Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-12-24
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MOND, VA.
Tuesday Morning, December 81
MIR. CLAY.
"Eno,r IHysey' F.!
A. n

nknow myself" When Mr.. Clay is bidding eter-
nal adieu 10 public life, does he know himself =
When he so periodically addresses himself TO The
Electors of Kentucky 10 that retirement, winch
henceforward best becomes him-when he writes
10 Mr.. Bolts, that he must retire 10 The shades OF
private life. does he know himself2 Did he know
himself. when in 1888 he concluded his Compro-
mise Speech, with solelnnly assuring the Senate,
that he would be willing, if they passed his bill,
10 withdraw to Ashland, neither asking nor ex-
pectins nor desiring any Office al the hands OF Inc
Ipeople1 Was he aware OF the intense ambi.
lion. by which The candidate of % years, as MIR.
Webster has since called him, was 50 deep
| Is penetrated Could he have toreseen the vio-
| lent struggles in which he was about 10 he i'm
mcrscd, his transcendan, exerions, his election
ecrng tour, his extensive correspondence, MS
| six letters upon Texas, his private cores
pondence with Cassius NJ Clay-the anI-
| ious reflections, the sleepless nights, which
would be produced BY the campaign oil lSli!-
Certainly he did not know himself in '33-and
we shrewdly suspect he does not know himself in
"A. His friends appear 10 be weeping over the
dea,h-bcd Of the defeated statesman. They arc
raising aspiring monuments 10 his memory
They are erecting statues 10 his honor. But what
would the world say 10 the exchange oil living
! President for the nanimaie marble! Let them
| restrain their tears. Let them take comfort ~
their Affections. Mr.. Clay is not yet dead, and
if his friends do not abandon him, he will scarce
abandon himself What though he has been
thrice beaten al The Olympic race-the gallant
stccd is mol yet broken down. His hackers are
| only the more strongly determined 10 redeem their
disasters. "What though the field be los,?--yei
all is not lost" Mortified friends sense Of re-
vengc, all the passions which can operate upon
the most desperate followers, will probably urge
them on 10 fresh encounter. They affect 10 say,
that he was cheated ont of his election
| and they appear very strongly disposed 10 repair
the injustice al the next election. Mr.. Under
wood, on the part, and al the head, OF the Ken
| lucky Electors, tells him 10 his face: The machi-
nations Of your enemies; their frauds upon the
elective franchise, and their duplicity with the
people, in promugaling opposite principles in dit
| ;erent sections, have defeated your election. -
Unjust grossly unjust, as this imputation is up
on The Republican party, what is lis natural eff
feet upon the Wing pary2 Why it furnishes
them with preext 10 repair il, in the person OF
their injured chieliain We beg the Compiler,
therefore, TO stanch lis gushing tears. It's Edi-
tor takes most pathetic leave of the Chiettai in.
J; consecrales his address TO the Kentucky Elcc-
tors "as a most appropriate and graceful tcrnna-
ton OF his long ndsplendid poticaca He has
thus closed his public life and sealed his fame for
| Immortality Hencelorih he belongs TO hisory
and poslerily. We follow him, OF course, into
his retirement, with parting tribute OF our most
grateful admiration and applause-and now
we leave him alone in his glory"
"Alone in bis glory!' If Dir. Clay says or
thinks So we have some doubts whether he yet
knows himself. Some of the Wing presses have
already nominated him the candidate OF '4S-and
really we cannot help suspecting, that with due
encouragement he may yet be persuaded to take
the field again. The New York Herald, whose
political speculations We do not generally adopt,
throws GU, few hints upon future prospects,
which are marked By some shrewdness al least.
