The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-03-18

according to his view, he must be active
and even erecutire, thong to do it, il WEI,
necessary to cover Christians, as in the ag'
Of Nero, with pitch, and cast them into III,
flames. Law, even under such an edict, mus
be executed, and he, though professec
Christian, must himself, especially if it be I
"a peculiarly Of his TASTE be foremost il
the awful deed. Ii is but for legal form
to be assumed, (and whether it be or not, in
the present war. is altogether AN unsettled
question,) and no matter if the nation cover
herself with her great crime, and press TO
the accomplishment Of her purpose over a
broken Constitution, the blood Of her
great dead be shed in vain,' the tears Of
widows and orphans moisten many hearths
made desolate forever, he must be AN active
participation in the tragedy; he must shoulder
his musket, sharpen his bayonet, and act
hercely his part in the great crime, or else
forsooth, he is no longer good citizen !!
At all events, the claims of honorable citi-
zenship are most laudably met by throwing
himself, not by comPulsion, but as rOlun-
teer into the thickest Of fight which to
him has no one feature Of alienation.
This, truly is new view Of citizenship,
as il certainly is OF morals. ID sheds new
light upon our relations as members Of the
community, and subjects Of the government
Of God. But Mr.. Clay will not claim that
a single requirement within the range Of his
citizenship can clothe the first act in the
course that led him as rOlulaeeT into this
war with so much as the first sanction OF
duty. 1t must look elsewhere for its iustif-
cation. He is eloquent in deprecating the
evils and the criminality Of the war, and the
only real justification that he assigns for a
course Of conduct which We venture to say
struck the whole nation and men OF all par
ties with surprise, is. that it suited his tenn
permanent to play the soldier. Strange,
when the wal in which he plays, il produces
the untold sufferings and is mother Of all
the crime that he so graphically describes.
All, Cassius, this taste for battle, this play
ing the soldier, is no good part Of thy other
wise humane, generous, but impulsive ma
ture! But were it not better TO rest thy
main defence on this confession, that thou
lowest or hast loved to play the soldier?'
Ii does not, MIR. Clay may be assured,
suit our temperament to pay taxes for war.
And had We, with others, instead of uni
form and consistent opposition to If, joined
in most active and enlhuiastic endeavOrs 10
raise funds for carrying it forward our case
might then be viewed as somewhat parallel
TO his enlisting as volunteer. But to pay
taIes-none have yet been levied for the
support OF this war,-must be viewed as an
altogether different thing from what IS
gratuity, even in the citizen, We cannot
understand how one like Mr.. e. can as
sumo so much that is ertra to the citizen;
how there can be the all-sacnfcing support
of what he as much as any other man deems
an abomination, except it be that wonderful
peculiarly OF taste which makes it above
all things else grateful in him to play the
soldier, or that false love Of country which
has so fearfully blinded his mental vision.
But we will not doubt-we never have;
either Mr.. Clay's humanity or his patriot
ism I We still believe that he is appoint
ed SO perform an eminent service in that
cause which evidently lies so near his heart
We are willing to overlook and almost for
get the past, Of what is to US a startling in
consistency, while we see him trimming his
lamp, and girding his loins anew in the great
work to which We expect ever hereafter to
see his roble energies given. We hope to
see his former moral hold on the country in
a good degree regained. But We must say
that we rise from the Perusal Of his letter
with a fmer conviction than ever. that
logic, or something that bears its name,
does sometimes play strange freaks with
men,.