The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-11-20

denounced by Almonts as a war measure, and with
war actually proclaimed against us In april last By
Pusdss, because troops were in occupancy ofthe
country up to the Nueces which, ,0ih all the resi- Q,
TsraS, the Mexican government claimed part OF
Mexieo--in this state Of things, Mr. Clay takes 1t
upon himself 10 say that, under his administration,
we should have had "no unhappy war with reigh-
boring sister republic :" Is this the same Henry
Clay whose voice, in 1912 aud 1913, reused the
country to resist and chasIiss the ourages Of Eng
and' Is this the same man who, in 1915 and 1916,
in reply TO the queston--whst have we gained by the
war; told US stirrngly Of the inealcuable value
Of national honor! No, in truth, the speakers are
not the same. Il is a strange transformation. The
country, like the Jewish patriarch, fails to recognise
in these last words the language of her once fayorte
son. THE hands" may be "as the hands Of Esau, /"
but 'the voice is the voice Of Jacob"
Doubtless under Mr.. clAy's administration we
should have had still fastened upon US, as he
says, the tariff Of 1912. For vaciation and
feebleness in our foreign relations-for the
ignomlny Of submission to Mexican inso-
lence and outrage-for tho possible loss and
the certain ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of Texas-this con-
demned and odious tax law would have been our
consolation, And yet not this alone. A new Distri-
button bill-a new Bank-the destruction OF the
Veto power as established in the constitution
another Bankrupt Bill-a system Of Internal In
provements to make the national treasury the
sport of sectional factions qgrOuing in the obbies
Of Congress-until, finally; another Loan bill and
more treasury notes should become necessary, not
to fight through an honorable war, and
cure advantageous peace, but to buy up the votes
Of various localities, in order to secure Federal
tendency through another Presidential term-thesc
things, in the event which Mr.. Clay eontemplates,
would assuredly have come hereafter. as they have
come heretofore in aid Of the great federalist taxa
ton scheme to burden the people with high prices,
in order that rich manufacturers may amass gigan-
tic fortunes.
But the people were guided to better issues In
place Of all this, we have seen the democratic power
in the administration and in Congress carrying out
the great reforms which the democratic party has
long been pledged. In the tariff Of 1886, we have
a measure in full conformity with the advancing
spirit Of the age. In the constitutional treasury the
finances Of the government are rescued from the
fluctuations Of bank issues. In the great matter Of
the public lands, the administration is urging on
just and generous policy. We have secured to the
new States now entering, or just entered into our
Union, immunity from savage annoyance and inju-
ny by the adjustment Of favorable treaties with the
Indian tribes. We have settled the land question
with the Whine bagoes-we have settled all the dis
putes among the Cherokees, and given peace and
prosperity to that agitated people; and by the con-
duct Of our foreign relations, and the brilliant
Of our arms, the American name has
won renown at every court in Europe.
These facts will console the country for the
loss, $50 bemoaned by himselfD Of the pres
idency of Henry Clay-the man who could once
portray in all the splendors Of sloquence the
worth ofnationnl honor, but whose heart, now per-
verted by ambition, throbs no adequate response
10 the slories of Pslo Alto, Resaca de la Palma and
Monterey