Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-11-12


party, with Henry Clay a! lis head
They leave no doubt upon our mird OF The
truth Of what we have commended iron the iirst,
that Henry Clay is TO be the Wing candidate in
ls45-and thai General Taylor must avow his
poilica sentiments, and submit 10 Wing Ma
lional Convention, before he can receive The
support of the Wing party. The recent an
nouncement in the same Lexington Observer,
that Mr.. Clay would address public meeting
mex, Saturday, and offer resolutions on The Next
can War, &c, shows that he is about TO take the
field. His friends may find il necessary by this
means 10 counleract the Taylor movements in
Kentucky, and keep that State in The Wing
traces. "It is very pretty quarrel as it stands"
between the TAILOR "no-pary" Wings and the
full.blooded Wings. Some rich Developments
may be looked for soon in the Wing camp, OF
which we shall keep The Democracy advised:
From tic Le1ington, (Ky.) O6serrer.
We transfer 10 our columns Today an article
from The Nashville Wing Of The 2Isl insi head
ed "Posilions OF Gen. Taylor and Mr.. Clay with
regard to the Presidency" on which we feel our
selves called upon to make some observations
w
parison oil the CONDITIONS oil those two gentlemen
should have been instituted, and we deprecale all
discussion among their friends as 10 their respec-
live merits, prospects, and prclcnsions We be-
leve lhailhe tTie' ds OF The one, generally are The
friends Of tie other; and we should tcplore, as
most unfortunate, any collisions among Them
The respectable editor Of The Nashville Wing
has endeavo,ed TO prove, first, that The conditions
OF Gen. Taylor now, and Of Gen. Washington
when he was first elected 10 the presidency, are
exactly analogous and, secondly, upon he ground
of declarations attributed 10 Mr. Clay, that he
canno, possibly become candidate Tor The Presi-
DENTAL office. Whether there is any similarity
in The situation of Gen. Taylor and that Of Gen.
Washington, must depend upon The fact of The
stale OF The country at the time that General
Washington was frs, elected President and its
present STATE. Al that time, there were no par
lies existing in the country as 10 The policy which
should govern The administration OF the general
government. The nation was not divided into
Two great parties upon the questions OF The pro-
teciive policy, Of The improvement OF rivers AMI
harbors, of the sub.Ireasury, OF having the
same currency for The people and the gov
eminent, OF The Mexican war, and oil The
other questions which now separate hem.-
Then, the only parties were The federal and The
anti.federal--those who were Tor, and those who
were against the adoption OF the federal consiiiu
lion. Parties did not arse, as TO The manner in
which the instrument itself should be admins.
tered, until during The first, and more particular
" during The second, term Of Gen. Washinglons
administration. There was, therefore, no occa-
sion ior Gen. Washington, prior 10 his entering
into office, To be incrrogaled, or TO commit him.
self, as 10 any particular measure Of policy which
the government, when put into operation, might
adopt There had been no general discussion or
agitation among The people as 10 any such mea-
sure. All was blank leat 10 be hled up by
the policy which the government insight subse-
ouenlly establish. Now, the case is loally dill
terenl; The whole nation has been divided more
than twenty years into two great parties, as 10
leading measures Of great national policy. And
if the yeneraled Washington himself were now
10 arise from the dead, We are not sure that he
could be elected President, without some salts
factory knowledge oil his real opinions as 10 tncse
measures.
We think that the Nashville Wing misin.er-
prets The extracts from The letters Of Gen. Wash
ington which il has quoted. We believe that
when he says that, il lie goes into office, The will
60 untellered by promises she will go 10
The chair under no pre-sngagemenl OF any kind
or nature whatsoever" and that nc had deIer-
mined 10 go free from all positive engagements
OF every nature whatsoevcI"-that he meant that
he would enter Office free from any pledge or pro-
mise in relation 10 appointments or preierments
10 Office How could he have referred 10 public
measures, when there had been no discussion or
division among the people as TO any such mea-
sures If he did intend 10 allude 10 public mea.
surcs, he must have meant that he would not CON-
nit himself TO in1iviinals with regard IN them,
and not that he would not commit himself 10 the
nation, if he had been called upon BY that 10 dis.
close his opinions.
Tbs f s NEVER W yaan n, css Is
candidate for the chief masisracy unless called
10 thai high Office by The reclamation Of all par
lies. The proof OF this position is derived from
TWO articles in highly respectable newspapers
MIR. CLAWS own hand. And although we have
perfect confidence in The fair intentions Of The re-
spec,vc editors CT those two articles, VIC are dis
| posed 10 believe that stronger and more forciblc
language has been attributed 10 Mr.. Clay, by M is
take, than he ever employed. We cannot think
that Mr.. Clay ever said, in terms that he would
not consent TO be candidate for The chiel masis.
tracy unless called 10 The high office by "the ge-
neral reclamation of all parties" II that had
been his determination, he would have al once
announced lhalin no contingency whatever would
he ever consent 10 The use Of his name again as
candidate For Mr.. Clay is too COED judge
OF human nature and Of parties TO suppose that
| either he or any other living man will he ever
called 10 The presidency BY The reclamation Of all
parties. Yei, we believe that Mr.. Clay has no
expectation, nor, personally, any desire TO be
candidate, and thar, if he ever yielded his consent
10 having bis name again brought forward, il
would be- under conditions that would extor from
| all candid men The conviction that il was mat
Ter OF duly on bis part 10 assent 10 such use Of
his name.
We think il much easier 10 prove that General
Taylor never can consent 10 The use OF his name
as candidate for the presidency than, as the
Wing has attempted 10 prove, that MIR. Clay ne
yer can be candidate And the proof a, 10 Gen.
Taylor rests upon what he has said in his own
language, over his own signature, and not, as in
the case Of Mr.. CLAY. upon purposes and in,en-
lions attributed 10 him by others. Thus, he says
in one of tile letters quoted b. The Wing: at
ever fill that high office, il must be unrammelled
with party obligation or interests Of any kind"
Again, in another, he says: "Should ever oc-
cupy The White House, il mus be by The spoHta-
neous move Of The people," In third letter, he
says: II will not be the candidate OF any parry or
clique" And in the last letter he repea The de
claration that he will moi b. TIE candidate of
parry. We ask The Wing in all candor. if il be-
lieyes that The conditions which Gen. Taylor has
himself prescribed do exist, or are likely TO exis2
Does he think that there will be any spontaneous
movement OF the whole people OF the U. States 10
elect him Does he believe that both parties, or
the great body Of both parties, will unite in his
election Is he mol perfectly sure that The other
party will have its own candida,e2 Is he not
equally sure that il Gen. Taylor becomes can
diGate, he must he by The nomination OF The Wing
patty? And if he has only the nomination OF
that party, how can he accept ii, after his decla-
ration 'thal will not be the candidate OF any
parry or clique2"
We can assure our friends of The Wing, that,
although some months ago, there were few Of
The other party in this region who manifested
disposition to support Gen. Taylor, they have dis
appeared, mol even waiting, like birds Of passage,
for the happening OF the first white frost. If any
slrangers are now to be seen, they are like angels
visits, few and far between; they have returned
TO their former positions in their own party. We
DO most conscientiousy believe thai, il MIR. Clay
were 10 become candidate for the presidency, he
would receive greater amount Of support from