Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1844-09-27
From the Morning Chronicle.
CasSius NJ. CLAW at the Temple.

the meeting on Thursday evening, to hear MIR. y.
M. Clay, and they came away greatly delighted
and encouraged. The impression is, that he grows
more and more decided in his Liberty principles,
and that his zeal for the wing party is not warmed
by the insulting denunciations of Henry Clay. As
it was not our good fort une to be able to attend,
we were led into an error with regard to the chair
man. Mr.. Charles Francis Adams presided, and
not Mr.. Josiah Quincy, Jr. We are indebted TO
couple of young friends for the following sketch
of his remarks-ouF small sheet not affordng
room for a more extended report. We are COM
PEELED to notice disreputabe unfairness in the
sketch published in the Daily Advertiser. 1t rep
resents Mr.. Clay as saying, in his exordium. that
che had been prescribed by the so-caled democrat
ic party but says nothing of the wings. Where
as we are assured by numbers OF witnesses, That
he said distinctly and emphaticaIIy that he had
been denounced by the wings as well as the demo
Gratis, and that he owed nothing to either. WEI
now give the sketch that has been furnished US.
When Mr. Clay appeared upon the rostrum,
loud and enthusiastic greetings welcomed him.
After the meeting was called to order, Charles
F. Adams, Esq, president of the club, introduced
Mr.. c. Clay to the audience, by renarklng that
the gentleman had merits Of his own, other than
that of coincidence in name with our distinguished
candidate for presidepi.' (Cheers,)
Mr. Clay commenced by saying that he was at
loss to know why he Aas so enthusiastically re-
ceived whereyyr hTR >bo=---t tho north, MS he
was not ideu1Hed any great political meas
ure which should eyi Ele him to such demonstra-
tons ofrespect But if he was thus complimentcd
on account of his devotion to the Union as 1t is
to the great moral questions and principles of
tional importance calculated for the preservation
of that Union-and for his determination TO follow
TRUTH WHEREVER 1T MAY LEAD, he
felt conscious he doing no dishonor to the gen
erous impulses which awarded him credit. En-
thusiastc applause)
Mr.. Clay continued, IoDe the Wing partynoth-
ing! They, with the democratic party, have pro-
scribed me for opinions Sake! (Exctement.) |
stand, therefore, by myself, upon my own respon-
sibility, trusting to God to secure me justice.
Gentlemen, there is a crisis approaching. The
question is not about tariff, bank, &C.. the struggle
is between Liberty and despotiSm-this is the ques
tiQp- this should be The question! The great
struggle now going on in this country, is no less
important than the evcntfuI struggle Of 1776. The
one resisted taxation without representation, deni-
al of the habeas corpus act and trial by jury, &C.
but now we have questions presented TO us, no
less dear to the cause of Liberty than at that peri
cd.
Do even the rights of British liberty exist here
at the present time? No! Are we not denied the
right Of free liberty of speech and the
press-freedom of thought and of action? Why
have we lost the spirit of British freedom9 Has
it not been done by pursuing the miserable policy
revolution glorious, and to their honor it may
be said, our fathers accomplished more for human
liberty than any other set of men in the annals of
time. But unfortunately for us, the great princi-
plies of civil liberty, upon which is based indie
pendence, were forgotten too soon after the adop-
ton of our federal constitution. 1t was done by
following the deusive charm of measures of eXpe-
diency. EXpedency has been our motto, from
that time until the present;-and is there not nolC
a political movement going forward making com
promises between liberty and slavery? ANSWERS
of yes, yes')
Let tuiniuo, NJ ~-oitinvs, he f,un,lu t;ot,s
upon which slavery is based in this nation. | am
not one of those disposed to tranpe on, reject or
repeal the constitution in reference to this subject.
Bgt there was evidently a compromise, though the
word slave was not used; and in this temporary
expedent the north participated. deny, howev-
err, that there was any compromise between LIB
ERTY and SLAVERY.
Our fathers meant what they said, if they did not
say what they meant in that instrument for human
liberty. The trainers of the constitution-the Ad-
amses and the Hancocks the Washngtons and the
Jeffersons, calculated that the institution of slave
ry should be abolished. IL IS Constitutional doc
lrIne that this stain upon our national eScutcheOn
should be Ciped off. Continued applause) This
was to be accomplished by the action of the States
whose acts were anticipated to that end, and
looked forward TO by those eminent men, When
three iourths of the people of this country declare
that slavery shall die, it will die. With the acqui
sition of Wisconsin and Iowa to the Union of the
States, if not before, trust that slavery falls, ant
falls forever! Cloud cheering.)
Il have no donbt shall be called an enemy TO the
, south in thus expressing my sentments-I have
been denounced by the parties at the South fol-
these principles: but | owe them for nothing
NOT even for my life! They may denounce me
if they choose; defy the prO-SlaUtry spirit here
and every where. stand as the representative o
, five hundred thousand free white aborers of Ken
lucky, and put them against the ihirty-o thou
sand shareholders, in making answer for my JUST
fcaton.
Look at Ohio and Kentucky, and draw your
, own mparson-contrast the spirit of enterprise
the love of Lberty-he intelligence and mora
worth-and say if am not bound to go agains
slavery and in favor of liberty. Reason and Reli
gion combined tell me 10 take this position.-'Th,
God Of heBble'is with me in this contest (Grea
cheering near the platform.) No, gentlemen,
, will not engage in any enterprise upon which
cannot invoke the blessing of God.-Whatev
then, may be tire voice h ny own State, or any
part Of the world, IN favor of slavery and its ex
tension, am pledged against it, NOW and FOR
= EVER
t say in regard to the slave States of this Union
that 1t Is with their circumstances what they will
do in reference to this great evil ftheu do not view
the matter in this light know what Is ma duty
= The right to annex new territory to this Union
r he reviewed in a mastery manner. LouiSian
was admitted in direct violation of the letter ant
+ spirit of the Consttution--so was Florida, Missis
v sippi,; MlsSouri-but wisdom teaches me to lie
| them alone. In regard to theDistrict of Columbia
n that instrument is trampled under foot by the eX
stence OF slavery, whatever men NAV saw ahou