Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1845-09-05

III llt lull ulSdNONdl Vi all llt l1CtHuldTN 1
purposes which my enemies nov affect to
impute to me. | am willing to take warm
ing from friends or enemies for the future
conduct of my paper, and while | am ready
to restrict myself in the latitude of discus
sion of the question, | mover will voluntarily
abandon a right or yield a principle.
C. M. CLAY.
August 16, lS45.
"On Sunday evening, says the Louisville
Journal, Mr.. Clay, who it was understood
was too i'll to sit up in his bed, and, in fact,
50 i'll, that even his ultimate recovery was
considered doubtful, had a large number of
loaded muskets and other deadly weapons,
with which he had intended TO defend his
office, removed from that building. OnSun-
day night the alarm throughout Lexington
was very considerable, on account of the
fact that the knowledge of what was trans
piring was said to have reached a portion of
the population that should have been kept in
Ignorance of it.. Many fincicd that they
saw symptoms of insubordination; and pat
rolls were kept up throughout the city during
the night"
On Monday morning, G.. NJ. Clay put ont
a fourth handbill, addressed to the mass
meeting which was to assemble at ii o'cl'k.
LEXINGTON, Aug. 18th, 1915.
Fellow Citizens OF LEXINGTON, AND
County OF FAYETTE:-Being unable from
the state of my health, to be present at your
meeting, and even unable to hold a pen,
having been sick thirty-five days with tho
typhoid fever, | dictate to an amlnuensis, a
few lines for your Just consideration. Hav-
ing been the unwilling cause, in part, of the
present excitement in my county, and feel
ing, as ] do, respect for the safety and hap
piness of others as well as my own, | vol
UNFAIRLY come forward and do all | conscien-
tlously can do for your quietand satisfaction.
| treated the communication from the private
caucus with burning contempt, arising not
only from their assuming over me a power
which would make me a slave, but from a
sense of the deep personal indignity with
which their unhcard' of assumptions were at
tempted to be carried into execution. But
to you-a far differently organized body, and
a constitutional asscmblage of citizens-I
feel that it is just and proper that | should
answer at your bar; and as | am not in state
of health to carry on an argument or vindi-
cate properly my own rights, | shIl volun-
tlrily, before any action is takesHon your
part, make such explanation as / sd@Ssa just
and proper.
During my sickness, my paper has been
conducted by some friends. The leading
article in the last number, which | am told
is the great cause of the public disquietude,
| have never read, because at the time it was
put to press | could not have undergone the
fatigue of reading such a paper through
Although it was read over 20 me at the time,
yet [ am fully persuaded now, that had |
have been in health it would not have been
admitted into my columns. But | felt the
less hesitlncy in admitting il, because it has
been my avowed policy heretofore to admit
free discussion upon the subject Of slavery,
by Shareholders themselves, and the author
Of this article is largely in that kind Of prop
erty. You have seen before this time that
the course of policy which commend, my
self, TO the StItc, is widely different, in ma
ny essential points, to this authors views.
The article written by myself, and published
in the same paper, was written a few days
after the leader was in type. and which has
also been the cause of SO much dissatisfac-
ton, the Justice of which, to some extent, |
am willing to acknowledge. ] assure you
upon the honor of a man, it was never in
tended TO mean, or to bear the construction
which my enemies have given it. | was
pursuing the reflections of my own mind,
without thinking of the misconstruction that
could be put upon my language.
Had been in the vigor of health, ] should
have avoided the objectionable expressions,
for by sharply guarding against the cavils of
my opponents, | would best guard at the
same time against anything which could be
considered of an incendiary character. |
cannot say that the paper, from the begin
ming, has beon conducted in the manner |
could have wished. The cause of this it is
not now necessary for me to mention. Sat
islied, however, from past experience, that
the free discussion of the subject of slavery
is liable to many objections which | did moi
anticipate, and which | had allowed in an
excess of liberality arising, no doubt, from
the fact that | had been denied the columns
of the other presses of the country myself
| propose in future very materially to restric
the latitude of discussion. | shall admit in
to my paper no article upon this subject, TO
which am not willing to be held response
BILE. This, you perceive, will very mucl
narrow the ground; for my plan of emanci
patton which | put forth a few days ago, il
of tho most gradual character. My othe
views put forth there also, are such as lear
are not at all offensive to the great mass o
cur people. BY this course expect t
achieve two objects, to enable me to carry OF
the advocacy of those principles and meas
ures which | deem of vital importance to on
State without molestation, and without sub
jecting the people to tue appIehensions anS
excitement which are now %qnhappily upon us
You may properly ask, perhaps, why wa.
not this thing done before! | reply that die
not foresee any such consequences as hav,
resulted from a different course. The de
nunciAtions of tho public press on both sides
t | conceived, and am still of the same opin
, ion, arose from the desire to make both pal