Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1847-12-04
BY SPECIAL
SPEECH OF Mr.. CLAY
Al The Mass Meeting at Lexington, Hen
mcky, OF Saturday, Norember IL, 1917.
From the Lexington Observer and Reporter.

After the organization of the meeting
Mr.. Clay rose aud addressed it substantial
) as follows;
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
The day Is dark and gloomy. ~unsettlc
and uncertain, like the condition of GU
country, in regard to the unnatural wa
with Mexico. The public mind i ~agitate
and anxious, and ia filed with serious ap
preheusions as to its indefinite continuance
and especially as to the consequence
which ITS termination mpy bring forth, me
nacing the harmony, If not the existence
Of Our Union.
1t IL under these circumstances, I presen
my-elf before you. No ordinary occasion
would have drawn me from the re'iremen
in which live but, whilst n single pulsa-
ton of the human heart rema ins, it should
If necessary. be dedicated TO tho service o
ones country. And | have hoped that nj
though ! am d private and humble citizen
an expression Of the views and opinions |
entertain, might form some little addition
to the general stock of information, and
afFord a small n .~sistance in delivering NJ
country from the perils and dangers which
surround it..
! have come here with no purpose to at.
tempt to make a fine speech, or any ambiti
Gus oratoa iCal display. | have brought with
me M rhetorical bt1qlets t. throwl nto this
asse mblage. In the circle ofthe year all.
tumn has come, aud the season of flowers
has passed away. In tho progress Of years,
my spring time has gone by, and | too am
in the autumn Of life, and feel the frost oil
age. My desire and aim are to address
you, earnestly, calmly, seriously and plain.
ly, upon the grave and momentous subjects
which have brought Us together And
ain most s0licitous that not a solitary word
may fall from me offensive to any party or
person in the whole extent of the Union.
War, pestilence, and famine, by the
common consent of mankind, are the three
greatest calamities which can befalI our
species; and war, a. the most dircful, Justly
stands foremost and 10 front. Pestilcnce
and famine, no doubt for wiae although in
sctutable purposes, are infections OF Proyi.
dence, t.. (which it Is our duty, therefore, to
bow with obedience, humble submission
and resignation. Their duration is not
long, and their ravages are limi Ell. They
bring, indeed, great affliction whilst they
last, but society SOON RECEIVERS from their
effects. War Is the voluntary work of our
own hands, and whatever repr0aches IT
may deserve should BIO directed 10 our.
selves. When it breaks out, its duration
lie indefinite and unknown-its yicissitudes
are hidden from our view. In the sacrifice
Of human life, and in the waste Of human
treasure, in its losses and In its burdens,
II affects both he ligerent nations and its
sad effects Of mangIed bodies, of death, and
Of dissolution, endure long sfer its thunderu
are hnshcd in peace. War unhinges soci.
ETY., dIsturbs its peaceful and regular indus.
try, and scatters poisonous seeds of disease
and immortality, which continue to GERM.
nate and difTitse their banefuI Influence long
after it has ceased, Dazzling by its glitter,
pomp and pageantry, il begets a spirit of
wild adventure and romantic enterprise,
and often disquali6es those who embark in
it, after their return from the bloody fields
of battle, from engaging in the industrious
and peaceful vocations of life.
We are informed by a statement which
Is apparently correct, hat the number of
our conntrymen slain in this lamrntable
Mexican war, although it has yet been of
only l8 months, existence, is equal to one
halfofthe whole ofthe American loss during
thu seven years war of the revolution ! And
| venture to assert that the expenditure of
treasure which it has occasioned, when It
shall come to be fairly ascertained and foot.
ed up, will be found to be more than half
ofthe pecuniary cost Of the war of our in.
dependence. And this is the condition of
the party whose arms have been every
where ard constantly victoriousi
How'd we unhappily get involved in
this wal 7 It was predicted as the conse.
quence ofthe annexation of Texas to the
United States. IF we had not Texas, we
should have no war. The people were
told fhat if that event haf pened, wal would
ensue. They were told that the wal be-
tween Texas and Mexico had not been
terminated by a treaty ofpeace ; that Mex.
leo still claimed Texas az a reyolted prov.
ince, and that, if we received Texas in our
Union, we took along with her the war
existing between her and Mexico. And
the Minister of Mexico formally announced
to the Government at Washington, that his
nation would consider the annexation of
Texas to the United States as producing n
state Of war. But all this was denied by
the p~artizans Of annexation. They insist
ed we should have no war, ard ever imput.
ed 10 those who foretold it sinister motives
for their g%roundless prediction.
But, notwithstanding a state of virtual
var necessarily resulting from the fact of
annexation of one of the belligerents to the
United States, actual hostiIities might have
been probably averted by prudence mod
Grafton, and wise craftsmanship. IfGen.
Taylor had been permitted to remain,
where his own good sense prompted him to
believe be ought to remain, at the point of
Corpus Christi; and, If "a negotiation had
been opened with Mexico in a true spirit
of amity and Cancellation, war possibly
might have been prevented. But, instead
of this pacific and moderate course, whilst
Mr.. Slidell was bending his way to Mexico
with his diplomatic credentials, Gen. Tay.
lor was ordered TO transport his cannon,
and to plant them in a wartike attitude,
opposite Matamoros, on the Fast bank of
the Rio Bravo, within the very disputed
territory, the adjustment of which was to
be the object of Mr. SlidelPs mission.
What else could have transpired but a COLI
hict ofarns? @
Thus the war commenced, and the Pre-
after having prodnred it. annaaiad tn