Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1844-11-15
From the Richmond Enquirer.
consequences of Mr. Claws Success.

We look with high hopes to the. success Of
Mr.. Polk. Independently of the Virginia po-
liticai principles which he will bring with him
into the administration, his election will pro-
duce the finest moral lessons. 1t will show
ambitions, moon-reaching aspirants, like
Mr.. Clay, who has been aiming at the Presi-
dental Office for 25 years, as d. Webster char
ges, that the Office belongs to the people, and
not to them that it is theirs to give, and theirs
to take away; and that when they arise in the
majesty of their power. they will take virtu-
Gus and sensible Republican, from the shade,
from their own bosom as it were, and make
him the instrument of putting down the ambis
tious candidate who would boldly snatch the
sceptre from their hands by the vilest arts. 1t
was one of the most beautiful features In the
history of ancient Rome, that when the Re-
public was in danger, they wonld pass over
the ambitious men, who desired to press theme
selves into thepublic seryice-and they would
seek virtuous citizens in the retirementof theft
farms. They would find Cincinnatus at the
plough-!al, and cast the mantle Of the Consul-
ship over his shoulders. This is one Of the
fine moral lessons which would be taught hs
the election of Jamesak. Polk-zhRt there 10
another equally ID 3. His cess will
signally rebuke the VN<as for the arts they
have employed, and all trsAneans of election
eering to which they have descended. Never
have the people of Virginia been SO much In
suited by any party, as the Wings have in eff
feet twice insulted them for the last years.
Such humbugs-such tricks-such miserable
arts Of .electoneering, to which their leading
ringleaders have stopped, have cast shade
over the proud character of free people,
whose understandings alone ought to have
been addressed, and whose great principles
should have been appealed to. The Clay pars
ty have been SO anxious to elect him, that
they have insulted and would have debased
the people, throughout the Union. 1t Is a
dear tax they have asked the country to pay
for the election Of a man like Henry Clay, who
is not worthy OF the office--and much less of
the sacrifice which it has been called upon to
pay-the sacrifice of principle, of decency, 81 OF
selfrespect. If such disgraceful modes Of
electioneering could have evoked the illus
trious Washington from his tomb, the sacri-
fl ce would have been too great. Should Hem
ry Clay succeed, and In the way in which he
has stopped to win the office, and his blind and
infatuated friends have attempted to win it for
their idol, it will shake the confidence Of ma
ny a good citizen in the capacity of the peo-
pie to govern themselves. 1t will bring dis
trust upon our institutions. 1t will incite every
ambitious aspirant every four years to seek
the high office, and to depend upon humbug-
gerry, pipelaying and fraud, upon dirty intri-
CUES and shameless coalitions, to attain the
tompmost round ofpower. Nothing could be
more strongly calculated to impair the conf
dence of the people in themselves-to shake
our popular instltutions--and to undermine
Liberty herself-These Wings forget, thatin
their blind devotion to a man, they are aban.
doning some of the best principles of the Re-
publc-that they are insulting the understan-
dings and debasing the morals of the constlt-
uent body; and that the temporary benefit they
may promise themselves from the election Of
Henry Clay, is dearly paid for by the deterio-
ration of those public morals, in which not ony
they, but their children and their children's
children, are so deeply interested. Save US.
then, from the election of this Demagogue and
Dictator. Save us from the infatuation and
the arts of his friends. Let us conduct our
selves in the election of Chief Magistrate,
four years hence, In a manner that becomes
an enlightened people. Let us put down this
Wing party, and with them their contempt
BILE humbugs, their Coons and their glees, their
intrigues and their coalitions. For our own
parts, we declare, with all the responsibility
that we owe to Heaven and to the people, that
we scarcely know whether it is most lmpoT-
tant to defeat H. Clay and the Wings, on ac-
count of the political PRINCIPLES which he
womld bring with him into power, or from
a regard to the deep, warning, moral lessons
which his defeat would impress upon every
ambitious aspirant, and upon great people
themselves. Ills defeat would be the signal
of thorough reform in the political morals of
the Wing party.-Should success now crown
their efforts, it would leave behind it leayen
of corruption, which would continue to fer>
ment and debase the people themselves.