Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1845-01-20
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Ehe 1pnrhbmrD Utroimiam.
MO.NDaF. L7NTaRy 90. Isa5.
TIE COMPROMISE Acr

must seem not little extraordinary. II is certainly
prndid and Just tribute (snd tho .ess because
~ exiored) 10 the wisdom and patriotism Of its great
author. 10 appealing 10 II as the standard which our
revenue system should Re cuniomed, the very enemies
ol Mr.. Clay do homage To his sialcsn ans oven hills
they give uiteance 10 their joy al his expulsion from
office IN which his high powers NIGH still have been
dedca ed to the service IL his country They a|-
parently forgot, however, while making III ase
complimentary references 10 The Compromise Act =.
that they are rendering honor It's author, ard
demonstrating the ingratiude and Injustice Of that
popular verdict, which, through their instrument
aliy, has bsnshed him, perhaps forever from The pub
Ito councils. For even If It true rs they falsely
assert that he is is now IN favor of abandoniug the
prineqics' oi that Act 10 hch they ieign 50 ardent
a wish to return" STILL if it is 10 be regarded As snch
model Of legislative slom, that il oug to be ad
hered TO as unehangcaby the laws Of the Modes aud
Peisans, eemnent have been his practical wis
dom, who, IN the msmenl Of great public anxiety on
the eve as we were Of civil war and amid the variety Of
cot fleeing interests aud opinions upon subject SO deli
cate and complex, had The sagaciy TO strike cut the
golden mean, upon which all these auaconiznp and
angry elements might uoiie not only as a Temporary
pcdleni. To endure until HE excited passions shall sub,
/ v.
which departure forever afterwards could be deemed
eXcusable!
But, strange as 1t may seem, and as il really Is, ma
! ny Il lie very men who calnorousy demand
lrg What they are pleased 10 call ''renrn" 10 the
Compromise Aci, 10 De found among its friends
whtn Mr.. Clay, for The purpose Of preserving the l..
Mon, brought IL loWaId-and they have omitted no fair
pofuny that has since occurred of giving its anl1r
stab through lis sides. II opposed upon its first
introduction by The elite VI the Jackson parry in and
oul u Congress- and very after it Went io ope
ration, deliberate bun ahorlive attempt was made TO
repeal by the same party james X. Polk the Pfesi-
dent elect, not exacy teddng The assault or he had
not then been regarded worthy by his ability To hold
the position OF leader by hisow party but nevenhe-
heless cordially cooperating with those who soueh
to overthrow IT. We might indeed, cite many other
acs demons'ratlvo OF The actual hostility of the Locuo
co party to the Comprom 1870 Act-bui we content our
selves, Tor the present, with of the most significant
aud conclusive. We refer t0a vote OF the House Of
Delegates OF virginia, in the year 1889, upon resou
ZION declaring that the Compromise Act should be held
sacred and ,nriolabie." Where, then, were these
pretended rltnds Of The Compromise Act WHO are now
demanding return 10 lis principles" (untrnly acdg-
my hat they have been abandoned by the Wing party
@uh the concurrence Of Mr.. Clay hmself) aud who
profess to regard the only safe basis for the perma
non' adusmen, Of our revenue system .Ncarlv ere,,
Locgoco member q uH House rated against The reso.
tui,o,and enc Of them. we remember who desers "
held prominent position in their ranks declared in de.
bate, that 81 far from according that Acl character II
socejn,ss aud mvolsbily and asserting To the decar.
alton that II ought never 10 be niinged he regarded il
/ q the ,rts ia H., 4
should joce 10 it annuIlcd That was the sor, Of
reverence entertained by the Locoloco part, in 1889 io
an Act, return to the principles of which is now 81
earnestly invoked by the Richmond Enquirer and oh
ers nj that parry, and the alledged abandonment, Of
which by Mr. Clay constitutes the staple of So many
vuperavc assaults upon thai distinguished and perse-
ruted man-persecu'cd even now, when might sup
pose that his recent defeat well as his probable retire
mcn forever from the contentious and rvaries of po,
cal life should have secured him exemption IRON the at
lacks even OF the most enviors and maleyoent of h.
vlnd'cve and unrelenting enemies
/ But are these gentlemen even now sincere in their
professions of regard for The principles Of The Compro
mise Act They are not. if we are 10 Judge them
by their acts rather than by their language One Of The
principles" oil that Act for example, its leading
and vital principe Indeed, without the ncorporaiiun q
Witch, neither the peu which threatened the Union
nor Mr. Clays great influence would have been pow
orln enough To have saved it from defeat,-was III,
Substitution oi the Home pouatio for the former mode
OF collecting duties upon the oreen in, oce-a prov so,
essential 10 the protection of the revenue from fraud
ana cuhessedy equivalent IN itself 10 duty ut from c
10 10 per cent And yet This feature of the Act was
oandoned IN the bill reported by the committee of way.
means at the last session of Congress- Generally know
as Mekays BILL aud also fepudiaed by the Nil
introduced by MIR. McDuie in the Senate Nav. il /,
even pronounced 10 he papably unconstitutional, b,
That prince OF constitutions mongers, Mr. Calhoun. an,
by his disciples. notwithstanding Mr. Calhoun himself
roted for IN 1885, when he saw that its sd,n,;,n ,,
necessary To secure the success OF the Act aud thereby
to eAricale South Carolina from the critical position in
to which she had been thrown by his rash counses and
To rescue from the threatened bayone and halter IT,,
leaders IN that conspiracy against the Union of IN,
Sh'es-ihreaiened by the very men with HON Mr.
calhoun and his followers in that mad AID criminal en
terprse are nov in unholy alliance cemen,ed as The,
are 10y that same cohesive power Of public plurdet mn
on which he al one time elqucnly descauted, !
"ha' rgh' nave they. WHO thus eyineed their deter
minaIlon to enascnlae the Compromise Act Of its mos
important provision, to talk ofther Anxiety to "re,un
It's principles" and to rerroach Mr. Clay with the mia,
d""men' o his own offspring Is it not a piece of ei
onery, unparalleled except by the impudcnce with whi
us p"eia'med There are other features of tia, Ac
o' "hcN us i.ocofoco admirers of the present la, bay
/ hetetuiure exhibited M snecial r,n.loo.. 49,, :,