Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-05-01
THE CLAY CONTEMPLATION.

never received the authorized or any other satsfac.
tory account Of the Public Entertainment lately held
at New Y rk in honor of the Birthday Of HENRY
CLAY, nor any paper containing the letters read
upon the occasion from absent invited guests We
have, however, casually fallen upon one of those
letters, which, as II is from eminent citizen of a
neighborng State, wherein this paper has a wide
circulation, we think it due to him and to our read
ers to place in our columns
/ BALTIMORE, APRIL s, ls47
GENTLEMEN Your invitation in behalf of the Young Me1
Of the city Of New York to the festival with which they pro-
pose to celebrate the birthday Henry CLAY nave Jecev
ed with unmxed pleasure, and hasten TO say that if
possibly attend it shall fail to do My professional
engagements however, may prevent me- though they shall
not II can with any proprlety postpone them
me man whom you are about TO honor must stand, if
possible even higher IN the confidence and affections of the
American people than at any other period in his great and pa
tohc career Who does feel who does not know that
the blood spng in foreign would have been saved
counses had ruled the nation and saved only
without dshonor, but by placing the country position
Is sfnitsly evaied than it nov occspes
Our present condition, amenable is in many respects
49, u is true, almost lost sight of in the splendor Of our military
tiunphs and the pride with which they fill every American
heart The fame Of the nation has alone been saved from
the bunders and injustice of the Administration by the
summate skill and matchess galantry of TAYLOR and his
officers and men, The victories he and they have have
rescued-nothing else could have escued-the President
and his advisers from load of responsibility and disgrace
that mere miserable party tactics would in have enabled
them to Withstand. And for these what credit is due to
hem Let that master stroke-hat matcless piece of d.
,lomacy, "THE SANTA ANNA BEING PERMITTED
MEXIco at the instance and by the orders
IF Mr. President Polk, give the Let the disgusting
he degrading attempts during the last of Congress
Hast the fame OF sanctioned prompted by the
den give the Let the unparalleled and perseyerne
dots Of the President to wound him in point where the
oldiers honor ever, and JUSTLY sensve-hs rank
live the answer The day must come, rapidly coming,
when the voice OF millions will proclaim the distinction between
tie and its authors, and its Objects and the
sre Of the achievements of those who have carried ao
AID triumphant upon every battlefield the glorious flag our
country.
ind gentlemen intelligent and patriotic citizen be
found who will not admit that if HENRr CLAY had been
thu head of the naton the wagng much expense
and of blood would have been obviated or unor-
ulaey forced upon would have been conducted
haze terminated this in honorable and permanent,
4 peace
statesman whose whole life in the of his country
proved him emnenty conversant with its true interest and
honor and to possess reaching sagacty which enabled
hin to be almost prophetic in his predictions, was in
Of popular and unaccounabe deusion put aside wheI
his great and admitted abilities could have been brought Il
preside and citizen selected who had never been
tested in any emergency, and whose capacity for the high,
duous and all important station of President of the United
States no man, intelligent or otherwise, but few months
preceding the election, conceived Of in dream
How sadly paying in its consequences for this act
objectionable folly unblushingly carried for
quest grief agoAzing grief substituted for JOY and happl
around many and many homestead public morals sad
ly suffering from the temptations which beset them i'm
national debt contracted and yet enlagng and Exc
cuve patronage such height that corruption cannot bu
ensue
The lcsson however grevious it is may not, cannot
without good and lasting results will at least teach
that high and tried order Of intellect and patriotism is needle
the pure sa and prosperous of the Execu
tive functions of the Government Great power dan
gerou when not executed by great talents and great integrity
Under such control Executive bring countless blessing
upon the nation under other CONTROL nothing but accden
can save II from calamity.
Should therefore be deprived of the qualification of per
sona presence at your festival you will oblge by oern
| in my name this sentiment:
The Presidency of the United States Experience is teach
ing US that only be safely entrusted the highest
der Of intellect combined with welltried and perfect pa
trotism."
With regard, your obedent servant
REvERDY JOHNSON.
Messrs. VI. l.. Davis J. p. Phoenix, T. E. Tomlnson N
r. Lawrence, Committee, &c. New York.
just as we were putting into the compositor's
hands the above letter, we met with Letter from
Mr. CLAY himself to citizen Of New York, under
date of April 8 the following extract from which re
markably corroborates the impression of Mr. JOHN
SON that if his connscls had "ruled the nation the
blood now spilling in foreign war would have
been saved
"You express your regret on account Of the unexpected
issue Of the last Presidential election ought TO feel non.
for myself personally Beside being relieved from vast re
sponsb, it furnished the occasion of the exhibition Of ties
mona and the outpourng Of affection from the hearts Of my
friends and countymen, of which had previous concep
ton that could be the honored object Their
and dneresed manifestations are worth far more than III,
Presidency itself
"For common country do regret the issue Of the con-
test Had been otherwise, should have preserved the
protective policy under which had made such rapid and
encouraging advances the march of improvement
and harbors would have been and above all
should hare auoded this unnecessary Of aggression ,c
neghbor torn 10 pieces By internal dissenos The bril-
liant achievements and the glorious aurels acquired during its
prosecution, gratifying they to national pride and
character, compensate for The ercept0nac
in pheh begun, The brare and patriotic Tires hich
hare BEEN sacrificed and the fearfui issues which ItemJ
IA contemplating, may grow 0u n its termination. But
have heart dwell this painful theme turn
from il with hope and dutul submission to Him. whose
doubt wise but nscutabe dspensaton has permitted this
fu calamity to visit our beloved country"
COSNEcTlcuT ELEcrIoS.-Th Hartford Courant of FRI
day publishes the official of the votes cast at the late
election Owing TO nfomaty in the returns, only the Gov
and Treasurer o the State officers appear be cho
by the People II the had been correctly returned,
all the Wing candidates would have maotes OF from three
to six hundred The mostly mistakes in the trans
fes Of the poll lists such putting down 27 votes for Chas
McCurdy instead Of Charles j. McCudy &c The vote for
GOrvnT is follows
No.