The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1844-07-05
MR.. CLAY'S RETIREMENT FROM THE Sc
NATE-HIS NORTH CAROLINA LETTER.

MR. CLAY'S RETIREMENT FROM THE Sc,
NATE-HIS NORTH CAROLINA LETTER.
There is always something peculiarly affecting in
the withdrawal Of distinguished man from the scenes
of action in which he has borne prominent part /;
and however persons may have differed with him in
opinion they willing to forget his faults and unite
in the general commentator awarded to his virtues
Such, believe, the disposition of the People
when the veteran politician whose name appears at
the head of this article addressed for the last time,
the august body of which he had long been an or
nament; and, had be been contented to retire into
the shades of private life with simple expression of
gratitude for past confidence and regret for past
rors he would have left the of his usefulness
with fame identified in great measure with that
of his country In speaking thus, we give express
sion to honest belief and only regret that
IN making his last exit from the stage Of public life,
he should have preferred the character of disap-
pointed partisan leader to that of dgnifed and hon
ored statesman. Such was, nevertheless, the case,
and if in making his choice Mr.. Clay laid himself
open to just censure, the fault his own, and he
must abide the consequences.
IT, as Mr.. Clay said, we beheld the President Of
the United States without party and parties with
out President it was to him, and to him alone that
the country was indebted for state of things with
out precedent in its annals but as have seen, and
all must see, not without the richest and most
during good effects. Should it turn out in the sequel
that the present Chief Magistrate will find himself
sustained not by party, but by the universal conf
dence Of grateful and happy country the late Sc
nator from Kentucky, and he alone, will have been,
however Internationally, an instrument of conferring
greater blessing the American People than could
possibly nave been procured in any other way. If,
by his well turned phrase in his North Carolina let
ter Mr. Clay meant to say that the President did not
depend party drill and the Vaccinations Of schem-
ing politicians for the success of his measures, he
was right; but if, on the other hand, he used the
term party in its broad acceptation, intended to
express the voluntary union Of the unbought democracy
of the land in support Of good measures, he and his
friends must find that they have fallen into most ia
tai error. Did Mr.. C. Hatter himself that, however
his Bank movements during the special session may
have been served up with ostenatious professions OF
zeal for the public welfare their real charaer could
not be detected by the scrutinzng glance of the in
dependent yeomanry of the country Could he have
been so blinded by gazing on the Presidency, that
dazzling object of his untirng and ever watchful
ambition, to imagine that me Of common sense,
not operated on by the same deusve influence either
could not would not detect the true nature of
movements that seemed, at least, to seek Veto as
means of estranging, at all events portion of the
| Wing party from the Executive in whom he thought
he saw a formidable rival for the next Presidential
termi Will any one believe that any other than sell
fish views could have induced him, in the face of the
asce tanned opinions of Mr. Tyer-opinions express
ed on all occasions, and in all places, to offer
scheme which, as he was well aware, imbodied all
the points on which that distinguished man had
tertained, and continued TO entertain, sentiments in
direct oppo.iton to his and those Of his exclu-
siye friendsi 1t is not for to assign motives but
to come at fair understa ndng Of the matter, and
what gh have been the case, it only necessa-
ry think, TO turn TO The history Of the ransac-
tion to be convinced that other than views
nected with the succession 10 the Presidency could
have dictated course not to be satisfactorily
counted for IN any other way. What were the facts
in the case Congress made call on Mr. Ewing,
then at the head of the Treasury Department, to fur
nsb plan for fiscal agency. Mr.. Ewing, himself
understood TO be Bank man, sssted as is presum-
ed by he other members of the then Cabinet, all of
whom we're, was believed, friendly to Bank,
went 10 work and prepared project. The project
so prepared presented to the National Legislature,
and, almost without the formality Of consideration,
was laid upon the shelf whilst committee Of the
Senate, at the head of which Mr.. Clay,
ported bill containing all the essential character
istics Of can od-fasbioned Bank" This bill
ged Notwithstanding the repeated requests on the
AZ a. -
ed until it was ascertaned that il must fail in the
body with which originated and that consequently
there would be necessity for The exercise Of the Vto
pewer, which looked upon certain should it
find its way to the President. Under these circum
stances, a distinguished member Of the Wing party,
actua ed by the most patriotic motives offered such
mobilization as he hoped would meet the approba-
ton of the President. To this modification Mr.
Clay, knowing that the bill reported by himself
mus, be rejected by the Senate, yielded tardy and
most unwilling conditional consent, and was, con
sequently passed. Being adopted by the House of
Representatives the act only required the assent of
the President to become law, and finally was de-
feat, by The exercise # the Veto poror, under consc
eno,,s conviction that ,oas unconstitutional. Sec
ond bill was prepared, which, after being passed by
both Houses of Congress, met the same fate In the
meanwhile, every other bill involving principles adj
vocated by the Wing party, as truly Republican,
meets with the ready assent of the President, who
acted on the ground that in the absence of
constitutional objections, he would sanction any law
called for by the People through their Representa-
tives uhaieper might be his individual opinions in The
premises. Such we believe to be Brief but faithful
outline Of the occurrences of the extra session
Now we ask, in the first place. why it was that the
project of the Secretary of the Treasury, who had
been the stsunch friend of Bank was so different |
from the charters of similar institutions previously |
granted 1t could not be of any peculiar