Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1844-10-31

CLAY. Weneed scarcely say that not the
slightest reliance cen be placed upon ex.
tracts made for such moment as this,
end for secre, use.
We renew our caution TO the Wings,
and to all others who do no, wish to be
duped, 10 be on the watch for THIS new
coinage from the bogus mint OF the GU.
thor OF "The Omens" and Tracts" and
all those other pious and vefacious pro
ductions.
HON. w. C. PRESTON'S LETTER.
The following letter from the Hon.
William c. Preston, while il nails the Lo-
cofoco buster about conversation be.
tween him and Mr.. Clay, sfforjs another
graphic illustration of the natural propen'
sty of party, which considers no false
hood too absurd or gross if II promises TO
give them place and power. Augusta
Chronicle.
COLUMBIA, 10Th October, 1874.
Dear Sir The editor Of the Mobile
Advertiser has sent me paper contain.
ing statement made by you OF certain
declaration Of mine concerning CONVEX
sa,ion with Mr.. Clay, many years since.
4 Your statement thus published is connect
ed with letter from Mr.. Reynolds, In
which Mr.. Clay and myself are commen-
ted upon with acrimony. If this gentle.
mans letter had appeared by itself, |
should have thought IT unnecessary 10 no.
tice 1t, as its style and tone require no
commentary.
To a gentleman of your intelligence
| am sure IT would be entirely unuecessa.
ry to pretend to viniicaie Mr.. Clay
against the vulgar and abusive charge OF
Abolition for you know that he is a
large slaveholdes-thathi his and his child
ren's destiny is with the saveholding
race, and that he has publicly and sol
EMMY avowed this. You have not for
gotten his noble ANTI ABoLITIoNIsT
speech in the Serate, in February, 1889,
when he brought all the weight Of his
character and position - all The energy OF
his nature, and all the power of his elo
quence, against the wicked and msguld.
ed fanatics who were agitating the coun.
try. That signal effort extoited applause
from men Of all parties in the South, even
from the most malignant Of his calumni-
ators. Subsequently to that speech, you
remem ber the striking scene in Indiana
between MIR. Clay and Mr.. MendalI, when
in the mlds, Of a great State, surrounded
oy Abplrtionisis and an anti-slavery pop
ulaion--he met and rebuked the spirit oi
Abolition with courage, majesty and
force that sent it covering and appalled,
from his presence. | know that you
have not forgotten either Of these occa-
Sons. aud however you may be opposed
to Mr. Clay, must believe that, as pat.
riot and n Southern man, you remember
them with grati.u.e and admiration.
beg you, sir, to revert 10 the speech
Of 1899. which you will find in Cam.
bers's Collection of Clay's Speeches, page
1868, and in the meantime, ! wish to re-
fresh your memory with a passage or
two. He says THE first impeachment
lin the way Of the Abolitionis,s) is the ut-
ter and absolute Uant Of all power on the
part Of the general government to effect
the purpose"
Speaking of the course which in early
life he had taken in Kentucky. he says !:
"But if hao been then, or even now, a
citizen of any Of the planting States the
Southern or Southwestern States-l
should have opposed and would continue
to oppose any scheme whatever OF eman-
cipation, general or immediate, because OF
the danger Of an ultimate ascendency Of
the black race, or of civil contest which
might terminate in the extinction OF one
race or the other" page 337.)
Again he ssys-"Thelr liberty, (of tho
slaves if It were possible, could only be
established by violating the incontestable
power Of The States, and subverting the
Union. And beneath the ruins of he
Union would be buried sooner or later,
the liberty of both races"
In that speech Mr.. Clay seems to look
to the ultimate termination of domestic
slavery. He says (page 3s0)-"But if
we may attempt to llt the veil, and con.
template wha, lies beyond it, too. have
entered on speculative theory with
which will not trouble you, but which
has been published TO the world. Accor.
ding to that, in the course of time, some
one hundred and fifty or two hundred
years hence, but few vestiges of the black
race will remain among our posterity."
These sentiments and the occasions TO
which have alluded, in. connection with
Mr.. Clay's know abilities, energy and
patriotism have long since brought me to
the conclusion that beyond all Compel
ton ne is the frs, and itiest man, as
President. to guard and protect the inter
esis OF the South The only man, who,
if this wild and ferocieus spirit should run
to further excess, has the strength 10 con
irol il without resort to force. To this
extent you may not concur with me, but
cannot think that you could differ with
me on the general proposition that, our
interests 10 this particular will not be en-
dangered in his hands.
AS 10 the statement Of my conversation
with M. Clay, you are mistaken in ma
| nv ma particulars