, 1844-10-19
From the Boston Post.
Pro and Con; or Henry Clay vs..
Henry Clay.

" WV" VI way hi an iN hlHu-
Ings Is no very easy matter. His po,
!,ucal track has no smIlItude among
sensible objects, unless it be the rail-
road "t ltad, US Stevens, known AS
The Tape-N orm, which was repre-
scented as commencing in Tie woods
and ending Nowhere. Stevens. how
ever. has lie advantage OF Mr.. Clay;
lie dId not cross his Owl track as MI.
Clay does, and herein the simiiltude
laIls.
MIR. c ay is. perhaps, one Of the
most s'gnai examples ol political de.
seheracy III existence. From a de.
m.cra, he La, sank down TO a mod
rrn wing whose s"Ii-acknow edged
Iyre Is tie ,eSFIscd coon Of the corn
held! There was Il time. even alter
nis great apostacy, when he had the
ieIuialIon OF ~iIankness and onsIs-
',ncy. For his own honor, and for
lie credit # human nature. We could
Wish lie had uiaIntaIned that charnc
ter. tbs. however. has been lost in
The struggle Tor power. In order To
show this clearly II Is anlv necessary
10 refer 10 his numerous letters and
speeches written and made within
tie last lew months. o. the tariff
aud The 1exts questions particularly,
his inconsistency aud deuagogueism
Al prar Immortality Conspicuous. For
the special benefit oi wing friends, in
proof oi our charge, we viii call the
"em6odyment' 10 the stand; he shall
ue convicted On lIs own testimony.
And fist, Of the Texas question.
In MIR. GAYS Raleigh letter dated
April l7lh, 1914, his whole object is
/" show TIA the Annexation Of Tex
is tu The t'nIt,d States would be IN
VIE. mP"lnIc and dangerous. lie
d. mes that Texas Is an md, pendent
natiOn de Jnre, regards her as still a
part oil Mexico, and suggests that
l"rrI1n nations So regard her; and 10
show that lie has no desire 10 incor-
p"rate her territory with that of the
existing Union, he says:
I'm The iuluse progress of events it
is probable that there W II be n volun-
lary OF iolcEle separation of tie Brl-
usi' North American possessions from
the parent country. ! am strongly
inclined To think that it will lie best
ior the happiness OF ali parties. that in
That event they should be erected in
1" a separate and in, ePendent repub-
lac. With the Canadian republic on
the ohe side, that of Trxas on the
other, and The United States, the
friend Of both, between them, each
could advance its " happiness by
SUCH constitution, laws aud measures
rs were best adapted 10 lis peculiar
condition."
This is what Mr.. Clay said in that
letter. Wnhou st"ppIng TO show
how disastrous such 4 state OF things
would he 10 the best interests. happI-
hess and well-being of the United
States, we may say the extract is
conclusive in proof VI Mr.. CIay's OPP
position to annexation. Ia fact, he
closed this letter by saying
"fn conclusion, ! consider the an.
nexation OF Texas. at this time, With.
OUT the assent of Me1ico. us a measure
compromising the national characters;
involving Us certainly in war with
Mexico, probably with o,hrr foreign
powers; dangerous 10 the integrity
OF the Union; inexpedient in the pre-.
sent financial condition of the coun.
try, and not called Tor by any ex-
preston of public opinion"
Such was Mr.. Clay's opinion in
April last. In July following. the
''embodymen," writes another letter