Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-01-28
Anti GIautrp.
Letter from CasSius NJ, Clay.
[Commun icated for the NeD- York Tribune.

Commun icated for the Ncw- York Tribune
The following letter we find in the Tribune,
and copy it because there is still some lingering
interest about the writer He certainly makes
out no better case for himself than heretofore.--
Why should he care what the people Of the South
thought of him, SO long as he was true to him
self, and to the great cause Of Freedom which
he had espoused The best t1at can be said
of him is, that he was rather weak than wicked,
and could not bear the present un-popuarity
which ant-slavery brought with it. He may
have purchased present fame-though that even
remains to be seen-but it is at the expense of a
fame and gratitude with which Millions yet un-
born, and millions Of the poorest Of the land
would have blessed him.
CAMARGo, Mexico, Dec. 10, 1916.
(p. c.)-4My Dear Str.-Your letter address
ing some inquiries to me, has just come to hand;
and shall answer you in the same frank and
friendly manner in which they are put.
After some years Of high-pressure life, was
glad ONCE more to get to myself and the woods
and whether Illuminating by day and by night
upon the widespread prairles Of Texas or pur-
sueing the buffalo on the Brazos and Colorado,
or lassoing the wild horse Of the Neaces, Ia
Commanche, upon the ''dlspused" desert,
cared little for newspapers, the viAdica alton Of
friends, or the denunciatsOR OF eReEsies. Com
ing to Camargo, see steamboats,, AID hear bells,
and newspapers force upon me the thought Of
politics once more.
Since left home have written no letters
touching my views upon political subjects; and
no one has had authority to speak for me. III
live to return, | SHALL in due time, take care to
write and speak so as not to be misunderstood
In the mean time, however, have no secrets;
and say in answer to to your inquiry-"My
opinions of the institution of slavery are unchan-
ged" Whether shall continue to "edit the
paper" or not, is probematical, 1t was never
my original design to do So think can be
more efficient in "exertlng" my "inAuence as
heretofore for the establishment of freedom in
other ways.
have suffered enough to look charitabIy on
the 'hasty rebuke ofthe bigoted and contracted
am willing to trust to time and the unbiased
IOplHlOuS vi ilSll M ilJ Hhd ElHuiCaAAoh'
In going into this war have not been i'm
PEELED, as some Of my apologlsts would have it,
by constitutional ardor, or Southern education.
Neither have been luled by tie vulgar ambi-
ton of military glory. | would far rather have
been Adams, at the vindication of the Right of
Petition, than Wellington at the battle Of Wa
terloo
wished to prone to the people of the South
that warred not upon them, but upon Slavery
that man might hate Slavery and denounce
tyrants without being the eRemy Of has country.
} Besides, the instincts of seIEpreservation, or
rather of national preservation as well as his
tory, teach me that constitutional declaration
of war must be sustained by all parties. My
action, therefore, is a corollary from the admls-
sion of Republican theory, that legal mOOr-
ity must rule. Have my denouncers found a
} better theory?
trust that after awhile shalt convince
those who have no interest in doing ne injustice
f that am not "fanatic," for have at all times
stood by the broad landmarks wh;sh ahs lsws of
nations and custom and an enlig hieEed Gsorality
have fixed sacred from innovation nor sa lego
fist seeking temporary no;orietJ,' for have la
bored in obscure PLACES and been silent under
reproach and calumny Far less am "trator
to my county," for have been ready to lay
; down my life at home and abroad, ever standing
; in her defence
thank you and those who have not ceased
! to have "Im7lct firth in my purity of motives. "
| am proud in the reflection, that if fate denies
me the good fortune go setuFn snd aid" in the
emancipation of cur loved country and the VIM
dication Of the universal Liberties OF men, the
E loftios virtue known to the heroes of antiquity
: -"Mori pro patria," was imputed to me as my
llonly crime :,
Whom spoke against the Mexican war sara
r that would fight it. am here to redeem my
pledge. | saw in anticipation the noble dead
whom all now mourn, The million taxes coming