The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-09-19

GREELEY on THE CLAY MOVEMENT AND
THIRD PARTY OPERATIoNs.-The editor OF
the New York I 1ibune, who has recently re-
turned to his post, has the following notice Of
the late abortive attempt to nominate Mr.. Clay
for President, and the duties of electors gen.
orally:
1t would be most unjust to Mr.. Clay to
place him in the position, most reFugnant to
him and an inglorious close to bis illustrious
career, of the candidate Of a mere factlon-to
make him figure in the official returns, and
transmit him to posterity as solicitor OF votes
after the mass Of voters had left him-running
behind such candidates as are in the field, E.
ven in states where he has repeatedly run a.
head of such men as Adams, Crawford and
Jackson. The fact that he was supported as
a candidate would make its way to millions
who would never hear how and when he be-
came such, and that his own wishes and feel
ings had been utterly disregarded in the prem
ises. Whatever he or others might say, there
would be thousands mean enough to suppose
that he was really candidate with his own
consent, if not at his own suggestion. No one
can be entitled to subject him to such imputa-
ton.
Mature and dispassionate reflection has but
strengthened our conviction of the soundness
of the positions we maintained in 1874 with
reference to the Birney operations ofthat per-
iod We regard the right of suffrage as a SOL
emn trust to be exercised for the public good,
and of course to be exercised in such man
ner that good may be done. Every elector is
morally bound to do whatever may be fairly
within his power to procure the nomination of
an unexceptionable candidate for President,
under auspices which will insure him chance
of success, and he is farther bound TO vote for
that Que among the candidates who have such
a chance, by whose election, in his deliberate
Judgment, the greatest good can be secured
and the most evil prevented.
Itcan very rarely happen that the very one
among twenty millions whom a majority of the
people would prefer to all others can be can
didate still rarer must be the occasion in
which any candidate can be found whose opin-
ions on every important topic will accord pre-
cisely with those of majority of the people.
Many voters must often be called on to make
what is very improperly termed g. choice be-
tween two evils"-that is, they must secure a
part of the good they desire to see effected by
the postponement of other objects which also
appear to them desirable. Since we are not
likely to have angels to rule over US Cat Wash
ington), we are obliged to take men, and we
cannot always have the best even of these
We must endeavor to elect the best we can.
The right of suffrage is not weapon, to be
used as spite, or spleen, or caprice shall die
tate, but a means of promoting the general
welfare. We have seen the opposite theory
run into the ground by the Liberty party COM
mencing with the reputation of all out impos-
sible candidates, and ending with an utter dis
ruption even with regard to such candidates.
1t is not wonderful that large portion of the
Abolitionists have arrived at the conclusion
that the true course is not TO vote at all. But
for conscientious men to do this, is virtually to
surrender the government to the unchecked
control of the venal, the vicious, and the self
seeking. We cannot regard this as the course
dictated by lofty integrity or enlightened pa
triotism.