances, and disconnected from the baleful Unfit
ences of slavery, he might have been an ardel
and heroic advocate of human freedom and pro!
ress-the O'Connell of the Western hemisphere
AS it is, they are brilliant and eloquent produ
tons, but utterly shorn of moral power-fail
without works-Satan rebuking sin. Vague ar
general defamation about freedom and equat
and against tyranny and oppression, falls pointle
and powerless from the lips of man like Hem
Clay,-the STAKEHOLDER and SLAVE
BREEDER-the man who in 1887 offered h
resolutions to the Senate. that "THE INSTITJ
TON OF DOMESTIC SLAVERY OUCH
NOT TO BE ABOLISHED IN THE DI
TRICT OF COLUMBIA" that Foriday slav
ry should be permitted to flourish under the foste
ing care of goyernment-tha the horrible intern
Il d, Jo H. H. Il. H..