They induce us 10 pause upon Mr.. Clay's abso-
Lutte and unqualified retirement. We have our
doubts at least, whether Mr.. Clay has passed
the waters Of Lehe:
(Ftom nc ". Y Herold)
"MASIFEsro OF HENRY CLAY-Hls PosIrIon,
AND THAT or THE VINO PARTY-We publish in
to-day's paper certain proceedings, which took
place al Ashland, the residence OF Mr.. Clay, in
Kentucky, when the electoral College OF that
State communicated 10 him the result OF the pre-
! sidenlal election throughout the country. The
proceedings arc official and published as such by
the friends OF Mr.. Clay The whole NAV be re-
garded as an official declaration Of the position
Of Mr. Clay, and his views regarding the position
and prospects OF the Wing party al the present
moment aud for some years ~ come
"Now, the first question that occurs 10 Us, on
reading this document, is, wha. impression does
il leave on tbs mind as regarding the future
intentions OF Mr.. Clay; and what information
does il give relative 10 The future position oil The
Wing party during The presiding oiMr Polk, and
up TO the time when another President is 10 be
elected We shall answer this interesting query
| as briefly, and as accurately We possibly can.
"ltwai be recollected, that, few days ago. some
Of the papers contained private letters from Ken
| lucky, stating that Mr. Clay had withdrawn him
self entirely INTO private life, and did not mean TO
be looked upon hereafter in the light of a candi-
date for public favor of any description whatever.
Now, it is very obvious, from the official promul-
CATION Of the sentiments of MIR. Clay, as devel-
oped in the address al Lexington that he has re-
| considered these opinions, and is now in non
committal position as 10 the future, both IS TO the
administration Of Mr.. Polk and his own position,
in connection with the movements OF The Wing
parry Like capital General, he recommends
his troops 10 retain their position in The iield-Dot
10 strike their tens-no 10 abandon their position
or principles-not 10 give up any al the entrench-
ments which they have secured for themselves
but 10 keep every thing in readiness the camp
fires burning, and all the outposlS properly sup
ported. in order 10 meet contingencies and emer-
gencies hereafter, with more success than has at
tended their recent efforts. Mr. Clay evidently
has not abandoned his position as a candidate for
the Presidency. No doubt his future efforts will
be altogether of different character from those
that have marked his movements during the last
few years He will now probably remain quiet
and peaceably like another Cincinnatus at Ash
land, mendiDg his fences-planting his corn
! looking after his farm-sudyng the ups and
downs of lile-and consolng himself with the
many glorious days that he has seen, and the
prospect Of those that are yet 10 come. We "a
Their think that Mr. Clay will not write any more
II: IL l.. Log A,pa fnn
| much OF that business during the last year-that
he will talk little Of polics-that he will avail
himself Of all the errors and Encouragement OF
the Democrats-and no doubt they will be plenty,
for they have begun already-and that he will
come up one of the most formidable candidates
for the Presidency that this country has ever seen
He is Still in the field. He is not too old. He
has vigorous constitution, and by breathing the
fresh air OF Ashland, drinking ofits pure streams,
enjoying its healthfu exercise, talking on agricul-
tura science, the culture of plants, and The breed
OF cattle, interspersed with some wiiicsms and
occasional illusions Of piety, as the case may be,
he can yet enjoy green old age with far more
cheerfulness and happiness than he ever expert
enced, even in The most brilliant period Of his life,
amid the corruption and RIGHTEOUSNESS, of such
smoky dirty place, as Washington. BY this re-
gimen, then, Mr.. Clay will be, in three years, in
fine racing condtion-and will be able to take the
field clear Of all membranes, pledges, hopes,
fears and make-weishis tina, destroyed his chances
in the last election.
"Nor do we think that Mr. Clay NAV indulge
in such reveries without some degree OF faith
He has already commenced, 10 be sure, in
small way but still in manner that sufficiently
indicates his views, the development Of what he
regards as the true policy OF the Wing party, and
that is the demolition OF the 'natives" and "abo.
ltonsts." By document which We have an
ne1ed to the general manifesto it appears that
MIR. Clay has liberated his faithful man-servant
Charles-a gratuity, however, which docs no,
amount TO much, when we reflect that freedom
to poor negro, in his old age, is no very great
boon from the hands of him who has got on, OF
him all the energy and lite-blood OF his earlier
| and riper years. With all due respect and de-
ference to Mr. Clay's benevolence, We regard
this act of emancipation as biz OF humbug-