The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-11-14


very same article he had previously remarked, that
the Presidency san Office, regarded the ,"o'i
II neaknd by both the friends aud Toes
of Republics and IN another sentence refers 10 MI
Ciay's modification and rejection" We hope,
though do believe, that hr. Clay viii be able
SO easily to take up this mode Of consolation under
his defeat. Mr. Webster, good Wing authority, has
said, that Mr. Clay has ali his life, n all his acts
looked TO the Presidency" IL is strange that one
Of his organs should say, that the Presidency
"was moi at all necessary 10 MIR Cay's glory he
did not desire require 1t, why has he constantly
thrust himself before the people, producing agitation
and discord In the land Was IL merely to dn''.se
himself with the empty bubble, or to sport with the
people as play thing' Upon our honor, We cannot
otherwise understand, why the name OF Henry Clay
has been so often paraded before the American peo-
pie, in spite OF numerous and repeated reiusals on
their part, TO make him an "hisiorieap President.
But now arrive at the reasons Tor the great
distress of the Richmond Wing In lis first article,
we find the following
"The spirit of the contest has been and VIII al
ways be- in degenerate Republics, to pull down inc
most worthy because they are the most worthy'
and 10 eerate H.s less tcorhy 10 degrade he sTeei'
lent
s. find ,ohai has been his REGARD /? Counlrymen
Even many Of you who have assisted IN the deco Oh
his modification and rejection now that the deed Is
done and cannot be recallsd-CAN you think oil II
ing been ssory TO an act SO geaerois 10 s'eas
Patriot, and so unjust 10 yesr country ="
In second lugubrious and pous article, most feel
ingly introduced with the caption OF "Why art thou
cast do,o, oh my soul? % the Wing continues In the
same melancholy strain;
ais it then asked why we do feel so melancholy
depression at the result of the late great slrug'
gle We answer frankly and promptly 1t is at the
popular spirit which the contest has revealed IL Is
because majority, claimed majority, vi 'he
American People hare manvi sted so i1reeonedoie a
haired 10 the toh0 has best deserved Of them iert 10
Washington undoubtedly real and Substantial serrtee
Ii because Henry Clay has been voted against not
for his opnions-not for his princpes-but because
he Henry Clay, the first IN serpice and the jrs IN
1T 10 because our counynen IN ihen pe'dtct
have clearly and unequivocally exhibited THAT BASE
AND UNWORTHY ENVY OF ExCELLENCE-lhat ulsposf
ton to pull down what BETTER THAN THEMSELVES,
and to put up what is inierior-the spirit OF ihal
Athenlan who voted to Danish Aristides because he
not only called but cas the ust-which has been
the destruction of all Republics! HENRY Ola
has been defeated, NOT because he was not woftby
to lead his countrymenior man evan pre!ends thai
HE HAS AN EoUAL-but because ne was Henry Clay,
ana the first in 10 his country as the hrst IN
a celebrity which extends To every climate OF the
civilized world!
''This is the point of view which will present il
self to the informed mind instructed by the past ex-
perence of the world the most important and the
most fatal The en- oyment OF power ior four years,
in nations age, is Of the least consequence: IS
the ncapacity 10 judge and 10 act tcsey Hs the hatred
Of preemnent merit IL is the preference for congenai
hheness and ignobiy 1t is tie spirit TO pull do,cn
instead of the spirit Of ,levaing SUPERIOR MERIT,
which to the mind acquainted with the transactions
OF past Republics is not merely HATEFUL FOR ITS
MEANNEss, but fearful for its omen. 1t is the raven
which croaks disappointment to the fond hopes of the
Republican who wishes for liberty to universal man
kndand to the christian and phianthropist, who are
prone to hater themselves, that the world gets bet
ter and advances in perectablty, as it advances in
age"
And now we ask our readers, could more Just and
cogent reason be advanced for the defeat OF Henry
Clay, than stands bold relief 10 these rabid ef
fusions OF one of the Wing organs for we have al
ready done justice 10 The proper bearing Of the other
Wing organ of this city2 Here we find the Wing
denouncng the free people Of america, as "degene-
rates" as evincing a EASE and UNWORTHY ENVY Of
excellence - disposed TO "pul down what is bet
ter than THEMSELVES !" as cursed with "the McAPA-
CITY TO JUDGE and TO ACT WISELY, the hatred OF PRE-
EMINENT me, the preference for coNGENIAL bitterness
and ignobilty" and with spirit mot merely hateful
for lis MEASNEss but fearful for its omen"
The language of the Whig properly translated,
amounts to this He tells a large majority of the
people of the United States You too great fools,
aud dupes TO be entrusted with the power of electng
your own President you degenerate, and have
not the capacity of selfgovernment you are too
mean, envlous little, ignoble, hateful and base, TO
elect Henry Clay the excellent, pre-eminent, supe
rior patriot-the man next to Washington, and far
better and wiser than Jefferson, Madison, Monroe
and Jackson, for whose oongenaI AnIeness and gno
biity you have shown too high preference by be-
slowing upon them your highest honors Henry
Clay is far better than yourselves, and we did not
cyou to raise yourselves 10 has level Of morality
patriotism and talents"
This, them is one of the main reasons why Mr.
Clay is so signally defeated. The leaders have in
wardy cherished the same contempt for the popular
judgment and patriotism, which is unblushingly
ayowed in the above article. They thought the peo
pie so Ignorant and vicious that they could hope and
deceive them by the baldest humbugs. The popular
became fully aroused to the attempt to degrade
them; and the free and vrtuous, and intelligent ct-
zens OF the Union have forever Frustrated their de-
famers and would be enslayers They have shown
themselves to be pure and worthy inheItors of the
rich legacy which George Washington handed down
TO US
But there is another and stronger reason why
this 'pre eminent" patriot and Wing idol, Henry
Clay, was put aside. T,oiee before has he been
lemnly rejected by the people, and once has he been
sheired by his own party who could not bring them
selves to support his ultra Federal doctrines. The
man and his dangerous principles hare been again
WelBheu ana iouhu wanting. w ltn tne antagonist
principles OF Democracy aud Federalism fully and
fairly arrayed against each other the latter led uu by
the most popular politician in the county ho,c could
1t have been otherwise than that Federalism and its
arrogant leader should have been prostrated'
But we must break of from defence Of our
principles and our cause, which we felt called upon
to bring forward Our Republican friends, we
know, will be satisfied that the views Of some Of the
Wing leaders in Virginia, from which we have Gull
ed few beauties in their own language, will be the
best weapon of defence against their violent assaults
upon our candidate and our cause To the country
we leave the decision, whether Mr.. Clay has not
been fairly dealt with. To the liberal and Just
Wings, who stand prepared to judge MIR. Polk by
his acts, we award full praise. OF the rabid Wings,
who were headlong in their opposition to The country
and condemn our principles and our men unheard
and untred, the Democratic party ask aud erpeei no
thing.