The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-11-26

1914. In common with wing brethren, have freely
them forth whenever occasion called doing so
the hazard of being denounced unfriendy to the
great of Kentucky, deliberately repeat
them, accompanied with the expression of welseitled
conviction that if the friends OF Mr. Clay persist in forcing
upon wing party their candidate for the presiden
cy and succeed in their efforts, disastrous defeat
Than that of 1874 is in for With these views
believing do, that the people desrous of reward
ing the great military achievements OF Scott and Taylor
shall labor increasingly procure, fpossble the
nation of one of them the wing candidate for the presi
dency in the full persuasion that either il nominated will
insure the triumph OF the wing ticket and the establish
of wing principles while, il defeated and Mr. Clay
again presented for the support OF tue whg party shall
course give him all the support in our power but in the
full belief that abors will, heretofore, be in vain
and that his nomination viii necessarily perpeuate the
reign of locoiocoism and misrule
II Is ungrateul task to review unavoraby speech
from and admire do Mr. Clay; but we
dc hesitate pronounce his late effort such one as
he would have deaned of making he the
same age when 1912 he noby sustained the govern
ment of his country in its with the mistress of the
That he very justly says, was of aational
required for the vindcaon of national rights and
honor - and yet al the commencement OF that war;
invaded Canada and carried desolaon and death to
the homes and affairs Of the unofendng Canadians who
had harmed us But this did make it of
aggression ofconquest according Mr. Clay; and Mr.
Clay right But when Mexico gives orders to her generals
attack the American army wherever may be found in
in Texas south of the Sabine and when, because 20
into the disputed territory the Mexicans into also
her beaten forces into her territory, behold is no lon
ger of deience but of aggression and conquest
Now do not desire justify the sending of General
Taylor to the Rio Grande That was rash and wicked
act but it gave justification to Mexico to assal
on the left bank of that river. When she did
sail us, she became the aggressor; and when
add this the historical fact, that her generals had
positive orders to invade Isras, and drive north Of
the Sabine, and actually proceeding to execute
them-t is. indeed, strange nfatua,ion which denomi
this of aggression and conquest and which, in
the same BREATH proclams invasion of Canada in
1872 of defence The people do not so understand
it, Their instincts do not lead them to such conclusions
They know and feel that Mexico struck the first blow
and when they told that" that it is Mertco that rs de-
Tending her fqsides her castles, and her affairs, not
,ce they feel that it might have been ws we had not,
in 1912, carried a defensive into the enemys coun
try large is their benevoence, they prefer that
it should be it is rather than that zoe should
now be resisting her intended and proclaimed inya'
sion of territory. And when this speech of Mr..
CLAY shall have been read throughout the length and
breadth of this great country, many will be the tears
shed silence, that Henry Clayhe who nobly stood by
his country 1872 and to this day defends the in
yasion of Canada--should have denounced this
s.unnauraP--a of offensive aggression in which
erico ace, is defending her dresdes, her CASTLES
and her ALTARS"-against whom? Why, against the
gallant and patriotic spirits who have nobly offered up
their lives in defence of their counys honor and shed
upon our halo of glory which has elevated our
ona character in the estimation of the civilized world
and called forth feeling of gratitude and pride in the
response chivalrou deeds and gallant bearing And
Henry Clay who thus characterzes this war-who
thus defends Mexico against the acts of her chvarc in
yaes thus Internationally endorses the abominabe
sentiments of the New York Tribune and will shortly be
quoted by sanctonng its denunciaon of our gallant
army band of robbers punderers and murderers, for
whose defeat and dispersion that editor and his coabore
justified in praying they have to the God of battles!
We cannot subscribe such doctrines; cannot with
all and respect for Mr. Clay, unite with him
his seeming response the heartess assaults those
who have covered country with glory and in SYM
pathes for Mexican suerngs cannot forget the suffer-
ngs and death ofour gallant If it be, indeed
of conquest and aggression if we have wickedy
sailed he resdes the castles, and the OF Next
co.,; if we have robbed, pundered, and murdered her
peaceful people; who and what are the men who have
volunteered to do this devh work When the OF the
victories of Pao Alto and Resaca de la Palma reached New
Orleans If we mistake Mr.. Clay there, and avowed
that younger he would himself vonteer to take part in
the war; His gallant son did SO volunteer, and nobly offer
ed up his life for his country But would he have done
il he had believed that he wagng such war Mr.
Clay decribcs2 Never-never
In censuring, he had right do the folly of the Ex
ecutve in Fastening this war, and seemingly inviting in
vasion and attack by the march the Rio rande instead
Of quietly waiting for the invasion Threatened intended
and auoced by the Mexican Mr. Clay has gone
far, and put Mexico altogether in the right his
country altogether the wrong He has by his speech,
our opinon held out inducements for Mexico to withhold
the peace he adeny desires and thus very unnten
tonay, pursued with that patriotism
of patriotic devotion to his country
Thirty years ago. Mr. Clay could not have made such
speech ten years ago, he would have done and
that he should have made it this time, is alike unfou
his future fame and for the achievement of the
peace he desires.
The length of remarks already forbds our entering
close analysis of this speech to day but close
without abiding and expressing warm appreciation
of what he says in regard the question of slavery and
the of the aboitionis The following passage
just, and hits so hard the Tribune and its abolition
cate that do wonder papers protest against
it,
my opinions the subject of slavery are well known
They have the merit, if it be of consistency unifom
ty and long du ration. have regarded slavery
great evil wrongfor the present. fear, iremedable
wrong 10 its unfortunate victims. should rejoice If
single slave breathed the air. within the limits of
country. But here they to be dealt with well we
can, with due consideration oil all circumstances affect
ing the security safety and happiness of both Every
State has the supreme, uncontrolled, and exclusive
TO decide for itself whether slavery shall continue
within It's limits, without any exterior Intervention from
any quarter In States where the slaves outnumber tho
whites as In the with several the blacks could not be
enancipated and invested with all the rights of free
men, without becoming the governing in those
States. Collisions and conflicts between the races
would be inevitable, and, after shocking scenes oil rn-
blacks would certainly take place In the State OF Ken
lucky fifty years ago. thought the proportion
Of slaves, in comparison with the Whites so lncon-
siderable that might safely adopt system OF grad
ua emancipation that would ultimately eradicate this evil
in State That system totally different from the
immediate abolition of slavery, for which the party Of the
aboltonsts of the present day CONTEND whether they
have intended cau and deliberate belief that
c fey espoud nothing of the discord ,chich has
bsrp bef,re n