New-York daily tribune., 1846-01-17

thev rejected with scorn the Luing messengers o
Truth makes violent attack on CAsslUs II. CLAY
and attempt. hold him up before its readers as con
ce,ed selfcomplacent" dogmatss and braggsrt VINO
courts martyrdom il words and yet shrnks when 'ne
hour Of danger approaches. Mr. Clay we are ,o''
belongs to thar class Of persons VINO see every .'s
oh be medium of their prejudices and wishes
" t, ,m,os,ble 10 believe any truth not in accord
: ... ~, our, prepossossions and the most IN.
J. S,o..;bc testimony would with him avail nothing
G ,s, scv position he had seen fit 70 assume
consden, has this reliance upon his own iniaioity
,ha, he puts forth the most Psipabe ialaces
.,h. bodest and gratui,ous assumptions win the
.bodpess and EN- pbas.s of oracle Whatever may
he thought OF the justice or injustice OF Ibis Ian
ruace AZ applied 10 r Clay few will De disposed to deny
Courier has here sketched an admirable likeness
OF ITSELF and Of the small knot OF eestyled conservatives
or which I, ia the organ OF this have the proof in
tho rcckessness with which, In the article before
US il, dis,orts the pertaining to Mr. Cays career as
a, advocate Of Emancipation assuming be true what.
ever is in accordance with its prepossessons and
tina. falls into the current of its prejudces and
wishes
oae alleged proof of Mr. Cays conceited and self
cornpscen dogman is found in the fact that be does
not believe that American Slavery is justified oy the
Bible but maintains that such Justification ii 1t could DC
found in that Book, would destroy its claims as revea.
,ioo from God dreadful heresy, doubtless, and one
for which Mr Clay should beg the Couriers pardon; ;
but after ALL do clearly see why he layman,
bId h. singled out for censure this ground in pe
fsrerce 10 whole host of Dvines of this and past gen.
e,aops who are known hold TO have held the
sentiment The mystery is probably explained by the
fact that i. happens suit the Cooriers prejudces and
wishes" 10 disparsge and abuse a whom large
portion of the most enlightened citizens of New-York
gard as worthy of special honor for his fidelity the
cause of Human Freedom.
One paragraph Of the Coutiers diatribe we must
quote
"Mr. Clay's anxiety TO become martyr Is SO exces-
sye 10 be absolutely painful In each o the nuncr
os procamalions which he has issued within the last
year or two he has dwet most emphaticaly his de-
sire 10 seal his faith with his blood that he may take
hs eagerly coveted place beside the martyrs for Lib
ertv wnose figure extensively in the pages OF
English history He Eas repeatedly traced the parallel
between his character, principles position and
probable destiny and those of HAmpden Russell, Sid
ney aud other lustrous heroes whose names are as
household words in the mouths of freemen. Every
thing he does smackS OF this eagerness for imnoiaion
When starting an Abolition paper In hcntucRy profess
ed REGARDING that State ready TO respond TO and
tati such movement he iortihcs his ONCE plants can
NON so AS 10 sweep the to H. sufs with mus
k.ts ammunition and the various enginery oil war and
;es bulletins of his determination do die
Disappointed long time in his expectations he at
length requested 10 suspend the publication OF his pa
n.r His ttDe have come, and he accordingly
makes his will take leave Of his friends, orders himself
10 be removed 20 the of danger-and Issues bull
en announcing the Sc preparatory steps TO
Nothing can be bod:r than his procanstions TO The mob
of Lexington He deties them 10 touch hlm-scorus
their solicitations and their threats and assures them
that CGssius Mdrceins Clay knows how to defend hls
bts apan their But the danger becomes
more imminent his an xiety dminshes Martyrdoui
seems attractive. To figure in history as the Sidney
OF Kentucky under the circumstances seems scarcely
worth ais while He begins TO perceive in the mob.
nothing more than constitutional assembihge oil the
people. And he accordingly issues proclamation as
suring them that he recognizes them as such ana ac
know led ping that he has acted nJudclousy Aud hna
y surreuders the keys his Office and saves at once his
life and his types !"
appeal to the three thousand five hundred sub
scriters to Mr.. Cays paper in the Northern states-
among whom many of our most distinguished States
men and Divnes-and to those who have seen in the
columns of The Tribune and other journals the leading
articles from his pen which have appeared WITHIN Inc
last eighteen months to say if they have ever discover
ed suy evidences of the vanity and the excessive anx
icty to become martyr which the Courier, in style
peculiarly its own fit to ascribe 70 him. II ne has
repeGdu traced the parallel between his own character
principles position aud probable destiny and those OF
Ha,npden Russell, Sidney" &c. presume the Cour
er can give example in which this vanity
offensive its of proprety has been exhibit
cd Let it try Until it does this candid men will be
apt to suspect that its abuse is dictated by its preudces
and wishes" As TO the martyrs for Liberty whose
names are as household words in the mouths Of Free
men" and whose sepulchers the Courier would
earnish it is fact worthy of consideration that, during
their LIFETIME there not wanting craven spirits who
sustained toward them precisely the same relation
which the Courier holds to Mr. Clay and who, incapa-
bic OF appreciang their noble qualities and the services
they rendered to the of Freedom, found employ
nent congenal to their preudices and wishes in heap
ing upon them the grossest abuse Is the Courier env
GUS of the reputation which those acquiredi
As TO the circumstances connected with the origin of
| The True American. its subsequent history and the
course pursued by Mr. Clay during the mob which end
ed in the removal OF his Press. who that is acquainted
with them does not know that the statements of the
Courier gross carcature, string OF "grsuitous
assumptions" uttered indeed with the boldness OF
oracle" but lacking the essential clements of csudor
aud truth Need we pon, out its misrepresentation in
detail 1t could hardly be expected that a man who
wished TO maintain reputation for no more than de-
cent regard for truth would omit in what he intended
should pass OF the facts in relation to the
Lexington mob all alusion to the severe sickness which
rendered II impossible for Mr.. Clay TO defend hsefb
force and men who are not the victims Of their own
bite. preudces and the slaves OF degrading wishes
might be expec,edto find in such sickness some pa!a
ton for weakness even in who nspired to be mar
,vr' But the Courier finds 1t convenient to keep this
important fact entirely out Of sight lest it should break
the force OF those "gratuitous assumptions which
could alone furnish any plausible ground for its
abuse Nor is this al-it does not state truly
the facts which it does venture allude 1t false.
ly accuses him of terrifying his Office the time
,ha, he professed to regard the State ready to
respond and sustain his mevemen, for the Abolition
of Slavery; when in fact his preparations for defence
made until after the newspapers at Lexington
had threatened him with mob violence The statement
that he issued printed bulletins of his determination
, do die when yet his enemies had uttered no
threats s of iasehood for which there can be
no other excuse than that he who uers il belongs 10
that who every thing through the medium OF
their own preudices and wishes These fbsso neces.
ssy 10 serve turn-dwndle into venal insignifcance.
however when compared with the heartless effort cast
ridcule upon Mr. Cays solemn preparation for impend-
Ing DEATH and the OF charging him in