New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-11-25
Mr.. CIny mud Familiarity.


That Mr. Clay's Speech is right in allits main
features, we can hardly find any one who denies
and we think nine tentbs of the reading and re.
flectng portions Of this community consider it not
merely Just and patriotic but timely necessary and
admirabe--calculated TO do vast good to the Coun-
try and no harm to Mr. Clay. Now and then we
meet crosker however, who turns a short corner
with bm The Speech is very good very sensi'
bic, very iorcible. very statesmanlike Int 1t kills
Mr. Clays chance Of ever being President. lli
there are ten personi who talk after this fashion,
RELY on it that at least nine Of them perfectly
sure n month ago that Mr. Clay had then no chance
10 be presdent--it would be madness 10 nominate
nim--rnust take up Taylor Scott or some such -
Now. while they admit that Mr.. Clay has done the
Conn,rv n fresh and signal seryice-has laid her
under increased and weigbty obligations TO honor
and confde in him-they say he has rendered 1t
that the service should ever be requited
q, eveu acknowledged. Let think Of this little.
\ Are the People Of this Country absolute
beasts Havcthey neither the sense toknow what
their true interests dictate nor the principle to re
sst any show Of temptation to aggrandize them
selyes az the expense OF their neghbors Such is
the substance OF tho Expediency affirmation We
the wise know that Territorial acquisition is not
desirable and that the territoryof Mexico adjacent
TO ours is worse than worthless but the stupid,
Ignorant mob don't know anything of the sort, and
swiT yell for plumber and curse Mr. Clay for balk
ing their appetite Such is the drit OF the Policy
assumption.
We don't believe in it, That there are greedy
coyetous, unprincped persons here as elsewhere
IA. u1 yloot an GnnuuaSf-
who forget that God rules and believe that dexte
rious. highhanded Wrong may be successiul-we
never doubted Our Police records and Prisons
conclusively attest IT, But these are a minority
only; they are not the People II the yirtuous,
the lust. the uncovetous will fold their arms and
let the other sort have everything their own way,
and carry the driitwood along with them, it will Of
course appear as il the majority were intent ON
guns and glory thunder and slaughter But let
those who are for pesce and Msgnanimity speak
out az they ought and it will very soon appear that
the War halloo is very far from expressing the pre-
vaing sentiment OF the People.
That those who were predetermined to condemn
whatever Mr.. Clay should propose, or TO damn
with faint praise and hesitate dislike, would inn
prove the present opportunity, was to be expected.
That those who had resolved that he should never
again be proposed for President should whisper
around that he has killed himself by this Speech,
il Just as natural-a part OF the game. But that
Mr.. Clay will by bis oountrymen generally be
more beloved, more contded in, more esteemed,
because Of that Speech we have no shadow OF
doubt Whom they will select for President We
leave them to say in their own time and manner
but that Mr. Clay 10 stronger to day because Of that
Speech aud would be far available If you
like that term candidate for President because
of il, we have no manner OF doubt he could not
and never would consent to DO elected by any
Kane letter swindle; and, since he must take
ground s0mewAers, there was other half SO
good a. that which exhibited him in thorough and
hearty communion of sentiment and purpose with
the great mass Of the Wing party, and Of the
sober. intelligent rejecting class from which his
main support In any case must come.
Popularity OF the desirable sort comes not to those
who run after it, II is no paradox to say that men
become truly popular by daring to be unpopular
by doing what conflicts with the popular cry Of the
instant, but which events soon show to have been
right Here ia Martin Van Buren,. who all bis
public life was lighting for popularity and cautious.
" stunning minorities, yet who never made him.
sell popular at all The Senate gave him a bft
toward the goal OF his ambition by rejecting him M
Minister to England. but he did nothing for himself
Mr. Clay. on the other hand. has Tor years had the
mass of those sssins, him who have no clear rea.
son for being one way or the other, aud has been
accounted an unpopular man. Bat let the two
ahght unexpectedly in any backwcods village Of
VI the Coanty-we care not II IA Texas-and II,
would very soon be seen thar the more popular Is
not him who was excessively chosen Vice Presi-
dent aud then President, but he who was thrice
defeated-twice by third parties and Irrelevant
Issues when he would have beaten any ons man
who coald have been pitted against him. His
vsrisst enemies respect and admire him-many
whom Party discipline constrained " vote sgsin,t
him last time deeply regretted his defeat when
psaDced, and must have more profoundly deplored
IL since. Why, then, should We assume that the
County u not nov prepared to do Justice TO
Henry Clay