Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-11-15

.hv. and to elcraic The less "O'ihy to desfa@e nc
And mint has Jccn his TesGrd? Counirymcn
Fen many of you who have assisted III me deco
If his modification and REJECTION, now ina' INT
deed i done ard cannot be recalled-CAN you
I think of il without shame and rem0Tse! 10 yo"
moi lia;i at having been accessory To an acl I'M
ccncyops 10 a great Patriot, aud 50 pHj"H 10 your
countrr?'
In a second lugubrous and pions article, most
feelinyly introduced with the c2ption OF "HAy 0rf
Mou cast dorm, oh mv soaR' the Wing continues IN
the same melancholy strain;
SIS il then asked why we do feel so melancholy
depression al the result OF The late great siruS-
| ole? We answer frankly and promptly: II Is al
the popular spirit which the contest has revealed
| i, is because a majority or a claimed majority,
| of The American People hare manifested 50 uTc-
1oncilqblc a hatred 10 The man rho has best fe8rred
NJ them, neat 10 Washington automatically, IN real
and SUBSTANTIAL Serrice: Ii is because Henry Clay
has been voted against, not for his opinions-not
for his principles--but because he 7ras Henry
CLAW he frs in seJuse and the FIRST IN renorn -
II is because our cOnntrU1ue in Their rerdtcf have
clearly and uncquivocay exhibited THAT BASE
AND uSwoRTHY ENVY Of EXcELLENcE-lhat dis
position 10 pull down what is BETTER THAN Them
SELVES, and 10 put up what is inferior-the spirit
Of that Alhcnian who voted 10 Danish Arlsdes
because he was not only called, but ,r0s the Just
which has been the destruction of all Rcpub-
lies! HENRY CLAY has been defeated NOT
because he was not worthy TO lead his country
mcn-for no man cren prctcndS that HE Has Az
EauAL-but because he was Henry Clay and the
first in service 10 his county, as The first in cec
bry which extends TO every climate OF the civil
lied world
This is The point Of view which will present il
SELF 10 The informed mind, instructed by the past
experience OF the world as the most important and
The most fatal The enjoyment of power for four
wears in a nations age is of the least conse-
quence : IT Is THE ISCAPAcITY TO JUDGE AND TO
ACT WISELY Il is The HATRED Of PREPAYMENT
MERIT: il is THE PREFERENCE FOR CoSGENIAL LIT
rLEyLss ASD IGNoBlLITY: is the spirit IL pull dorm
instead OF the spirit Of elevating SUPERIOR MERIT
which 10 III mind acquainted with the tranSac
tons ufpast Republics is not merely HATEFUL FOR
ITS MEASyEss, but fearful for lis omen. IL is the
raven which croaks disappointment TO the fond
hopes Of the Republican who wishes for liberty
10 universal mankind-and 10 the christian and
philanlhropist, who are prone 10 Halter them.
selves thai the world gets better and advances in
perleciabiliy, as it advances in age"
And now we ask our readers, could more Just
and co9eni reason be advanced Tor the defeat OF
Henry Clay, Than stands oil, in bold relief in these
rabid etiusons OF one of the Wing organs: for We
have already done justice 10 the proper bearing oil
the other Wing organ OF this city? Here We
find the Wing denouncing the f,ec people Of Ame-
r,ca as ''degenerae;" as evncing EASE and
uSwosTIIy ESvY Of excellence; as disposed to
pull down what is better Than THEMSELVES as
cursed with the lNCAPAclTY TO JUDGE and TO ACT
WISELY, the haiyed of PRE-EMINENT merit the pre-
ference iorcoSGESIAL bitterness and igmbihtn and
In hate ~ far
but fearful for lis omen"
The language oil the Wing. properly translated,
amounts 10 This: he tells large majority Of The
people ot The United States, You are too great
fools and dupcs, 10 be entrusted with The power OF
elecng your own President; you arc degenerate,
and have not The capacity OF sclf-governmenl;-
YOU are loo mean, envious, little. ignoble. hateful
and base, 10 elect Henry Clay, the excellent, pre-
eminent, superior palriot-lhc man nextio Wash
ington, and far better and wiser than Jefferson,
Madison, Monroe and Jackson for whose eoagc-
NAL hnieacSS AMI ign0ji!ity you have shown too
high preference By besiowing upon them your
yourselves, and We did not expect you 10 raise
you,scrcs 10 his Leret OF morality, patriotism and
talents.
This then is one OF the main reasons why Mr.
Clay is so sisnally defeated. The leaders have
inwardly cherished the same contempt Cor the po-
pular judgment and patriotism, which is unblush-
incly a:cwed in the above article They thought
the people so ignorant and vicious, that they could
dupe and deceive them by the baldcsl humbugs
The popular sense became fully aroused 10 The
attempt 10 dcgradc them; and The free and virlu
Gus, and intelligent citizens of the Union have
forever Frustrated their deiamers and would-be
enslavers. Thee have shown themselves 10 be
pure and worthy inheritors of the rich legacy
which George Washington handed down 10 us
Bur there is another and a stronger reason, why
this "pre-eminent" patriot and Wing idol, Henry
CLAY, was put aside Irice before has he been
soemnly rejected By the people, and once has he
been sielrcd b. his own party. who conld not bring
themselves 10 support his ultra Federal doctrines
The man and his dangerous principles hare 6csa
again weighed and found wanting. With the an |
II conis, PRINCIPLES OF Democracy and Federalism !
fully and fairly airared against each other. the /
latter led on hy the mos. unpopular politician in
the country, ho.r could il have been Otherwise !
than that Federalism and lis arrogant leader
should have been Frustrated :
BIZ, we must break Off from defence Of cur |
principles and our cause, which we felt called |
nnon 10 bring forward Our Republican friends, |
we know. will I've satisfied tina, the views Of some
the Wing leaders n Virginia, from which we /
have cued few BEAUTIES, in their own language, |
will be the best weapon Of defence against their !
violent assaults upon our candidate and our I
cause. To the country we leave the decision.
whether MIR Clay has not been iaity dealt with.
To the liberal and Just Whis>, who stand pre-
nared 10 ludec Mr. Polk BY his acts, VIC award |
full praise. Ofthe rabid Wings who were head
long in their opposition 10 tie conRtrD. and con-
denim our principles and our men, unhcard ard !
untried. he Democratic party oM and crpeet no.