Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1844-11-22
is not founded in truth, and supported by

clpes--the organ for carrying out system
of measures, which an immense body Of
men in Greas Britain, were desirous to
support. Mr.. Wilberiorce was one of this
body. He saw that these measures which
he deemed essential to the honor, .he pros
perity, and the religious interests of the
country, must inevitably be sacrificed, if
MIR. Pitt was put down. In voting as he
did, he was, therefore, really voting for
these measures, and not for the man in his
individual capacity.
I'd. The appointments to office, under
MIR. Pitt, were certain, in Mr.. Wlberforce's
view, to be such, in general, as he and 9TH
er conscientious men would approve; much
more so than could be expected from his
political opponents. He lelt sure Of hav-
ing learned aud upright judges, and, able
executive officers in the posts ef honor and
trust, throughout the land-men whose
private lives were superior, in most instan-
ces, to that of Mr.. Pitt himself. Now this
constitutes the real government Of cOun-
try; and the case may happen, that one
man who holds the appointing power,
though pure himself in private life, may be
led by party influences to give the people
a corrupt government, while another Of in
teriOr personal character, may be induced
or compelled by imilarinfuences, to place
them under government of men, who are
''a terror to evil doers, and praise of them
that do we'll" The question turns, not 50
much on the character of the man, as of
the party he represents; and Mr.. Wilber-
force in giving his vote, was in fact voting
for ten thousand men whose character and
principles he in general approved, and not
for the single individual through whom
| they obtained office.
3d. No man doubts, whether in pursu-
ing the greatends OF life, he may act with
others whose private character he does not
wholly approve. An apostle has decided
the questiOn-otherwis "much We needs
go out of the world" No one hesitates TO
employ such men when necessary, as the
instruments OF accomplishing his designs.
The captains Of our ships and steamboats,,
and the agents of our numerous corporate
institutions, are in many cases Of this
character. care they qualified for the pc
culiar duties of their station! Can they
be relied on to carry out the de5ign?" If
so, though we should much prefer men
whom we could approve in all things, we
employ them without scruple. We sail in
their ships, weentust them with our prop
erty, we vote for them at meetings of stock
holders, when we cannot find equally able
men whom we approve in all things. We
also make compromises with other stock
holders, and take such men, when they
will not give us others whom we should on
the whole prefer. We do not abandon our
property, and give up the interests COM
mitted to our charge, because those with
whom we act deny us all that we could
wish on this subject. We do what we can.
Mr.. Wiberiorce acted on this principle,
and it enabled him to do much. If he had
acted on the contrary principle, he would
have done nothing
4th. Mr.. Wilberlorce felt that no man
in his senses could regard him, while acting
on this principle, as giving any sanction to
the errors Of Mr.. Pitt in private life. No
evil of this kind did actually result for the
vote he gave. No one was ever led so en-
tireIy to misconstrue that vote, as to imagine
that Mr.. Wilbertorce gave any sanction to
dueling, sabbath-breaFing, or intoxicaton
by his political connection With Mr.. Pitt
Was he not, then, perfectly conscientious
and upright in what he did! He made no
sacrifice Of character or principle, he gave
not the slightest countenance to wrong do
ing while he stood firm at his post, and up
held that system Of measures which he
considered essential to the highest interests
of his country. ....
Now the case presented by the approach
ing election of President, is precisely the
same, except that Mr.. Clay stands on
much higher ground as to character, than
Mr. Pitt did at the period in question:
Many years ago, he fought duel, but he
now expresses his unqualified reprobaton
of the practice; he states, in substance,
that he cannot conceive Of any possible
concurrence Of circumstances which would
now lead HIM to meet another in single
combat; and he merely valves any hypo-
thetica declarations, at his age, on a sub
Iject, which he supposes can never have
any practical application to himself. The
| IttttIS VI III. DdSCOIu dIlu III. chapman,
distinguished divines residing in the same
town, afford the fullest evidence that Mr..
Clay's moral character has been for some
years at least unimpeached in the commu-
nifty where he lives. lie treats the insti
tutions of religion with respect; he is not
proiane, not given to vicious indulgence.
say, then, that if Mr.. Wilberforce was
not guilty of hagrant violation Of his con-
science, can vote for Mr.. Clay without
wounding mine. .
feel, too, that as Mr.. WiIberforce went
further, and considered himself bound in
conscience to vote for Mr.. Pitt, so am
bound, in the present momentous crisis,
to vote for Clay. Its the only means left
me of resisting two of the greatest evils
which can beal the Unite States, the
utter prostration of the industry Of the
cou try, and the curse and dishonor of vo-
Iuntaliy enarging the limits among the
people. who in the charter of their liberties,
have declared that "all men are free and
equal" ! could not throw away my vote
in such case, without feeling guilty be-
fore God aad nv countrv. of Aagra nt