Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-04-16
From he pe,rAr Iuteliigmeer.J

From me Peer Bg UteHgtueti'I
Yesterday Thea Of he ,T
the day which Mr. Clay VIII arrive IN re
ersburg: ,,, ,o., Al; ,o,,
Dear Sir: letter. bearing date the ad u delivered
leigh for Perrsbnfe Thursday Isih and my
Your friend and obedent servant, II. CLAY.
SAM. MospEoAi, Esq, &c, &c, &c.
We would respectfully advise the Democrats Of Pc
er.burg be their guard 1t IS the very first point
in tn Old Dominion, on which "the Conquerng Hero
is to plant his foot Let them set the example TO the
res, Of their brethren in Virginia. Mr. Clay comes
omono ma in the character Of political inriguernot
az a native of the State, stranger, entitled TO
our general hospi;aty-bul az an EeconeeIer, TO WOO
our sufraaes, and 10 promote his own ambition lie
comes candid man, nor ns an honest pol tc'nn,
who wears his opinions upon his sieeve-but with
mask over his face and glozng device upon his ps
As SUCH becomes every Democrat to receive him
not 10 be caught by any aectation OF mannerby any
idle appeal the generous, od-tahoned hospitality oil
the State Let the Wings receive him with call the pomp
and crcumstsnce of glorious echt Letthem swell The
procession, fill the dining tables, qnai The VINE, aud
hail the sentiment the speech, winch may no" rom
the Orators lips. lie IS their candidate, their cleo
toneerer IL ia for himself that he comes among us
to make cnpitsl-and 1t IS their BUSINESS TO receive
him with triumphant honors But it is not our duty
10 contribute the pomp Of his reception. 1t IS not
our duty 10 sing his praises, shout hosannahs to bis
name Be il duty to rebuke his purposes, to de
feat his hopes keep aoof from his political al
lies and TO avoid all participation IN the game he
il playinp As Virginians, we ought 10 have too
much pride TO encourage such an unworthy effort
to eectioneer for our votes, to intrigue Tor the
Presidency, to tamper with our elections BE IT the
oar, of lie Democrats ID tell him, "Come among us
at any other time, and many of us will be happy to
do YOU honor But, to come among US during this
aai,atng year of the Presidential Eecton-to come,
especially to Virginia, at the very ume when her
Spring Elections TO take place, is neither compli
ME N, 10 our good sense, nor 10 your patriotism
The Presidential Office belongs 10 us. When we give
il to any one we give it freely, without solicitation,
and we give it TO the whom We think the wotlhisst,
and not to him who begs us with baled breath for
our voices. When we want Cincnnatus 10 become
our Dictator, we will seek him on hs own farm, aud
at the poueh-ail We will not lower the dignity OF
the highest office in the world, by throwing il into the
market as an object Of bargain, of huckstsrng and of
electioneerng. So far as are concerned, we will
never consent that the example which Washington
and Jefferson sci us should be violated by any modern
degenesacy We leave You in the hands OF your COM
mites, of your Clay Clubs, Of your Wing alesb Blu;
we will have no 10. or part IN The matter.
We speak in this spirit, because we feel indignant at
the attempt which Mr.. Clay is making on the South
and especially in this good Old Dominica, whose Spring
election is about take place. We trust that the De-
mocratlc Association Of Petersburg will rally in oil
their force, the very evening when Mr.. Clay VI.
sits the city-and that was the IN New Orleans
and in Charleston, where his presence reused up the
INDIGNANT Democrats, the Republicans OF PETERSBURG
Will act with the same spirit, and exhibit the same re-
solution. Let his unreasonable and improper visit be
the siona of our exer,ion-of most vigorous ener
oes-and the harbinger Of our success Mr.. Clay
sows the wind-and let him reap the whlrlsind.
We Int advise The course which the Democratic
A Association of Richmond pursued in ls4O.-When the
nomnons Convention assembled in this city under an
October sum- and their professions thronged streets
with their numbers, and their flaming banners when
ibpv almost took possession OF our Capitol and our
Capitol Square-and their sentlnes guarded us gates
from all nprvileged in,ruders- when DANIEL webster
was invited from Boston to address the motley multi
tude from the Portico, and lecture Virginia audience
nm Iefarson;an politics, then what did the Democratic
Association of Richmond : They were outnumbered
but not dismnyed They defed and condemned this
e.nerment to carry Virginia by storm. They net
ever e,ening o! the Grand Wing Convection They
cond mn, font man to man, nor gun to gun-but Ike
the Spartan Band they resisted and broke the shock OF
the psrsians. They denounced the movement, exp
,ed the audacity Of the Wings, and stripped the mask
from the face Of Daniel Webster. Why may not our
noble brethren of Petersburg, in like manner, beard
the lion in his lair
To exhibit The proud and noble spirit which this cleo
,;oneerng tour Of Mr. Clay has infused into the De-
moc,acv of Charleston extract from the Charleston
Mercury few passages of the proceedings Of the De-
mocrac Republican Association of that lndomilaOle
City:
eThe netting of this Association Tuesday evening as
as one m the most gratifying exhibitions Of The nabated spit
Democracy has been witnessed this time o
uored cry Of true Democratic spirit Before the hour had ar