Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1844-07-27
apEEcn ON nENRY cLAY.


treated with the greatest forbearnuoc nnt
respect ! assure my fellow citizens hcrt
collected that the presentation Of tho pc
tition has not oocasioned the slightcs
paln, nor excited one solitary disagreed
be emotion If 1t were TO be presented
10 me, prefer that il should DO dono II
the face Of .hs vast ossomblage, think
it can give it such an answer as becomes
me and the subject of which II trcats
At all events, entroat and beseach Vny
fellow citizens, for their sake, for my
country's sake, for my sake, In offer nc
disrospect, no violence, in word or d eed,
to Mr.. Mendenhul,
will now, sir, make to you aud to this
petition such response as becomes me.
Allow me TO say that | think you have not
con(ormod TO the indepen dent character
of an American citizen in presenting a
petition to me. am, like yourself, but a
private citizen. A petition, as the term
implies, generally proceeds from an inle-
rior in power or station TO a superior; but
between US there is entire equality. And
what are the circumstances under which
you have chosen to offerit? am total
stranger, passing through your State, on
my way to its capitol, 10 consequence of
an invitation with which | have been
honored to visit ii, 10 exchange friendly
salutations with such Of my fellow cti-
zens of Indiana as think proper to meet
me, and 10 accept OF their hospitality.
Anxious as am to see them, and to view
parts of this State which had never seen,
came here with hesitation and reluc-
lance, because apprehend that the mo-
tives ofmy journey might be mlsconceiv-
ed aud perverted. But when the fulfil
ment Of an old promise TO visit Indiana
polls was insisted upon, yielded 10 the
solicitations of friends, and have presen-
ted myself among you.
Such is the occasion which has been de-
liberately selected for rendering this pc
tit!on to me. | am advanced in years,
and neither myself nor the place of my
residence is altogether unknown to the
world. You nigh; at any time within
these last twenty-five or thirty years have
presented your petition 10 me at Ashland
If you had gone there for that purpose,
you should have been received and treat
ed with perfect respect and liberal hospi-
tality.
Now, Mr.. Mendenhall, let US reverse
conditions, and suppose that you had been
invited to Kentucky TO partake Of its
hospitality; and that, previous to your
arrival, | had employed such means as |
understand have been used to get up this
petition TO obtain the signatures Of cli-
zens Of that State to a petition to present
to you TO relinqush your farm or other
property, what would you have thought
Of such proceeding! Would you have
deemed il courteous and according to the
rites of hospitality?
know we'll, that you and those who
think with you controvert the legitimacy
of slavery, and deny the right of proper
~ in slaves. But the law Of my State
and other States has otherwise ordained.
The law may be wrong in your opinion,
and ought TO be repealed; but then you and
your associates are not TO be lawmakers
for us, and unless you can show some au-
thority to nuilily our laws we must con-
| tinue to respect them. Until the law is
repealed, we must be excused for assert
ing the rights-ay, the property in slaves
which Il sanctions, authorizes, and vindi-
Gates.
And who are the petitioners whose or
gan you assume TO be? | have no doubt
that many of them are worthy, amiable
and humane persons, who. by erroneous
representations, have been induced incon-
siderately to affix their signatures to this
petition, and that they will deeply regret
1t. Others, and not few, am told, are
free blacks, men, women and children,
who have been art!ully deceived and I'M
posed upon. A very large portion, have
been credibly informed, are the politi-
cal opponents Of the party to which be-
long-DemocratS as the most undeserved
ly call themselves, who have eagerly sci
zed this opportunity to wound, as they
imagine, my feelings, and 10 aid the cause
10 which they are attached. In other
quartersol the Union, Democrats claim
10 be exclusive champions of Southern
Interests, the only safe defenders Of the
rights in slave property, and uni Justly ac-
cuse US Wings with abolition designs
wholly incompatible with its security.
What Dug htthose distant Democrats to
think OF the course of their friends here
who have united in this petition?
And what is the foundation of this ap-
peal 10 me in Indiana to liberate the slaves
under my care in kentucky?e 1t is gen.
eral declaration in the act announcing to
the world the independence of the thir-
teen American colonies, that all men are