New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-10-13
CASSIUS VI. CLAY'S APPEAL
From Tie True American CrsrirsdJ LeriasioH, OF
OUR APPEAL.

They who on the eighteenth day OF August l-i5
rose in arms OverpOwered the civil authorities. and
established irresponsible despotism upon the con
sutOnal Liberties U. this Common eal;h. 10 justin
cation OF their conduct appeal 70 Kentucky ana 70
the world 20 be il Let Kentucky and the
world Judge
When the public peace j. disturbed-when the
laws are deiied-when the Constitution - over
thrown-and when by the avowal OF murderons
purposes natural right and Divine justice are mpi
ousiy violated not the loss Of pr0pery-not the IN
diviinal wrong and suiiering-nO even the shedding
of blood. are to be weighed moment but the ereg'
Drinc,ples Of h5er'y only are 70 BE- borne in mind
whilst individuals however high or low are 70 be for
gotten II i, shall turn out that these principles
were by me violated or endangered -then was II
rieh, that nv house should have been rudey enter
ed by personal enemies threatening me with the
dread alternative OF death or dshOnOr-then was II
righ, tina, the sick chamber should not wake in the
bosoms Of the stern indicators Of the law some feel
ing of plying sympathy or magnanimous iorbear-
ance-ihen was II night that my wife and children
should for long days and nights suffer the erOrs OF
impending ruin-then was II right that ] should
have nv property cOnfscaied-then was ii right
that ! should be outlawed aud exiled from the land
of my birth. and the buried ashes OF my own loved
blood and ever cherished friends Bot IT. on the 9th
or hand. they and not J. have done this deed-ihen
let me be restored to the confidence OF my country
meD--to the security OF the laws-tO the inviOlaie
sanctity of the home IT my native and-and let
them be consigned not to ielOn fate which Is their
due by the Constitution and laws OF kcnluck y-but
live ont their DAYS with the reflection that the most
they can hope for in the future s that their dshon
ored names will be swallowed up IN the magnani-
nous ioreetluness blooming generations
Ia the Spring of 49, ], IN connection with some
other Kentuckans made proposals to publish pa
per devoted TO free discussion and gr0fUai eDlaH-
cipOfiOu IN kentucky. On the third day of June
of the same year, the True American was issued
from the press having about three hundred sub.
scribcr. in this State and about seventeen hundred
In the other States On the twelfth day OF August,
l-4j the last number OF tins paper was sent 10
about seven hundred subscribers 10 Kentucky, and
about twenty seven hundred IN the other States OF
the Union These facts are verified 10y the books
Of the Office. which friend er 70 is at liberty 10 ex
anime Tia, my readers in Kentucky should have
run NJ in this short space of about two months from
three TO seven hundred in the face of all the violence
and prOscrlrtiOn Oi the enemies Of emancipation.
voluntarily. without any agencies and without the
distribution Of circulars or papers on my part Is q
most extraordinary Circumstance. And when We
reflect that about twenty persons read the paper OF
each subscriber making fourteen thousand readers
in Kentucky il proves beyond all controversy that
tine principles and tone oi my press Were taking a
powerful hold upon the minds and affections OF The
people.
The Democratic papers We're comparatively silent.
The Wing press was largely in my favor The
Christian lneligencer raised also the standard
of emancipation. The people of Louisville had Ia
ken the intiaiory step for starting similar paper
there. \ Democratic print OF the Green River sec
ton, the most pro slavery part OF the state, had
copied an article from the True American. showing
the ruinous competition of slave labor with that of
the whites and seemed ready 10 wage common
war For the first time since the formation Of the
Constitution OF the state was a political party or
.y.v.brnu a. slavery a LEGAL
and in the most populous city in the commonwealth
a candidate was announced ready TO fight the battle
upon the stump. \ convention OF the friends OF
emancipation proposed TO be held on the fourth
day Of July, 1916 and me, the approval OF many
able and patriotic citizens The principal movers in
this cause slaveholdors also were majority
of the readers of The True American and the great mass
of laborcrs who are not habltual readers OF news.
papers. began to hear-io consdcr-and 10 learn their
rights and preparing 10 maintain them, So That all
things moving steadily towards the glorious end
proclaimed that hENTUcRy MUST BE FREE.
