The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1844-04-03
ANTI-SLAVERY MEM HEAR

that consideration to which the character, a
bility, and well-known, emphatic Anti Slavery
sentiment of the writer entitle it. He has just
given u new proof Of the sincerity and depth
of his conviction by entd7ciPdt,ng all has o,r1'
.Slares-thus divesting himself Of legally en-
trenched Rights of Property worth some S4O,-
600. Let the man who has done more, risked
more, sacrificed more, for emancipation than
| Cassius NJ. Clay condemn the decision an
nounced in the following noble declaration
Communicated for The ~ Y. Tribune.
Lexington, Ky, March 90 1s44.
W. J. Mckinney. Esq, Mayor Of Dayton Ohio.
Dear Sir: Your letter of February 18th
last, was in due time received, and have wal
ted thus long with the intention of not answer
ing it atall because, as am private citizen,
not seeking Office at the hands of the People,
it might seem TO place me in the presumptu-
Gus attitude of attempting to influence, by
mere weight of opinion, the votes of my coun-
trymen in their choice of President; whom
neither my age, experience, nor fame warran-
ted the assumption. But since the reception
OF your letter, | have received many of SINH
lar import, from Liberty men and Anti-SlayerY
Wings IN Wost ef he Northern States, pres
SIM upon me an expression Of opinion, in such
manner that should prove false TO that spirit
of candor which proudly cherish as charac-
teristic of the principles which / advocate, did
/ !, though any affectation of humility, remain
longer silent. You ask me, "Will you, if you
| live and are able to vote at the approaching
Presidential election, vote for Henry Clay for
President! If the Third Party, or Liberty
men, should have an Electoral Ticket in your
os7
Were you citizen Of Ohio, which of these
tickets would you vote 7" The last two ques-
lions are such as would require various other
suppositions TO be made, before could give
suitable answer i'll justice to myself and all
the parties concerned, which would be too
voluminous for the space of single letter
and, for all practical purposes, they will be
sufficiently answered in my reply to the first
question: that, IL is my most decided deter1ni-
tion to rote for HENRY CLAY for President"
Men never have and never will, in all cases,
think alike: all Government is necessarily a
| sacrifice, to some extent, Of individual viii {:
that is the best Government to each individu-
al which fosters or allows the most of what
that individual believes TO be conducive to his
best interests. The question then is not, Can
| find some man to vote for among seventeen
millions, who thinks in all respects as myselfp
but who is the man, all things present and
remote considered, that will most probably be
! able by success TO give effectuation to those
great measures which deem conducive to my
welfare, and the welfare of my whole coun-
! try! This question every voter IN the Repub-
lie must determine for himself: For myself,
after looking calmly upon all the surrounding
circumstances, Conscience, Patriotism, and
(if others prefer the term) enlightened self
interest, coustrain me to vote for Henry Clay.
The Tariff, the Currency, the Lands, Econo-
my, Executive and Ministerial Responsible
ty, and many other interests, all depend, in
my humble judgment. on Mr.. Clay's election
for beneficial determination. And if he is
elected, the decision of 1910 passed by the
People, will be confirmed, and the policy of
the Country settled. Then, and (such is the
anarchy oflhe public mind) not till then, shall
we have time 10 look about us, and project
that other great reform, the reduction Amer
lean Slavery to its constitutional limits, and
to concentrate the united condemnation of
the civilized world 10 its final and utter extinc-
ton.
Mr.. Clay is indeed Slave-holder-I wish
he were not. Yet il does not become me.who
have so lately ceased to be Shareholder my
self, TO condemn him. 1t is not my province
to defend Mr.. Clay: this he is abundantly able
to do himself. 1t remains with posterity to
determine how much shall be due him for the
glorious impulse his fervent spirit has given
TO Liberty throughout the world: and with
them also to say, how mnch shall be subtrac-
ted from this appreciation. for his having only
failed TO DO all that could be done in this holy
Cyruc Frbao,iStocloS plato (',to
Arstides, Demosthenes, Cincinnatus and CT
cero sacrificed TO base heather gods: yet no
man, because they knew not the true God,
will say that they were not religious, great,
good and patriotic men. T. B. MacauIay, one
of the most acute and enlightened men Of this
or any era, in bis review of the life of Francis
Bacon, justly says:
ave should think it unjust to call St. Lon
is a wicked mai because. in all ages in which
federation was generally regarded as a sin, he
rersecuted heretics. We should think it un-
Just TO call Cowper's friend, John Newton, a
hypocrite and a monster, because, at time
when the SlaVe-trade was commonly consid-
cred b. The most respectable people as an in
nocent and beneficial traffic, he went, largely
provided with hymn-books and handouts, on
Guinea voyage. An immoral action being
in particular society generally considered
as innocent, is good plea for an individual
who being one of that society, and having a.
Gopted the notions which prevail among his
neiyhbors, commits that action
| cannot, then, because Mr. CLAWS a Slave
hoiler.in community where the whole Chris
tiau Church of all denominations-the only
profess.d teachers of morals among the peo-
ple-are also Shareholders, prescribe him.
for that single thing of difference between US.
In saying thus much in justification of my
course in voting for Mr.. Clay, l should be
false to my own reputation, ungrateful to that
large portion of Anti-Slavery men who have
sympathized with me in my feeble efforts in
the cause of Universal Liberty, and recreant
to that glorious cause itself. if did Lot avow
my belief that the time is near at hand when
public sentiment will not, oughtnot, d cannot
hold the Shareholder guiltless-Yes, will
20 yet farther, and declare, in the name Of the
Christian Religion and our Republican 1nsti-
tutions, based professedly on the principle of
the greatest good to the greatest number
that no man, after the next Presidential Elec-
ton. when so much light shall have been shed
upon this subject, should be deemed fit to rule
Christian paarIo