Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-10-24

,,,,s,iiuiCn under winch we exist DIS d uHitcu
'.',,,, nav be altered and amended in decided
t,,.,s,ion 10 the wishes OF minority both highly
'Ips;erable and respectable, that is in opposition
~, wishes OF one fourth of the States OF the
I,;on-nor does Mr. Clay in his past life, seem
'.,r !, have thought il necessary to abandon any
,as,r, merely because il met with decided
"i,s;,op from a considerable and respectable
vt[ll';nn of the Confederacy." The admission into
,I-n;on OF the then Foreign Territory Of LOU
.Ie and of The State Of Missouri, were both
f.n,ssi hy a considerable and respectable portion
IN, ConicGeracy, and the celebrated "compro-
.,i>,," of Mr. Clay, both upon The admission OF
W;.s,uri into the Union, and upon the Tariff in
,s3 encountered the decided opposition of
i;-5y considerable and respectable portion of the
c7n(eisracy: and ii is remarkable, that the same
,,s.lerahe and respectable portion OF the Con-
..5c,ory opposed the admission of Missouri, that
.,v onposcs the annexation OF Texas. And ne
m..,bsieSs we have vel 10 learn. that that OPPOSE
.;Sn had the efiec. OF making Mr.. Clay ahale in
",,y rs>ncct his decided determination 10 carry
u.s., measures through, provided he could obtain
10 sanction of a majority of the Confederacy.
rho conclusion, therefore, is irresistible, that there
INNS, have been something peculiar IN The position
:. ", Ciqv in reference To some considerable
!, r,spcctable portion Of the Contcderacv," which
;n.,Incei him thus 10 abandon all the settled policy
.. Govrrnmeni. and all the views formerly enter
,.;,rl hy him under similar circumstances. This
,,snliarity we shall readily find, in the fact that
H, CLAW was then the acknowledged Candidate
= me Wing party for the Presidency, and that
b,rs existed VIGOROUSLY in the ranks OF that party
Z, considerable and respectable portion of the Con-
,,;eracy who, headed BY J G. Adams and thirteen
Thor members OF Congress and hacked by Inc lie
.,;.la,,,,s, Of Massachusetts and Vermont, had al
TT.,Jydsclaret against annexation. Naymore that
iber; existed in The Northern States party anima-
ned by the mos; deadly hostility 10 the South, and 10
her INSTITUTIONAL party which, in common par
lance, we have styled Abolilionis,s, but who have
received from one of the champions Of !>Jrthcln
Whi-gcry, Mr.. Webster, the gentle soubriquct
Of The Third Party" from whom no advocate
ol the annexation of slave holding territory nigh,
hope 10 receive countenance or support, and with
ou, whose votes BY the acknowledgment OF Mr.
Webster himself in his Springfield speech, The
Wing party would be probably in minority, even
in Massachusetts ITSELF Such was the conside-
raile ana respectable portion oil The confedcracy,
without ccnciiating whom Mr. Clay might POS
>bly have ioSi the nomination Of Ike Wing Gem
1aiioa ~ Baitimoyc, and without whose support,
even il nominated he saw himself destined 10 an
inelorioaS defeat
The annunciation of these views however,
pleasing 10 his friends al the North, did not seem
II NEE, with entire favor at the South Ii is true
that most of the party leaders. and the large ma
jority of the Wing party, acquiesccd but still The
FAC, became soon apparent, that Mr. Clay would
lose many friends entirely, and 'thai the love
Of others had waxed cold" and this was particu-
larry The case in the more Southern States OF The
Carolinas Alabama Mississippi and Louisiana.
Evidences of this fact began 10 crowd npon the
minds OF his friends as the campaign progressed,
and grew stronger as the elections in several OF
those States Notwithstanding as mos, OF
them did, in the early part OF August-and we
accordingly find his friends IRON Alabama writ
ing TO him for an explanation Of the phrase "a
considerable and respectable portion Of the Con-
iederacy.' The cali which seems most 20 have
attracted his attention, and which occasioned Ma
niftsio No ii, from Mr. Clay, was from the Editor
of the Tusca loosa Monitor The immediate pur-
pose of The letter from the Editor of ihat paper
which called forth Mr. Clay's second Texas letter
dated July LIST, was 10 ascertain Ceinitivcly from
Mr. Clay himself, what was his meaning when he
made use OF the expression "a considerable and
respectable portion of the Coniedcracy;" and
whether he referred to States or TO people. Tha,
this was the object OF The letter Ia Mr. Clay. and
Of his second letter in reply TO it, is apparent from
perusal Of the remarks Of the Editor ii that pa
per, ana from the reply OF MIR. Clay hiln>c II
The former Che Ed:,or) expressly declares, that
Mr. Clay meant 10 refer 10 "A considerable AND
respectable number Of! the States OF the Union,
ana Mr. Clay in his reply says that he had just
l. conceived his meaning. One canaul help ic-
maraing, that il this was i'll fact Mr.. Clay mean
ine. he certainly adopted 4 most awkwar1
way Of expressing himself; for ii is not Fe;ceiFel
why the phrase considerable portion of The Con.
