Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1844-01-20
From the Globe.
Mr. C1ay-A Mason ana AtatisDTa.

OU1o
4 very remarkable supplene.s has
come OVER Mr.. Clay ia his his old age
All his veteran opinions, which encrusied
him Ike old armor, are shed % Z Stakes
stid|ened skin and scales Of the last wear
and bur hardened federal dragon OF a
quarter Of a century shows himself Of a
sudden; In brikhteyed, Iubricating youth /;
HE complexities: and nature apparently
changed by the fresh varnish ia which
he hes dressed himself. Attention has
been drawn heretofore to the changed
astece which this outside conversion has
given 70 NJ. Clay towards his favori,e
Amstican system. Blu, there Is another
point. almost involving his personal iden
t,ty, In which 1t would seem Mr.. Clay
supposes the throwing off his old slough
will have the effect Of making another
man Of him.
Mr.. Clay, from his first appearance on
the public stage. has had the ambition Of
figuring 10 orders. In early times, in
Kentucky, the order Of freemasonr y
was, in its mysterious maghifcence, d
great attraction to men seeking distinc-
ton. Mr.. Clay then made himself one
Of ito grand dignitaries. He was the
orator that sounded the glory Of tho re-
nowned society which consecra,ed Solo
mons temple. He was most conspic
uous figure in all i,s public demon.ira-
tons, while il was calculated 70 advance
his ambitious aspirations or his vanity.
In all the parades which astonished the
backwocdsman's wondering eye. when
visiting Lexington, the iirst great city 81!
the west, Mr.. Clay's tai. and gate. solicit!
ing person was most conspicuous. On
him, as grand orator, were showered the
ribands and badges Of the order; and
these, with gorgeous apron covered
with pictured implements he never used,
and dotted with The all seeing eve like
pea cock's tail, made him as magnificent
in full costume as prince Of Asia,
where the order had its birth. Mr.. Clay
wore the honors Of Royal Arch Ma.
som which, one Of the fraternity tells
us, i six degrees. This superior elcva
ton could only be attained by great pro.
iciency IN the craft; and yet Mr.. Clay,
in late ,etter, pretends he il such a
bungler, such a novice, that he could no,
now ente. common lodge!
We have two letters Of Mr.. Clay 10
the anti Masons, ut two different eras,
which will show how differently Mr..
Clay thought and felt ia regard 10 tho
order to which he belonged, at TWO
ePochs, in which his personal interests
seem to him to have changed his relations
10 it In his first letter, in 1891, he
hoa.ss e e s ma.d sSs scso@panc. on
NV oar, with your demand would amount
10 an admission that individual sentiment
On the subject Of masonry formed prop
er consideration in regulating the excr.
else Of the elective franchise in respect
TO Offices Of the Federal Government -
| can make no such admission" Then,
contempt for anti masonry was Mr..
Clay's cue. This 10 but little disguised
throughout the whole letter, which holds
! naughty tone, scarcely decorous to the
lass Of citizens 10 whom il was address
ID.
But, in the Harrisburg convention, the
lnti-Masons made themselves felt agains,
his nomination; and now he wants their
votes. lie has, therefore, written anoth
r. letter, conceived in very different
'pirit. He begins by apoioxining for
aver having been ! Mason. II became 4
Mason in early life, from youthful curios
ty and .. social disposition" Poor
young lad!! He was seduced by the
veterans Of the lodge, BY playing on his
youthful curiosity and social DISPOSE
ion." Poor young wanton' he suffer
ed n variety Of ways from this s;ngu-
ar temperament. But how long dill he
remain in this mysterious connexion,
which he says tho n.ver had any taste
tort" According 10 his own account, hs
served much longer time in his ap-
than the law requires Of
man to serve in the militia, to obtain a
discharge with all the honors OF CHI.
zen soldier. Forty five years relieves
man from militia service. Mr.. Clay
says, pineteen years ago, he retired from
The duties Of the lodge. Retirement,
from the LODGE our readers will remark,
IS not an abandonment: Of the socle:y.-
Mr.. Clay, then. was nearly fifty years Q,
sge before his youthful curiosity and
social disposition" we're satisfied. Now.
what pardon can he expec. u,.op his plea
Of homage, and being tatea in by the Ma
sons under fl, Ct isveai'e in discretion,
when we find car led Of fifty blazing
IN al tho r'5'.nds and tinsel, The signs
and cmble AS Of masonry, until he mounts
10 me highest order oil Royal Arch
= ason? But i; seems his alactity iii for.
getting. is 10 make up for his persevcr
ance in learning those mystei les f,r which
he had no taste. 'Nor do believe {says
hey that could, upon my own knowledge,
or recollection OF its rites and ceremonies,
obtain admission, at this time, in any
lodge Of any degree wha,everr
Now here 10 = Mason Of very consid
cradle intellect, who after at least thirty
years devotion to masonry, and passing
through all its degrees to the highest,
that iaAcies he could MOI now, on sshis
own knowledge obtain admission into
one Of its primary schools. How oh
fuse, :how very Obvious Mr.. Clay be-
comes, when, for sake Of the an,imasoi-
&c vote 10 the Presidency, he is disposed
10 drop his life Of the las, fifty years
gone by. and assume that primeval limo
cency aud simplicity which oharacteri
xed him before The Masons took adsan
tage Of his "youth!ui curiosity and SO