Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-11-26
RICHMOND VA.
Friday Morning, November &c, Is47.
MR. CLAWS SPEECH AT LEXINGTON.

ANIMATION lndt Inc uIlcl ShetCH Htleioioic Puo
lished presents very accurately its prominent lea
lures. The friends OF Mr.. Clay can make nc
complaint agains, the press in this particular
which he seemed 10 dread, for injustice has
not been done him. He has been fairly repre-
sented; and in the comments which The abstract
OF his speech suggested 10 US, we can discover nc
sentiment which we would recall with the speech
before US in all It's length and breadth. But We
desire again 10 call attention 10 The course which
Mr.. Clay has thought proper TO pursue, and The
position which he has assumed before the coun-
try. Every one who has glanced ala Wing news.
paper lately, must have been struck with The tone
OF adulaion which has been used. The whole
country was represen ed as listening eagerly Tor
his voice, and waiting in deep silence 10 see The
future laid open 10 them, and The true lire OF Gu.
ty and policy clearly defined, no, ly a political
aspirant but BY The retired statesman OF Ash
land Ifthis representation was true, the public
must have suffered keen disappointment. Tie
sage has spoken, and his words are those OF the
parlizan He has marked out the line OF policy
10 be pursued, bu, mere glance will show that
it is suited TO party, and not 10 The county,
The real difficulties which surround us are care
fully avoided and imaginary dangers are co.,
jured up merely 10 be Stunned. We are tayor-
ed BY a long Argument, TO prove that Congress
has The power 10 say for what purposes the war
any one will object 10 this, il Congress, in max.
ing that declaration, will insist upon guarding The
honor and interests OF the nation. Then We
have long disquisiiion on the duty Of our re-
President desires 10 wage war for other objects
than those specified BY the good sense Of Con-
gress-all q which is, TO say the least, rendered
useless BY The admission OF MIR. Clay himself,
that he believes the President would not hesitate
10 regulate his conduct by the pronounced will OF
Congress. II this be so, why this lhrea, Of i'm
parchment, in case the President ac., diderenily1
Why is the effort made TO alarm The country al
the power Of the Executive under The Constitution
Why are the insnualions made that The lust Of
conquest and the desire Tor assrandiz.menl are lie
objects Of our Government Are there mol real
difficulties enough in the present and The future
without contendng with unsuts anlial shadows?
When The acquisition oil the whole OF Mexico
is taken into consideration, ard Inc dangers
which would be occasioned by that act are Tor.
chilly portrayed, what, lei us ask, is The objec, Of
th>l No one has ever, 10 our knowledge, seri.
ously enter aimed such an idea. Mr.. Clay does
not pretend 10 say that there are any such. Yet
large portion OF his speech, aud one OF his
eight resolutions, are devoted 10 this lopc-and
for no other reason that we can see but 10 creale
the impression that MIR. Clay stands in opposi
lion 10 President, who is conducting our war
with Mexico for improper objects, and will posi-
bly,, if not probably, continue war OF conquest,
in defiance Of The express will Of the people and
their represenlatyes-and that Mr.. Clay is op.
posed TO party that wishes 10 annex the whole
of Mexico, from The Rio Grande to The ishmus
OF Daren, by the force Of arms, and rule il by tie
sword This stamps PaHizan character upon
The whole speech, and ribs il OF any suspicion ola
purpose calmly 10 advise the country Of lis rights
and interests. The real boundary Of Texas is no
sci forth with any cIearness The business, or I'M
business Of the war is not once alluded 10. The
W!mot Proviso, The greatest OF all he questions
growing OH, oil the Mexican War, is not 81 much
as named-none If our real substantial Difficult
tics are touched. All that the county knows, that
j, did mol know before Mr.. Cay opened his lips,
that has any bearing upon The actual condition Of
things, is, That he is opposed 10 receiving any ter
ritory as an indemnify, and is hostile TO the fur.
ther extension Of slavery. This i, about as
much as he could say 10 The Wilmot Ploviso
men Of the North, without driving every slave.
holding community from his support. This
much he was obliged 10 say, or be quietly push
ed from the turfby Daniel Webster and his abo-
ltion supporters. His situation as an aspirant
TO The Presidency is The only thing that accounts
for the manner in which The Lexington speech is
framed and we consequently think that it is Mr..
Gays bid for the Wing nomnaion-a bid which
il was difficult Tor him 10 make without offending
some whose support would be necessary.
We stated above that The business or unjust
ness Of Inc war was mol alluded 10 by Mr.. Clay.
While this is The case, he stated that hosliliiies
could have been avoided BY wise craftsmanship.
The only plan that he suggests by which his
could have been done, was 10 await the result
of Mr.. Slidell's mission TO Mexico This, he al
eees, was not done, and asserts that "whist MIR.
Slidell was bending his way 10 Mexico" General
Taylor was ordered 10 take up his position opro.
site Malamoras, on The East bank Of the Rio Bra.
vo This allegation is VIGOROUSLY un,ruc-ior
the whole country has been Informed, lime and
again, that MIR. Slidell had reached the city Of
Mexico, and had aseerained that he would not
be received, before the order was sen. 10 General
TAYLOR 10 break up his encampment a, Corpus
Christi. So appears That the precaution which
MIR. Clay thinks would have prevented hosililies
was in effec, taken by the Executive, and that
too, without producing the desired result. TIC
avail, The result Of Mr.. SlidelPs mission, was The
only method which MIR. Clay stated might pre-.
vent hosililcs and is fair 10 infer that it is The
only one that presented itself 10 his mind. II so
the Administration must be held blamecss for lht
present war, because it did all that could be done
to avoid tall tina, MIR. Clay now, after eighteen
months delberaion, can suggest as conducive IL
that end.
In his first resolution, Mr.. Clay alleges that The
order for Gen. Taylor 10 take up his position al
Fort Brown was unconstitutional. Yet, says he
"a state of virtual war necessarily resulted from
the fac, of annexation" We most respectfully
ask-as we have asked often beiore-how is j
tina, The ordor 10 Gen. Taylor was nnconstitntiona
uben {, ia admitted that a virtual war existed
from the time that Texas was annexed 10 The
United Slatesl II war existed, as Mr.. Clay al
leges, did no, The President have The right unde
the Constitution, 10 order our troops into The Ter
ritory in dispue-yea, into The enemy's country
i,seli7 Most assurcdy he did, and il so, wha
violence was inflicted on The Constitution W.
must confess that We ran see none and we
believe that Mr. Clay can see none; bu' he was
forced 10 follow his party in this ASSAULT upon 'hr
administration or be condemned 10 spend The
-, f bic dave NJ ashland The speech o