Previous the issuing Of the ninth number of the True
American was taken sick with The typhoid lever a
few friends edited the paper I'LL the eleventh number
was in press in which leading article written by
slave holder and the following editorial writenb by myself
We called more 10 our hard and responsible
ask from bed o. long ara painul nih'ss me rh4nt!
has been frequently made we are Od Wnether we We're
living dead with hopes for The worst N the bosons Of
some proud say that the does not live. whom
would, If could etectt by the mere sNrrtion Oh lhe
will moments pain far less compass In desire
his death. "ro cenen, The disgrace attending our ms
conduct L. IN my opinion, me most urgent Necessity i
Philip dead no. but in great danger How are you con
cerned 10 these rumor- suppose he Should meet some Ia
Ia stroke; you would soon relse mp an"her fihlp u
thus regarded 10 l. lie weakness and
disease IN the Stale that has forced u into our present po
sOn and II we should perish the same causes would RAISE
M many more and ablerilan vindicae he
We had hoped this continent. the great axiom
hat man is spahe OF self government amply vindicsted
had no objections the peacesbe ani honorable ex
sion Of empire The whole continent. equal freedom
expanded with the bounds OF the nation gladly Would We
conscience and pursuit Of resting under their vine and
liz tree with make hcm afraid Standing upon "a
cred and invioale constitution Al home. and Just towards all
nanons-such was ihe vision 81 me immortal ashlnsi9n
and such But told the enuncatOn OF the
yeal and soulslrring principles oil Revolutionary pso
w-s e-as cog feiurns - ~ Noi..' ulc ~ ~ 80
the foul and of Of European tyranny 10 hide our
nakedness slavery. tie unme gated the lowest basesi
that the world has II 10 be substituted forever Tor our
better glorious, boiler aspiraions-the constitution
torn and iramped under foot usce and good ia 10 ma
ton denned brute force i substituted ~ le pace OF s
moral tone al the great principles OF national liberty winch
inherit from British gncesiry are Welded upland We
are let huut God hope the world. Wien The great
hearted land weep and the OF rejection madd-ns
the contemplation % our national aposi-cN There ar
men pursuing gain and pleasure, who smile with contempt
and difference Al their appeals But remember You who
dwell IN marble sha there are strong AIMS and hefy
,s and iron pixies In the Streets and pains Of glass
between them and the silver plate on The board, and the
smooth SIX nued on the ottoman hen you have
,ockr ed M yirue denied the ar-ncv Of ID The ssrs
men, aud made rapne your h0nled faith einhe for the
day Of reirbuuon II A. h-nd-and thc masses VIII ne
avenged"
After bad written this. ride 70 the ONCE causel re
lapse Whilst Jay piosirste with disease II vas told
me few minutes before o'clock Of the fourteenth DAY
OF August that there be held al that hour meet
ing OF the citizens the Court House in Lexington for
toe purpose of supyressng the True American. ] i'm
mediaey rose and dressed myself and IN opposition 10
the circumstances OF my family and AT the risk Of my
life from the cxerron determined % confront my enc
mics face 10 face and vindcae my at all hazards
At the Court House found about thirty individuals. in
Guiding a lew who came in after left their names
were taken down by couple of friends and are now IN
my possession All these men had grown from political
opponents TO personal enemies because Of my devotion
TO the Wing cause except TWO d" a Wing and " Juni-
M" who were influenced doubt by feelings Of ~
venge on account OF the castgstien which had given
them in the Of the True American for their
menace Of the murderons inhicton OF Lynch law. Afer
silence ~ about half hour +. q Sayre said. he
would speak Just the same A. N was not present he
was tor -upprcssng the True American a hDeious by
legal means Henry Johnson, cotton planter and the
brother OF r. NJ Johnson said be understood this meet
ing was e. have been equally composed Of Wings and
Democrats and for BE- would take action concern
in. this Abolition press unless the Wings mp bold
" and shared the responsibility Ihos. +. Marshall
the aiosisc Wing and late y1rid candidate for Con
sress said he understood this 10 be- public meeting and
wa. here los an Irritation he held the True American
ia his hand and would read what he conceived 81 be-
the cause Of the public excitement He then read the
article written by me, and took his seat
pto this period no Whig had made his appearance.