The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-02-28

hi,p in The affections Of the people, and TO over
throw his administration Now must contend
that circumstances are decidedly against YOU.
| From April, 1871, upuo November 1912, taking
the assertion Of your friends to be true, not one
word is produced toshow that you were friendly
TO the war party. Ii is admitted that /" Mr.. Clin-
ton was run by the Federalisis." If YOU repu.
dated the views of the Clinton party, why did
you no, abandon him prior TO the election, when
the whole Federal party had concentrated their
strength upon him As soon as he (Clinton)
united his political fortunes to the destinies of
the Federal party, why did not you renounce
him? The editor of the Richmond Enquirer
says that Clinton no longer received your sup
port from the time that he identified himself
with the Federal party" But when did you dis
cover this conjunction Of political interests
| Your friends would have us to believe that you
were ignorant of the fact that during the whole
canvass the Federal party were not among your
most Jealous supporters Who formed the coali-
ton between the Clinton and the Federal parties
in the Legislature Of New York, and thus gave
the electoral vote to Mr.. Clinton2 The forma-
ton of this coalition has been ascribed by your
friend, Mr.. Hammond, to your activity, talents,
| and address. 1t was by your exertions that this
political event was accomplished; and yet your
political friends contend that you abandoned the
Clinton party the moment you ascertained that
ne was supported by the Federal party.
Again: have asserted that you acted with
the Federal party in 1912. | will proceed to
sustain the charge by the production of addi-
| tional proof. On the 18th day of September,
1912, convention of the friends of De Witt
| Clinton, from many of the States, assembled in
the city OF New York, TO adopt measures calcu-
lated to promote his election. In that conyen-
ton we find many Of the most distinguished
Federalists ofthe country. Such men as George
Cabot and Harrison G. Otis Of Massachusetts,
and Morris, of New York, sat in that convention
as members. They were prominent members
Of the Federal party.
tits fact well known to you, that De Witt
| Clinton declared to members Of this convention,
that all political connerion bet,peea himself aud The
Democratic party in the United States had ceased and
could not again be rene,ued." With this decla-
ration staring you in the face, you continued
your support, and took the lead in the Legisla-
| ture in November in carrying the electoral ticket
in favor Of Clinton's election to the Presidency.
! Did you then abandon the support of Clinton as
| soon as you ascertained the political complexion
OF those who were laborng for his election, or
as soon as he developed his political principles
What then becomes of Mr.. Ritchie's excuse
II Mr.. Madison had been defeated, would it not
| have had most disastrous effect on our political
affairs! The war had been declared under his
auspices and by his advice. If your efforts had
proved successful in elevating Mr.. Clinton TO
the Presidential seat, it would have broken down
the Republican party, and would have furnished
Great Britain with the strongest proof, that the
dominant party in this country disapproved Of the
policy OF tho national administration, and were
averse to an energetic prosecution of the war.
II may be remarked, as general principle,
that the party which becomes associated in the
mind of the people with indifference TO the fate
Of the country in periods Of danger. can never,
during the existence of that generation, regain
It's influence; and the opposition to the ruling
power during such a crisis can hardly avoid such
an imputation. By singular coincidence,
from the influence Of the same principle, the
opposition, both in New York and other States,
at this period, lost their hold Of the influential
part Of the nation, from the same cause: por-
ton OF the Federal party. because they were
accused of coalescing with a foreign power
against the integrity Of the Union; the peace
party, because they were suspected OF indiffer-
ence 10 national honor in the contest in which
we were engaged.
Such, at least, is the comment " hch have
been tempted by the conduct of the political par.
tics as already referred to- to make on that policy
which led you to act III resistance TO the Republ-
can party. In this polio. there are some appear
ances Of concerted design which was liberal
and commendabe, at another time anti-repubtican
and unpafri0tic in the erireme equally calculated
to be admired or condemned, in the cases to
which either species of policy was suited. 1t is
however, probable, that you were led by the
changing state Of your interests, and followed the
conjuncture WITHOUT being aware of the depart
| ure from the republican fold. Following the
phantom Of your ambition; forgetting all the ties
OF patriotism and country in the pursuit of popu-
lar exaltation. You leagued with party against
| the Republican party, and labored to paralyze
the arm of the administration in the moments of
| its utmost peril.
What contrast to this timd and reprehensble
conduct as displayed by you, and the principles in
culcated by you in the minds of the people, does
the patriotic firmness of your distinguished and
illustrous rival, afford at this juncturc He, too,
was counselled to temporize in danger; he, too,
| was assailed by Federal ambition, and urged to
conciliate and yield TO the demands of Great Brl-
tain as the only means of salvation. But have
no hesitation in saying, and saying with pride,
that what gave to the foreign policy of Mr.. Madi-
son its great strength and efficacy, was the noble
| and elevated conduct of Mr.. Clay. Susceptible
to all great and generous emotions, boldly avow-
| ing the sympathy which he felt for hundreds of