Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1844-10-15
From tho Coon Catcher.

| CLAY'S MORALITY.
Why is it that SO much sensibiIiu
txelied:-why such holy horror mani
feSledf-why SO much futteriDg heart
among the partisan presses throughou
The length and breadth Of the land wher
The morality of candidate for the mos
exalted station within the power of the
people 10 cOnfOr on any man IS made
the subject Of legitimate inquiryf Is il
because The people are to be debarrsd
the privilege OF investigation INTO the life
and conduct Of the man who seeks ele-
VaiOn at their handsS or are they requir-
cd by hjreling and subsidized press
blndly to entTusl their destines into the
hands OF an individual whose deeds they
are denied the right to scrutnlze.
A Vlrtuous man fears no scrutiny into
bis cOnduct-he invites Investigations
requires no endOters, however strict
the ordeal may be-he requires no pari>
san press to sustain him, or 10 do the
bidding Of the masters hand.' II, on he
other hand, all is not right in Denmark
Ill his life has not been pOssed in vi
clous and immoral acls, liz violation of
the laws OF God and man-if the fabric
be not pure and unsrained, and cannon
sustain itself the food gates Of abuse and
recrlminatiOn are opened, and lavished
forth with relentless hand-Certifcate
are manufactured to order 10 delude the
people, and 10 bolster up sullied Tepu-
latIsn; and even ministers Of the gospel
forsake their sacred calling, and are pur
suaded 10 venture into the political arena,
and by their endorsement 10 prop the
character Of man whose life (and we
speak knowingly has been one continu'
ed scene of vice and immortality from
his earliest manhood to decayed old
aga.
How was the moral end religious
world astounded when the certificate Of
the Rev. Dr.. II. B Bascom, which so
recently appeared, was heralded forth by
a licentious press, endorsing the charac-
ter of that man whose name has been q
by-word among bis own brethren for
years past, carrying along with il not the
iaintest evidence OF morality and virtue.
but, on the other hand, associated by
them with all the prevailing vices which
characterize the worldly and the vicious
man.
We would for his soke-we would for
Tho sake Of that church of which he is a
bright aud shining ornament-we would,
Is his brother, for the sake Of that rel>
yiOn which he processes, and for the sake
,t that reputation which he has hitherto
as a candid and conscientious
aan, cover this last act with an impene-
rable veil, and hide it in oblivion, never
hence TO be brought forth and reckOnsd
gainst him. But there IS a duty, an i'm.
,eTstive one, which NO owe 10 ourselves,
o our children, TO cur church, our reli
zion, and tU our country, which no per
onal consideration must shake, and from
he discharge of which we mus: neither
alter or dspar,, even when the name Of
he Rev. II. B. Bascom is opposed to us.
t is fresh in the minds and remembrance
# the whole country, that letter was
addressed by DR.. J. q. GOble to the
Rev. H. B. Bascom, with the inquiry,
whether the chrrgsS preferred against
he Hon. H. Clay, Of being Sabbath
breaker, a profane swsarer and gambler,
we're correct or not.' Now mark the
-epIy Of the Rev, Mr.. Bascom to the
,hargeG Il have been in iH'imGte aud
confidential intercourse with the Hon.
H. Clay, in private and public life, for
more than twenty years, and know the
charges enumerated in your letter against
The private character of Clay 10 be utter
" and baselv false. Mr.. Clay does not
belong TO the church, but in view OF the
ordinary accredited principles of good
moral character, no charge can be brought
against him without violating the Obl:ga
lions Of truth and sound justice; and 10
zach and every charge in your letter,
return for an answer, that regard Them,
one and all, sbamefully unjust, because
not true either in whole or in part
The Rev. Doctor sweeps the platter
goes the whole figure without exception
or reservation; and in this Wholesale de-
nial, can arrogate himself the credit at
| east of going further and strsHger in.
denying these charges, than any man Of
any size, sort, description or cloth. has
over ventured to 60. He strikes the
current, and leaves himself no chance
OF swimming 10 land, but a fair one for
sinking before he gets even in sight.
This wonderful certificate covers the
ground OF Mr., Clay's morality 'in whole,
and mot in psrt,' for twenty years and
more, and TO that period so embraced,
We shall respond, and take the Doctors
intercourse so intimate and confidential
public and pr;vats,' and no more.
Every reader Of the paragraph refer
ring TO the Doctors's public intercourse
with Mr.. Clay, would very naturally in.
fer that he had held, for twenty years
and more some public station under the