Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-12-03
Henry Claws Great Speech at Lcxingicu
UPCN TnE roLITIcs oF TnE corNTRY,

Resolutions there Offered by him annexed
After tho organization or The meeting. Mr..
Clay rose and addressed il substantially as rol.
lows-elici'irg the livcIicst applause:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
The day is dark aud gloomy, unsettled and un.
certain, like the condition Of our country, in re-
gard To the unnatural war with Mexico. The
public mind is agi,aled aud anxious, aud is filed
with serious apprthrnsions as 10 its indefinite
continuance, aud especially as TO the consequrn.
ces which iIs termination may bring forth. mena.
cling the harmony, if not the existence, Of oui
Union.
It's under these circumstances, present my,
self before you. No ordinary occasion would
have drawn me from the retirement in which
live; but, whilst single pulSaon of the human
heart remains lIShoui, Unnecessary, b. dadicu,
ted lothe service Of ones country. And have
hoped that, though | avn a private and humble
citizen, an expression Of tha views and opiuinus
entertain, might form some liule addition 10 ,b-
general stock ormlorma'iuu. and afford small
assistance IN d'iyrrirg our country from the per-
| lis and dangers which surround il.
! lhave come hra with no purpose 10 artem2
TO make fine speech, or any ambitious oraurica
display. ! have brought with me no rhetorical
boqucrs 10 throw into this ussemblagc. In The
circle oflha year, auumn.haS come. and tn sea.
son of flowers has passed away. In the pronr.s,
| oCy ara, my spring Time gone by, and too am
| in IhG autumn of lite, and feel The frost rur..
! My desire and aim are to address YOU, earnestly
calmly. seriously aud plaiuIy,upon the graveand
momentous subjects which have brought "a 10.
gehar. And am most soliciluuS than not a sol.
ilary word may fail from me, offensive 10 any
parry or person in the whole extent 0 THE Union.
! War, pestIleuce and famine, by the common
consent Of mankind the three greatest caIam.
irics which can brla ourspccips; andwar. as the
most direiul Justly stands foremost and in front.
PeStilpnce and famine. no doubl IorwiSp, alrbouuh
inscrulabe purposes, areinaicliQps ofProyidence,
to which il is our dury, therefore, TO bow with
obedience, humble submission and resignation.
Their duration is not long, and their ravag.s ar.
limited. They bring, indeed, great aillIction
whilst they last, but society soon RECEIVERS from
their effects. War is the voluntary work of our
own hands, and whatever rcproachcs it NAV de.
serve should be directed to ourselves. When !,
breaks out, its duration is indefinite and un.
KNOWN vicisSIiudes are hidden from our
view. In the sacrifice ofhuman life, and IN the
waste OF human treasure, in lis losses aud in lis
burthens, il affects both beig'ren nations; and
its SAD effects of mangled bodies, of death, and oil
dcsoaon, endure long after its thupders are
hushed in peace. War unhngos society, dis.
mrbs is peace(u! and regular industry, and scat
ters poisonous seeds Of disease and immortality.
which continue to garminare and dinuse their
bancru influence long after it has ceased. Daz.
zIing by its glhcr, pomp and pageantry, it be-.
gets spirit ofwd adventure and romantic enter.
prize, aud often dislua'ifes those who embark in
it, after their return from the bloody fields Of bat
lie, from engaging in the industrious and peace
lul vocations OIiIe.
We are informed by a statement which is ap.
parenhy correct, that The number our country.
men slain in this Iampntabe Mexican war, al
though it has yet been of only 10 months exs.
tence. is equal to one half Of the whole of the
American loss during the seven years war of the
Revolution! And venture 10 assert thai the ex.
penditure of treasure which it has occasnned,
when it shall come TO be fairly asccrtancd and
footed up, will be found to be more than half Of
the pccuniary cost Of the war of our independ-
enco. And this is the condition of the party
whose arms have been every where and con-
Slantly victorious!
How did weunhOPpilygrt involved in this war!
1t was predicted as the consequence of the an
nexalion of Texas to the UnitcdSlales five had
not Texas we should have no war. The people
were told that if that event happened, war would
ensue. They were told that the war between
Texas and Mexico had not been terminated by
treaty Of peace; thai Mexico still claimed Texas
as revolled province; and that. if we received
Texas into 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 10 the Uniled
States as producing a state OF war. But all his
was denied by theparrzans Of annexation. They
insisted we should have no war, and even mpu-
ted to those who foretold it, sinister motives for
their groundless prediction.
But. notwithstanding state Of virtual war re-
cessarily resulted from the fact Of annexation Of
one of the belligcrents 10 the Uniled States, actu-
al hostlIites might have been probably averIed by
moderation and wise craftsmanship. III
General Taylor had been permitted to remain,
where his own good sense prompted him to be-
eve he ought 10 remain, at the point Of Corpus
Christi; and, if negotiation had been opened with
Mexico, in true splrl of amity and cancellation,
war possibly might have been prevented. But, in
stead of this pacific and moderate course, whilst !
Mr.. Sidell was bending his way to Mexico with
ais diplomatic credentials, General Taylor was
ordered TO transport his cannon, and to plant
hem, in a war like attitude, opposite to Maromo
as, OH the cast bank of the Rio Bravo, within
he very disputed territory, the adjustment of
which was 10 be the object oil Mr.. SIidclI's mis-
sion, What else could have transpircd but
conflict of arms
Thus the war commenced, and the President,
lier having produced it, appealed TO Congress.
\ bill was proposed to raise 10000 volunteers,
md in order 10 commit all who should vote for it,
preamble was inserted falsely auriburing the
Of the war to the act of Mexico.
have no doubt of the patriotic motives of those
Who, after struggling to divest the bill Of that fla
frunt error fnund themselves constrained 10 vote