Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1850-08-15
THE TIMES
HENRY CLAY'S SPEECH.
THE COMPROMISE BILL.

The Washington papers contain a
full report of the last great speech of
HENRY CLAY, delivered in favor of his
Compromise bill. The conclusion is as
follows:
The responsibility of this great meas.
ure passes from the hands of the Com.
mittee, and from my hands. They
knew, and know, that it is a tremen.
dous responsibility. hope that you
will meet it with ust conception, and
true appreciation of its magnitude,
and the magnitude of consequences
which may ensue from your decision
one way or the other. The alternatives
| fear, which the measure presents, are
concord and increased discord; SER
vile civil war--originating in its causes
on the lower Rio Graude, and termina.
ting, possibly in its consequences with
The upper Rio Grande, in the Santa Fe
country--or the restoration ofharmony
and fraternal kindness.
believe, from the bottom ofmy soul
| that the measure is the reunion Of the
Union. believe it is the dove of
peace, which, taking its aerial flight
from the dome of the Capitol, carries
the glad tdings of assured peace and
restored harmony to all the remotest
extremilies ofthis distracted land.
believe that it will be attended with all
these bencficent effects. And now let
us discard all resentment, oil passions,
all petty jealousies, all personal desires,
all love of place, all longing after the
giIded crumbs which fall from the ia
BILE of power. Let US forget popular
fears, from whatever quarter they may
spring. Let US 60 to the limpid foun.
tain Of unadulteratcd patriotism, and
performing solemn lustration, return
divested of all selfish, sinister, and sor-
did impurities, and think alone of our
God, our country, our consclences,
and our glorious Union-that Union
without which we shall be torn into
hostile fragments, and sooner or later
become the victims of military despot-
ism or forei gn domination.
Mr.. President, what is an individ-
ual man? An atom, almost invisible
without a magnifying glass-a mere
speck upon the immense surface of the
universe-not a second in time COM
pared 10 immeasurable, never failing,
never-beginning, and never.ending
eternity; q drop of water in the great
deep, which evaporates and is borne OF
by the winds; grain of sand, which
is soon gathered to the dust from which
it sprung. Shall a being SO small, so
petty, so fleeting, so evanescent, oppose
itself to the onward march of great
nation, to subsist for ages and ages to
come--oppose itself to the long line of
posterily which, issuing from our loins,
will endure during the existence of the
world? Forbid it, God! Let US look al
our country and our cause; elevate
ourselves to the dignity of pure and
disin,erested patriots, wise and enlight'
ened statesmen, and save our country
from all impending dangers. What if
in the march ofthis nation TO greatnes:
and power, we should be buried
beneath the wheels that prope
il onward. What are we, what is any
man worth who IS not ready and will
ing 10 sacrifice himself for the benefit
of his country when it is necessary?
Now, Mr.. President, allow me tc
make short appeal TO some Senators
o.the whole of The Senate. Here il
my friend from Virginia, (Mr. Mason)
of whom | have never been withou
hopes. have thought of the revolu
lionary blood of George Mason which
flows in his veins-of the blood of hi
own father-of his own accomplished
fa,her-my friend, my cherished frienc
for many years. Can he, knowing, a
think he must know, the wishes of th'
people of his own State-can he, will
the knowledge he possesses of the pub
Ilic sentiment there and Of the high OBJ
litigation cast upon him by his noble an
cestry-can he hazard Virginia's great
est and most glorious work-that worl
at least which she, perhaps more thai
| ans. o,bar State contributed her mora