Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1844-09-28
LETTER FROM MR.. CLAY.


The following letter from Mr.. CLAY, vindi. |
eating his course in rcierencet to the compromise
act, and re affirming his purpose to sustain the
present tariff, was reed by MIR. CLAYTON, at the
mass meeting of the Wings, held on Thursday
week at Lancaster, Pa.
BLUE LicKs, Aug. %, 1874.
MY DEAR SiR: Your suppositon is right as
to the oppressive extent Of my correspondence Il
# is utterly impossible to answer all the letters
which l receive. | am afraid that cannot re.
ply to many that deserve it. Mr.. MADISON
once remarked to me that Mr.. JErFsRsoN's cor.
respondents were killing; but they were fur.
nished by population Of about ten millions.
Nine are supplied by population Of nearly
twenty millions. can feel and conceive the
possibility of homicide, committed in the mode
which Mr.. Madison suggested.
request you to attribute to the above cause,
my omission to express TO you before, the salts.
faction derived from the perusal Of your ad.
mirabe speech on the compromise law. No
man knew better the motives and considerations
which prompted its passage than you did, and
you have ably and truly exposed them. We
were upon terms OF the most confidential init.
macy and friendship. You daily, in the Senate,
sat near me. You knew Of my consultations
with the practical manufacturers, and their coin.
cidence in opinion with US. believe it was
upon your invitation, that the amented Dupont
came from Delaware and conferred with us.
Upon more occasions than one, whilst gazing
upon the care worn countenances and haggard
looks Of some Of the delegations in Congress
from South Carolina, you said TO me, "Clay,
these are fine fellows. 1t won't do to let old
Jackson hang them. We must save them"
You lived in mess Of some seven or eight Sen
ators, and it was your mess that insisted upon
the home valuation, as sine qua non. Mr..
Calhoun opposed it. Your mess persevered in
it. The fate OF the bill was threatened; but he
at the last moment withdrew his opposition, and
the bill finally passed.
have again and again asserted, on the floor
Of the Senate, that two principal objects were
aimed to be accomplished. One was to avert
civil war; The other was TO preserve the policy
Of protection. 1t was threatened, by Mr.. Yer.
plancks bill, with total subverson; and be.
eved then, and believe now, that, if the CON-
promise had not passed, at the next session Of
Congress all traces Of that policy would have
been effaced from the statute book.
You and both maintained that the measure
Of protection preserved by the compromise would
be sufficient until about 1912. But we were
tainted by our opponents, to know what would
be its condition when that period arrived. We
replied, there were the home valuation, cash
duties, long list Of free articles, &c. But |
said, also, let US take care OF ourselves now;
the people Of 1912 may be trusted to take care
Of themselves. Public opinion, in the mean
time, may become more enlightened, and the
wisdom OF the protective policy may be demon
strated. have not been disappointed. My
predictions have been fulfilled. The people Of
| 1912, the Wings, at least everywhere, and
many Of the Democrats are now fully persuaded
that the industry OF this great country, ought
not to be Frustrated at the feet Of foreign pow.
ers. Everywhere the cry is for tariff for rev.
enue, with determinations for protection. Every
where the preservation of the tariff of 1912,
which has worked so we'll, and is delivering US
from embarrassments, is loudly demanded.
| The circumstances which led to, or attended,
the enactment Of the Compromise, may be curl.
GUS and interesting as matters Of history; but, in
respect TO the policy of protection, the great
practical, absorbing question is. shall the Tariff
ton is to be solved in November next. | have
CALLY IN FAVOR OF 1T.
thought we achieved great triumph in pac.
ing the protective policy, by the Compromise
Act, without the reach and beyond the term Of
General Jackson's administration. And we
availed ourselves Of the fact that the South Car.
DINA delegation were much more anxious that
the difficulty should be settled by US than by
Gen. Jackson.
You tell me that | am accused Of having
abandoned the protective policy That would
distress me exceedingly, if were not accused
OF all sorts Of crimes and msdemeanors. be.
lieve have been charged with every crime emu.
meraed in the Decalogue. | laugh at the
straights to which my opponents are driven.
They are to be pled. Shrinking from all the
issues, arising out OF the great questions OF ma.
tiona policy, which have hitherto divided the
country, they have no other refuge left, but in
personal abuse, detraction and defamation. !
have lived down these attacks heretofore, and
with the blessing OF Providence. hope TO sur,
vive those which they are now directing against
me. Most certainly my surprise at the attempt
to make me out friend Of free trade with for.
eign countries. and an opponent OF the protective
policy, ought not to be greater than that OF my
competitor at the effort 10 establish his friendship
10 the protective policy.
remain, truly and faithfully your friend,
| II. CLAY.
J. M. CLAYroN, Esq.
The ST. Louis Republican says: "A good