New-York daily tribune., 1844-11-02

Ia Gin conscentiously vote FOR MIR. Clay. II is
hom the pen of gentleman Of tbs State ds,in.
cp;,hed for bi. learning, and whose character ar
,cit;zen and Christian is uablsmished.
Hartford Courant.
csuI cor scie ntiousiy vote for Henry Clay I
.pb CT, and i'll had then teen called up,n TO de-
eide, should prosaoly have declln' d TO give Mr.
Cay my vote. Subsequent inquiry has led me to
,harge my views; and ss there may be those
vlo still cherish smilar doubts, would ash thei1
attention. TO few plain considerations, which
have re!isved Ely own m:nd on this SUI jec.
To illustrate my present views, ! viii take q
.sse which has actually occurred. We all know
,b., WILLIAM WILBERToscE vas man Of q eat
.,oscient,uusness and elevared Christian princi.
nes. Yet he gave his vote, for many ye rs, to
teep William Pitt at the head of the British
GJveramont, though MIR. Pitt daring that very
Tsiod fought duel, lived in the habitual viola
ION of the Christian Sabbath, aud often INDUCED
in excess of wine. How could Mr.. Wiberforc-
ro,e for such man with clear conscience?
THO brief answer is, He made distinction be-
tween the Minister and the mar he felt that he
oOuld support Mr.. Pitt in h,s public capacity,
vi,heu, giving the least sanction to the errors of
his private lie. Let Us look at this distinction,
and see fit is not founded in truth, and support
ed by common sense.
]. Mr.. Pitt, with all his abilities was still the
mere representative of certain pnncipies-the or
gan for carrying out system OF measures, which
an immense body of men in Great Britain, were
desirous to support. MIR. Wilberiorce was one
Of this body. He saw that these measures which
he deemed essential to the honor, the prosperity,
and the religious interests Of the country, must
inevitably be sacrificed, if Dir. Pitt was put
dssn. in voting as ho did, he was therefore,
really voting fc- these MEASURES, and not for the
msnin his individual capacity.
9. The appointments TO Office, under MIR. Pitt,
were certain, in Mr.. Wilberforce's view, to be
such, in general, as he and other conscientious
men would approve; much more so than could
be expected from his political opponents. lie
iel. sure of having learned and upright judgee,
and able executive officers in the posts Of honor
and trust, throughout the land-men whose prl-
y.te lives were superior, In most instances, 70
that of Mr. Pitt himself. Now this constitutes
The real government OF country; and the case
NAV happen, that one man who holds the appoint
irg power. though pure himself in private life,
msT be led by party Influences TO give the peo-
pie corrupt government, while another of infe-
ror personal character, may be induced or CON-
pslIed by similar influences, to place them under
government of men, who are " a terror to evil
dcefs, and praise Of them that de- we'll" The
question turns, not go much on the character OF
the man, as Of the party which he represents
and Mr.. Wilberforce in giving his vote, was IN
fact voting for ten thousand men whose charac-
Ter and principles he liz general approved, and not
for the single individual through whom they OBJ.
tanned Office.
8. No man doubts, whether in pursuing the
great ends of life, he may act pith others whose
private character he docs not wholly approve.
An apostle has decided the Observation-Disclosures
"must ye needs 20 out of the ,Oorld." No one
hssitates to employ such men when necessary, as
the instruments Of accomplishing his designs.
The captains Of cur ships and steamboats,, and
the agents of our numerous corporate instt Itons,
are in many cases Of this character. care they
qualified for the peculiar duties of their station !
Can they be relied on To carry out the design 2"
If 50, though we should much prefer men whom
we could approve in all things, we employ them
without scruple. We sail in their ships, we en-
trust them with our property, we vote for them at
meetings of stockholdeis, when We cannot find
EQUALLY able men whom we approve in all things.
We also make compromises with other sloekhod-
ers, and take such men, when they will not give
rs others whtm we should on the whole prefer.
We do not abandon our property, and give Up
the interests committed to our charge, because
those with whom we act derry US ali that We
could wish ON this subject. We do ,shat zoe can.
Mr.. W,lberorce acted ON this principle, and il
enabled bim To do much. Ii he had acted on the
contrary prociple. he would have conc nolhnT.
Mr. Wilberforce feit that no man in his
senses could regard him, wbile acting on this
principle, as giving any sanction To the errors Of
FIR. Pl.t In private life. No evil of this kiuo did
actually result for The vote ne gsvo. No one
Was ever |, 70 entirely to mlsconstrue thai vote,
as 10 imaglne that My. Wilber,otce gave any
sanction 10 dueling, sabba,b-breaking. or intoxl
cation by his political connection with MIR. Pitt.
Was he not, then. perfectly conscientious and up
night in what re did 7 He made no sacrifice oi
character or principle, he gave nst tine slightest
eoun,ensnce to wrong dong while he stood tlrln
ST hia pest, and uphed that system of measure s
which he considered essential 10 the highest In
,eiess Of his country.
Now the case presented by the epprceching
election Of President, is precisely the same, eX-
sept tha, Mr. Clay stands on much higher ground
as TO character, than Mr.. Pitt did at the period In
ques.ian. Many years ago, he fought c duel,
but ne now expresses his unqualified reprobaton
si the practice; he states, in substance, that he
cannot conceive of any possible concurrence oi
circumstances which would now lead him TO
meet another in single combat; and he merely
waves any hypothetical declarations, as ridicu-
Uus at his age, on subject, which he euPposes
an neysr have any practical application to him.
eli. The letters Of DIR. Bascom and DR.. Chap
nan, distinguished divinss residing in the same
own, afford the fullest evidence, that Mr.. Claws
aoiai character has been for some years at least
1Tlmpesched in the community where he lives.
- treats the institutions Of religion with hrespect
~ moi psoiane, not given to vicious indulgence.
say, then, that if Mr.. Wlberforce was not
Sai'y OF a fagrant violation of his conscience,
IN vote foi Mr.. Clay without wounding mine.
ieel, feo, that as Mr. Wilberforce went fur
asf, and considered himself bound in conscience
sSo'e for MIR. Pitt, 50 an bound, in the pres.
- momentous cris.s, to vote for Mr.. Clay. II
.sns only means left me Of resisting Two OF the
s'etest evila which can befal the United States,
nYf,e zs.L. I rkk