Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1844-04-13
Number 81.

But, perhaps, examples, equally effect
i've, may be found among those prominent
characters, now living, TO whom Mr.. Clay
thought proper to make some aIuson.--
Mr.. Calhoun was invited by his friends,
short time since, TO visit Cincinnati. Did
he accept the invitation? He answered
that it would afford him much happiness to
visit portion of this Union which he had
never seen, but in the position in which
he was placed, with the opinions he enter
tanned, he'was compelled TO decline. He
did not wish to address the wings and de-
mocrats of the valley of the Mississippi,
and then excuse his conduct with the for
mer, by saying to the latter, you have
compelled me TO do this! The very idea
is repugnant 20 the subimity of his char
acter. No. he refused the invitation for
the very purpose of avoiding, what, if no
had accepted, would have been inevitable,
glorious reputation blasted by an cleo.
pioneering tour. The following we extract
from the letter of Mr.. Calhoun, to which
we have referred:
"There are then, in my opinion, strong
considerations, both of pr,priety and ex.
pedIency, why the Office of Presidant of
the United States should not be sought by
personal canvass, or the usual modes OF
electioneering. Regarded merely in ref
erence TO feeling, the office, il seems TO
me, is too high, and its duties too response.
bic, to be the object of personal solicltude.
Who, with the proper spirit, can contem-
plate the task of discharging It's high du.
ties, without being inspired with diff
dence and awe calculated to suppress eve
ry feeling OF the kind? When look at
the country as it now is, and compare it
with what 1t was, when first entered the
councils of the Union, as it relates 10 the
population, wealth, Improvements, and all
the elements OF greatness-and then look
forward to what it will be, when those who
are now entering on the stage shall retire,
provided our liberty, institutions, and union,
shall be preserved-and then rel fleet on the
great and decisive influence which tho
powers vested in the President, in that re.
spect, for good or evil, as they may be pro-
perry or improperly exercised, to me it
seems 70 lie the highest AMI most response
BILE Office in the world--far too much so to
be the object Of personal solicitude, or
sought by personal canvass, or even to
be accepted on any other grounds than
tina, OF duty"
With equal elevation of ::::ind has Mr..
Van Blren refused to canvass for his cleo.
ton. The same sentiment. with those
above expressed, are found in his reply to
an invitation from his friends in Pennsyl.
wanna.
There is a moral TO be drawn from this
uniformity of conduct among our illustri-
Gus men, and one worthy of serious con.
sidera,ion. They refused 10 solicit tho
office, because they thought it one which
should be conferred, unsolicited, in order
that its dignity might be preserved. They
believed that pursuing a contrary course
would be, in effect, establishing a dema.
gogue despotism. With Mr.. Clay rests
the responsibility of the example.
We have said that the enthusiasm of the
Wigs was not increased by the speech
We will mention a circumstance which
contributed to this: There were some null
lIfers in the assembly, who have been, un-
accountably perhaps to themselves, led into
the support Of Mr.. Clay. Men who once
regarded a protective tariff as not only un.
Just, but unconstitutional, and who coop
Grated with the nterposition Of our sister
State to arrest the evil--now listening to
Mr.. Clay's expression of parental fond
ness for that extraordinarily submitting
TO his sarcastic retuke,-and patiently
bending their necks TO receive the chains
which he had forged for them.
We rlin Inc Elllnwinr ndmirAhln ndYica