Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-11-27
WASHINGTON.
Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and
inseparable."
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER ~, ls47.
THE SPEECH OF Mr.. CLAY.

We have to-day the pleasure of laying before
our readers report of the late Address to his fell
low-ctzens by that ardent patriot and true Ameri-
can statesman, HENRY CLAY. In reading it, we
seemed to hear that old familiar voice, among the
first of which ever heard the echo in the Halls OF
Congress; voice that never spoke but in harmo-
ny with love OF country, with truth and justice, with
the principles of Civil Liberty, and with reverence
Pto the Constitution by which those principles are
guaranteed and protected. In all these characters
tics, that voice, powerful and so fearless in days
gone by, remains unchanged and now, ever,
counsels his countrymen to the ways of wisdom
and the paths of peace and honor.
To those readers of ours who have borne with
our opinions concerning this Mexican War, some
OF them even when our convictions ran ahead of
theirs, we need not say that there is not senti-
ment in the Speech of Mr.. CLAY which is not in
full accord with those which we have ourselves at
different times expressed. His views of the Con-
stitutiona powers of Congress over War, in what
ever stage of it, and of the duties which result from
those powers, though no more than he must have
been expected to utter when the occasion suited,
are in our opinion particularly just and ought to
have their due influence wherever the Constitution
is yet even ostensibly respected
The Union" speaking Of the Speech, of which
it had seen the report, characterizes the following
as a gross and unfortunate error
But instead of this pacific and moderate course whilst
Mr.. Slide vending his way Mexico with his dplo-
matte credentials General Taylor ordered to transport
his cannon, and to plant them, in warlke attitude op
poste to Matamoros the east bank Of the Rio Bravo
within the very disputed territory the adjustment of which
was to be the object of Mr.. Slidel's mission
But the error is on the part of the I" Union,' and
not of Mr.. CLAY. Mr.. Slidell must have been con-
sidered as on his way to Mexico Nth his diploma
tic credentials, SO long as it was uncertain whether
or not he would be received by Mexico in his d.
plomatc capacity. The order to General TAYLOR
to transplant his command to the Rio Grande was
given before any information was received here of
the result of Mr.. SLIDELLs application to be so re-
ceived Without waiting for the decision Of the
Mexican Government on the question of receiving
Mr.. Slidell, Whilst that question oas depending,
and the Mexican Government imploring for time
that is to say, more than tUo months before Mr..
ShdeH demanded his passports from the Mexican
Recommendation. TAYLOR was ordered to march
the army under his command to the Rio Grande,
and simultaneously strong naval force was order
ed to be assembled in the Gulf of Mexico. 1t was
not until the 18th of April, full three months after
the order issued to Gen. TAYLOR, and twenty
days after he began his march, that it was known
here lin this city, that Mr.. SLIDELL had finally
been refused to be received.
Nay, the file of the /" Union " itself conclusively
exposes its otcn blunder in this matter The order
to Gen. TAYLOR was, as we have said, issued on
the 18th of January. In the Union of February
10, the Editor informed his readers not only that
Mr.. Slidel had not been rejected, but that he had
been received with much courtesy, and welcomed
in the society of the metropolis an elegant and
accomplished gentleman. He had not yet been
received by the Government in an official capaci-
ty; NEITHER HAD THEY DECLINED HIS RECEPTION"