Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1848-08-26
SPEECH OF Mr.. CLAYTON.
.. .4. OF DELAWARE.
IN DEFENCE OF GEN. TAYLOR

CONCLUDED.
proceed now to answer some of the in
terrogations proposed by the honorable
Senator from Mississippi; and, first, in rela.
ton to the tariff. He asks me whether Gen.
Taylor is in favor Of the Tariff. answer
that Gen. Taylor has expressly declared in
his letter TO Capt. Allison that he will, on
that subject, submit to the will of the Peo-
pie. If they. by their representatives in
Congress choose TO pass a protective tariff
law, he will not veto it. lfthey choose to
retain the free.trade law of 1916 he will
not interfere with il. The Senator asks
what is my position in regard to this ques.
toni answer that am Wing, and, as
true friend of the American tariff of 1912,
and the principles of that tariff, am per.
fectly content with the President of the
United States who will permit the will Of
the representatives of the people and of the
States 10 become the law of the land. The
honorable gentleman referred to a letter of
mine, written in 1916, 10 my friends in Del.
aware, in which l avowed myself to be,
what have always felt proud to declare
myself, friend to the protection Of Ameri.
can industry and the tariff of ls42. 1t was
a letter written, not as he says, for Presi.
dental election, but for State election, and
on the eve oft. shall never abandon il,
but glory in the principle it avows.
The honorable Senator inquired If there
was man on this side of the house who
was in favor of that tariff of 1912! l AM,
and think all on my side of the chamber
concur with me. But do not desire Gen.
Taylor to force any tariff upon the coun.
try by the exercise of Executive power
He is willing, on that great question, TO let
the vote of the people govern; and no man,
be he from the North or from the South who
desire to curb the expression of the people
on this subject, can justly call himself a true
republican.
1t ia because Gen. Taylor, on this as on
other great questions, stands on republican
ground that we desire his election. He &C.
cupies precisely the platform on which Mr..
Jefferson placed himself in the origin of
parties in this country. He is in favor of
strengthening the popular branch of the
Government, and opposed to the augmenta.
ton of Executive power. This was the
great dividing landmark between parties in
1898. But, alas! your modern Democracy
has been driven by its office.holding leaders
10 very different position from that occu-
pied by Mr.. Jefferson. 1t now stands as
the advocate. the prop, and support ofking.
| ly power. Here Mr.. c. addressed himself
to the Democratic side of the Chamber.
You defend all its encroachments. You
spurn the rights of the country and of Con.
gress. You decide that the President shall
put down the will of the people; and you
have nominated a man who stands solemnly
pledged before the Convention by his letter
of acceptance of your nomination, to veto
the will of the people, when expressed thro'
their representatives on all great leading
questions, in any other way than as mere
faction may dictate. By the action of
Convention, which the minority was suf.
fered TO control, and which took only one
night 10 consider all the great questions of
public policy, your candidate is pledged to
10 veto the vote of the people, should even
nine. tenths of them decide upon a repeal
of the tariff of 1916 and re-enactment of
that of 1912!
Now. on this ground, is there any hon.
orable free.trade man who will hesitete to
give his supper. TO General Taylor?-
Every honest Democrat-every native and
every naturalized citizen, can support Gen.
Taylor; and no one can accuse them OF
apostatizing from any political party to
which they may have been at ached. ,as
Wing, can unite with my fellow.ciiizens
of the Democratic party in support of Gen.
Taylor, and all ask of them is to be re.
publican in heart, and allow the will Of the
people to govern; for that is the great prin-
ciple laid down by him in the Allison letter
and il towers infinitely above all other ques.
tions of party ever made in this country
cherish no unkind personal feeling. to.
ward the distinguished gentleman whom
the Democratic Convention nominated. !
have always entertained for him the high.
est regard an account of the excellence
of his private character. But l am now re.
viewing his public acts, not his private life.
l have shown that, instead of occupying re.
publican ground, he stands precisely in the
position maintained by Col. Hamilton and
Mr.. Wilson in the Federal Convention
pledged TO sustain the ultra exercise of Ex-
{ ecutive power, and to veto and put down
the will of the nation on every subject upon
which anirresponsibe convention have had
the effrontery TO dictate their arbitrary
dogmas to the American people. These
men have thus set themselves up above the
Constitution, and usurped the legislative
power they seek to control the appoint
ments of Chief Magistrate, and, like the
Polish Diet, virtually to elect monarchy
to ride and rule an absurd and insulted peo'
Iple.
Which, then, is the Republican party? II
is the great National Party. composed Of
-, IN.