Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1844-09-19
Drferrea artitIsn..
LETTER FfsolI ssrR. CLAY.

|
The gathering at lancaster. Pa, is eescribs<
Jas having been marked BY great numbers ant
great enthusiasm! William HErsrnR, ESQ
presided. Koa. IoaN NJ. CLArrox, Of Delaware
made speech Of considerable length, in III
course Of which be introduced the folio wing lei.
ier from Mr.. CL4Y;--
Bloc LicKs, August a2,lS4l.
Ny DEAR SIR-Your superstition i
right as 10 the oppressive extent Of ~
correspondence. It is a;.erly' impossible
70 answer all the letters which I receive
l am afraid tha, | cannot reply 10 many
that deserve il, Mr.. Madison once re-
marked 20 me that Mr.. Jslerson' 5 cores
Pondents reIkilling him bat they were
luTnIsheyl by q population Of about zen
mIllionsF Niue are supplied by al pop1
ia'lon~ai near twenty millions can e ii
and conceive the possibility Of a hoGsicide,
comgi'lsd 10 the mode = hich Mr.. Madi.
son suggested. h
! request you 10 attribute 10 the above
cause my omission 10 express 10 YOU be-
lore, the satisfaction derived from tbe
perusaf Of your admirable speech Ga ths
Compromise Law. No man knew better
thsImoIise and Considerations IWhth
ProuPted its passage than YOU did, and
vow have ably and truly exposed them.
WeSwere upon terms Of the mostcou6-
Dental intimacy apd friendship. You
daily, 10 the Senate, sat near me. You
kpew OF my CONSULTATIONS with the prac.
lical manufactures, aud their coincidence
10 opinion wilhns. Ibelisvs il was upon
your invitation that The lanented DDpont
came from Delaware AID conferred giih
Us. Upon more occasions than one.
whist gazing upon the care worn coun;s-
pF gAtnTd AND X hseHaF4t 10 70
hang them. Wemust save them" Yeu
lived in mess OF some seven or eight
Senators, and il vas your mess that Insist
ed upon The Home valuation, as SING
qua non. Mr. Calhoun opposed it., Your
mess persevered. The fate Of the bill
4 as threatened !; but he at the last lmoe
meut withdrew bis opposition, ana the
Jill finally passed.
. have again aud again asserted, on
the floor OF the Senate, that two principal
objects were aimed 70 be accomplished
0ae was TO avert a civil war. The other
was to preserve The policy Of Protection
il was threaieued by Mr. Verplankis bill,
with total subyersion; aud believed then.
and believe row, that, il the Compromise
bad no! passed, at the next session Of
Congress, all traces Of that policy would
have been efFaeed from this statute book.
You and r both maintained that The
measure Of Fretec;ion preserved by the
Compromise would be suficlsntR until
about 1912. Bot we were tainted BY
cur opponents 10 know what would be
its condition when that period arrived
We replied there wac the home valuation
cash duties, long list OF free articles, SC
But | said, also, let US take care Of our
selves now: the pc ople Of 1912 may By
trusted To- take care OF themselves. Public
opinion, in the meantime, may become
mere enlightened, and the wisdom1ot the
Protective policy may be demonstrated
have not BEEN disappointed. My pre-
dictipns have been fulfilled. The people
Of 1912 the Wings, al least, every where
and many of the Democrats, are nov
fully persuaded that the industry Of laii
great country ought not to be pFostraiet
al the feet 81 foreign powers. Every
where the cry'is for Tariff for Revenue
with discrimination Tor Protection. Eve
rywbere the preservation Of the Tariff 0
1912, which has worked so well, and j
dsliveIiog US from enbarrassnenls, j
loudly demanded.
The circumstances which led 10, OF at
TENDED, The enactment OF the Conpro
mise, may be curious and interesting a
lmatters OF history; but, ia respect to tn
| policy OF Protection, the great practical
absorbing question is. shall the Tariff c
/ 1912 be preserved Or repealed Tha
lqaestioD is 10 be solved in Novembe
lnexl. | have repeatedly expressed m
opinion THEORETICALLY IN FA
NOR OF 1T.
/ thought we achieved great trump
No placing the Protective policy, BY ID
Compromise Act, without the reach an
| beyond The term OF Gen. Jacksou's az
ltbiHtsbihSlOH. AuG. VIC cfdltcu OuitcAfs
Of the factSthat the South Carolina delt
CATION wersAmuch more anxious that th
difficulty should be settled by US llIan B
Gen. Jackson.
You tell me thskI am accused Of ha,
ing abandoned The Reflective policy. :
That would distress ME exceedingly if
were moi accused Of all spTis Of crime
ana ldisdeheanors. | believe ! ha,
I been charged With every crime enunl
aated ID tbe Decalogne. laughNat Il
: straits 10 which my opponents are dnyel
They are 10 be pitied Shrinking ifO
: all lhe issues, arising oatNOI the gre
{ questions Of national policy, which Ea'
hitherto dNided the country. they hal
no other refuge IeItbut IN personal abus
desTac:ioa and defamation. ] haze liSs