isIeracy." II. indeed, he alluded 10 Estates" ant
mo-, "pcople." would not have conveycd his mea n
ing quite IS well, and indeed, far better, than the
phrase considerable and respectable portion %
The CoHeleracy'- il will scarceley be sup
posed that Alr. Clay in speaking OF States woulc
use the word respectable" as applicable 10 some
States and no: 10 others. But Mr.. Clay did moi
stop with the above explanation: for, be il rcme!n-
be;-i, he was then writing 10 the South, and &C
c0tdingly we find him protesting in lie same let
Ter that the idea oi has counting the ASoli,onsl.
was perfectly absurd" AMI farther on in his Letter
We find him attempting still further 10 remove 'h'
unpleasant impression which his former letter hat
made on his Southern friends, By declaring tina
personally he could have no objection 10 the An
nexa,ion OF Texas'-and leaving the fair con
Slruciion, that though he would not leopard o: dis
solve the existing Union for The sake OF acQGrin;
Texas, ''yet that in the absence Of any such dan
ger. the Annexation of Texas would meet will
no objection" from him. So much for the SECOND
letter. and for the Southern phase, on The question
.. Annexation, which Mr.. Clay had then Began Il
assume, Bat it is probable that this letter did no
90 qnlic lar enough for his Alabama friends, an'
they were doubtless encouraged by its naiur'
- hope for an expression of his views SUI
more favorable 10 them. And, accordingly, il
appears, that Mr. Clay received another leci
from two gentlemen in Alabama, (Aiessr>. Pc
,ers and Jack>on) in relation 10 some further al
l,oed misconception OF his views on this question
The letter TO MIR. Clay from these gentlemen i
not published, bu, it appears, from Mr. Clay re
ply 10 it, (Maniies;o No. iIl) dated 9th July
1914, (iust before the North Carolina end Ala
bama elections y that his course in 1919, and il
1851, in relation 10 Texas, had been "mis
conceived, il not misrepresented' in Alabama
and that this reply was intended partly to correc
that error. | pass over The futile attempt which
Mr.. Clay has made in this letter 10 show, tina
The circumstances under which the question of an
nexing Texas is now presented, are different from
the aspect in which ii was presented when he al
Secretary of State under John G. Adams at
tempted TO obtain it from Mexico. II has beer
100 often demonstrated 10 need any notice here
that if anv difficulty exists To the annexation o
Texas NOR on account of the imaginary ant
constructive war between il and Mexico, IA
greater obstacles existed in 1928 and 1927, in con
sideration of the real war then actually wagin.
between Spain and Mexico MIR. Clay'S utmos
ingenuity can never explain the inconsstencie
of his position. But it further appears, that thes
Alabama gentlemen were very anxious TO &c
some definite pledge from Mr.. Clay as 10 the pc
Icy in regard TO annexation BY which he would
be governed in the event Of his election. And iii
in reply to this portion Of their letter. that Mr. Clay
makes celebrations on this subject, which went
grea, deal farther in favor OF annexation than h
had done in his second letter. for he says that tho
he docs not think il right 10 announce in ad
vance what will he the course OF future ADM
nislration, in respect TO question with ioreigI
power" vet che has, however, no hesitation il
SAYING that, far from haring any personal otjecto'
to The annexation IF Jsras, he Ntonld be siad 10 SC
n. without dishonor, without war with the eom
mon consent of the Union, and upon just and fai
,ermsn And he further declares, that "slavery
ought not TO affect the question one way or th'
oher," and 'that il would be unwise to refuse {
permanent, acquisition which will exist as long a
The globe remains, because of a temporary institu
ton We thus find Mr.. Clay giving expression
10 yosi;irc dtsire TO see Texas annexed, if GER
tain difficulties could be removed, and leaving the
fair inference on the mind of those whom he adj
H. ~ oil