Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1850-02-16
L y 4 r. ACT
From the Speech OF Henry Clay ON Com
promising the Slavery QuesfiOn---Deliy-
cred I'm the u. S. Senate, February 5 and
q, 1850.

cred i'm the u, s. Senate, February ; and
T., 1850.
Sir, this Union is threatened with subyersion.
want Mr.. President, to ia ke very ra pid glance
at the course OF public measures in this Union
presently. | want, however before do that.
TO ask the Senate to look back upon the career
winch this country has run since the adoption
OF thus constitution down to the present day
( Was there ever nation upon which the sun of
Heaven has shOne that exhibited 80 much of
! prosperity At the commencement Of this
/ government our population amounted to about
/ four millions; 1t has now reached upwards of
twenty millions. Our territory was limited
/ chiefly and principally to the border upon the
/ Atlantic ocean and that which includes the
southern shores Of the interior lakes of our
country. Our country now extends from the
I northern provinces Of Great Britain to the Rio
GrPnde aBd the Gulf Of Mexico, on the one
SIDE, and from The Atlantic ocean to the Pacific
on the other slde-the largest extent Of terri.
Tory under any government that exists on the
race 0f the earth, with only two solitary ex-
{ cePtions. Our tonnage, from being nothing
/ has risen IN magnitude and amount SO AZ to
I rival that OF the nation who has been proudly
I characterized 'the mistress of the ocean
( We have gone through many wars-wars too
with the very nation from whom we broke off
/ IN I1IO, as weak anG feeble colonies, and assert
ed our independence as member of the family
OF nations. And, sir, we came out Of that
struggle, unequal as it Was-armed as she was
at all points, IN consequence of Just having come
out OF her long struggles with other European
nations, and unarmed as we were at all points,
IN consequence of the habits and nature of our
country and Its nstitutions-we came, say.
oat OF thet war without any loss of honor What
--ysra paI -
In every Indian war-and we have been en-
gagged IN many OF them-our armies have tri-
uinphed and without speaking at all as to the
causes of the recent war with Mexico, whether
1t was right or WRONG, and abstaning from any
expression of opinion as to the justice or pro-
prIety Of the war, when once commenced all
must admit that, with respect to the gallantry
OF our armies, the glory Of our triumphs, there
Is no page or pages OF history which records
more brilliant successes. With respect to one
commander of an important portion of our army
need say nothing here; no praise Is necessary
IN behalf Of one who has been elevated by the
voice OF his country to the highest station she
could pace him III, mainly on account of his
glorious military career. And of another, less
fortunate IN many respects than some other
military commanders, must take the opportu-
nlty OF saying, that Tor skill, for science, for
strategy, Tor ability and daring fighting, for
chIvaIry of individuals and of masses, that Dor
ton OF the American army which was conducted
by the gallant Scott as the chief commander, !
stands unrivalled either by the deeds of Cortez
himself, or by those of any other commander
IN ancient or modern times.
Sir, our prosperity is unbounded nay Mr.
President, sometimes fear that il is in wan
tonnes OF that prosperity that many of the
threatening ills Of the moment have arisen.-
Wild and crratic schemes have sprung up
thronghou; the whole country, some of which
have even found their way into legislative halls;
and there is a restlessness existing among US
which | fear will require the chastsement of
Heaven to bring US back to sense of the I'M
measurable benefits and blessings which have
been bestowed upon US by Providence AT this
rnoment-wlth the exception of here and there
particular department in the manufacturing
business of the country-aIl is prosperity and
peace, and the nation is rich and powerful. Our
country has grown to a magnitude, 10 power
and greatness s-ch as to command the respect,
ltlt does CotaWe the apprehensions of the powers
Of the earth with whom we come in contact
SIR, do depict with coors too lively the pros |
perlty which has resulted 10 us from the opera !
tons Of this Union! Have exaggerated in |
any particular her power, her prosperity, or her |
greatness And ROW, sir, let me 90 little into !
delal! with respect 10 sway in the councils OF |
the nation, whether from the North or the South, |
during the SIXTY years of unparalleled prosperity I
that we have enjoyed. During the first twelve /
years Of the administration of the government |
northern counseIs rather prevailed; and out Of /
them sprang the Bank of the United States. the /
assumption Of the state debts bounties to the t
fisheries, production 10 our domestic manufac-
lures. ailude to the act OF l7S9 neutrality
IN the wars Of Europe, Jays treaty, the alien
aud sedItlon laws and war with France. do
not say, sir, that these, the leading and promI-
nen' measures which were adopted during the
administrations Of Washington and the elder
Adams, were carried exclusively by northern
counse!s-they could not have teen-but mainly
by the ascendencY which northern counseis had
obtained in the affairs OF the nation So, sill. of
the later perlod-tor the last fifty years.
DO not mean to say that Southern counsels
alone have carried the measures which am
about to euumcrate. / know they could not
exclusively hlve carried them, but say they
have been carried by their preponderIng in
taence, with the cooperation, it is true-the
.sf9e cooperation in some instances-uf the
.0rthern section Of the Gnion And what are
those measures! During the fifty years, or
nearly that period, in which southern counsels +.
have Preponderated, the embargo and other
commercial restrictions of non-intercourse and I
were imposed; war with Great
Britain, the Bank of the United States over
thrown, protection enlarged and extended to
domestic manufactures | allude TO the pas
sage OF the act of 1915 or 1916, the Bank Of the |
United States re-established, the same Bank /
put down, re-established by southern counsels |
and put down by southern counsels, Louisiana |
acquired, Florida bought, Texas annexed, war
with Mexico, California and other territories /
acquired from Mexico by conquest and pur-
chase, protection superseded, and free.trade |
established, Indians removed west of the Mis- |
sIsslppi, and fifteen new States admitted into
the Union. 1t is very possible, sir, that in this
enumeration | may have omitted some of the
Important measures which have been adopted
dmrimn this lnlicr nerind nf IIlnn-lh, Ia. 6llu