New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-07-11
The sIander.rs of Henry Clay.

The sIanderers of Henry Clay.
The Albany Argus takes the lead in the work
Of defaming and traducing Henry CLAY. That
paper arden,ly supported IN 1924 WM. II. CRAw-
FORD, who had killed man in a duel and in
1928 and 1882 ANDREW JACKSON, who had killed,
with great GOODNESS and ferocity, after his oppo-
nent's FIRE had been drawn, Mr.. Dckerson in It
duel growing out of quarrel at horseracc, and
who had been engaged in savage pistol-fght
with COL Benton without even the decorum Of
duel Mr.. Clay has twice been engaged in duels,
the last twenty years ago, and each with men
who had heaped upon him the most unprovoked
and CALLING insults and indIgnitles We think nc
was very wrong in this-lust as the man is wrong
who, on the impulse of the moment, knocks down
any one who has spit in his face-ho himself
thinks so and has said SO. He declared in an
Address to his Constituents, in 1926 in reference
to the Card he had issued denouncng the un-
known author of the Bargain Islander,
81 felt that could no longer remain silent A
crisis appeared 10 me 10 have arisen in my public
life. issued my card. ought not to have put III
the lAst paragraph, although III Goes UOt
necessarily imply the resort TO persona! combat
il admits OF that constructions nor will conceal
that such possible issue was within my coniem-
patiOn. owe II TO the community 10 say, that what
ever heretofore NAV have done, or, by inevitable
circumstances, nigh be forced 10 do, man in it
holds 10 deeper adherence than do, the perlicious
practice. Condemned as il must be by the judg-
men, and philosophy TO say nohn. OF the religion,
of thinking affair OF feeling abou;
which we cannot, although We should, reason. 1t
true corrective will be found when all shall unit,
all ought TO unite IN It's unqualified prescription
Acting on this principle, Mr.. Clay in 1885
supported and voted for the law severely punish
ing duels in the District oil Columbia. On that
occasion he sad.
$40 man would be happier than he to see the
whole barharous :. stem forever eradlcasd. II WIS
we'll known. that III certain quarters of the country
public opnion was averse from dueIiue. and no
man cou d fly in the lace OF that purllc op,uion,
without hlvirS his reputation racti:iced bur there
were other portions again which rxnctrd uhrdiencr
10 the fatal custom The man with high sense o:
honor, aud nice sensihilits, when the question i,
whether he shall fight have the finger oil scorn
pointed at him. is unable To resist and few, very
few, are found wiling 10 adopt such All alternative.
When public opinion shall! be renovated, aud clus-
tened nv reason, religion and humanity, the prac-
rics Of ,ueuc will al once be disCounlenanced. Ii
The ONCE VI ~ 40 " CiU III DfllIg
about that hcalthiul state of The pubic mind and
although it may not altogether effect 80 desirable u
result, Vet he had no doubt II would do much TO-
wards ii. and with these views he would give his
vote tor the blli."
And now look at the terms in which the Al.
bany Argus hebituslly speaks of Henry Clay
The following resolution of Rensscaervr
meeting, which we clip from It's columns, is ii
faithful reflection of the habitual exhibition of lis
Editorial articles;
ReSored Tint with feelings Of pride and pleasure
tsd the utIvhtc. exalted, mnm mud ,eg"us chancet of
JANIS Pol with that of tK>ky CLAya who from
his youth has been addicted To neatly the whole catalogue q"
vicesu proitnc ,weare gambler nnd du-l,- man who
now at The advanced At nearly 20 years. s hell 10y the
cy, uuhe Of his county under bonds io the maintenance
u The pca.e.
Such are the charges against Henry Clay
and they are UNANIMOUSLY false. Mr.. Clay is not
more profane swearer, than james h. Polk,
hough he doubtless, like most men not professors
Of religion, has at some time or other used harsh
We know that WASHINGTON did so, quite as much
al Mr.. Clay ever did yet Washington was not u
profaae swearer. How many men among US, if
they were dogged through all their lives by ewes.
such error as this1 We ask every man 10 make
the case his own, and Judge how he would hike
to have his lowest whisper of indignation at some
atrocious yillany dixie Folks when ne turned the
fairly chosen Wing Members from Mississippi
out of their seats BY his casting vote,) trumpetec
TO the world as an evidence that he was habit
nal swearer There is baseness IN catching
up such a murmur Of Indignation and trumpeuDg
it through the Union which an honorable mar
must loaihe and abhor, and which the Albany
Argus, in It's better days, would have scorned 10
descend to.
Then as to the charge of gamblng-it is lie,
q shameful lie. The negro on whom Gen Me-
Cslls relied to substantiate 1t has pumpy contra
dicted him. 1t seems he said he mad been "buy.
ING pack of cards for Masss Clay" but there
are several .Massa Clays about Lexington, anG
this could no, have been Henry Clay, as he has
not knowingly permitted a pack OF cards to enter
his house for many years. Yet ii is true that Mr.
Clay has often, when travelling or detained from
home, played whist with a party Of frends-and
sometimes, when il has been insisted BY others
that some tric should be bet on the result of the
G. C, ne has not stubbornly resisted It. Blu; he
hi- no more played for money than the man who
plays in his family circle, with beans for count.
srs, plays for beans. We have the testimony OF
men whose integrity was never questioned tha,
NJ, Clay has been uniformly averse 10 betting
ever ,riae and has always discouraged il,
This he has done in conformity with resolution
sd, ted BY him more than twenty yesrs ago, hay.
IN eviously bees seduced into the habit then
ps .entin the West and IN Washington.
linen The duelst accusAton-wl,h what
yraoc does this come from the Lccos OF Rensse
laervillc, who have always stood up for Jackson
with all heir might And with what decenc!
do they aIlude 10 Mr. Clas's beng put undo
bonds in Washington 10 prevent his accepting
challenge from Senator King OF Alabama Mr.
King iusul,ed Mr.. Clay grossly, and Mr. Ola!
retyr,ed with great spin;. 1t was feared h'ns
would challenge him, top!esent which they were