Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1850-04-19
Cassius VI. clay to Daniel webster.

might greater evils overtake us, as nation, thar
more to be dreaded, will be found clearly Sc
! forth in the extract we give below from a recen
letter of c. NJ. Clay's to Daniel Webster. We
feel with Clay, that we had rather trust to the
present moral and intellectual energies of the
people, to create new government, than to have
those energies destroyed by a course of evil, and
then when the union sinks as consequence, be
unable to rise above the ruins:
AS much as the Union is to be loved it is not
to be loved more than NATIONAL CONSOLE NEE.
If the idea, all along held, that slavery, by the
terms of the constitution, was to be allowed time
" to die out" with decency, be ill-iounded, and
the constitution is to be so " compromised that
slave and free states shall receive equal encour-
agement and protection and slavery and freedom
be equally extended prefer dissolution to that
If the constitution is to be made vital, in the
free states, TO the returning slave into bondage,
but not potent to protect freeman from slavery
in the south, prefer dissolution 10 that | say
nothing of Lynch law and prescription upon ma
tives of the south for exercising the liberty OF
speech, that would not be remedied by Gissolu-
ton
If the moral influence of our declaration of
rights, our example as republic, our Personit-
cation of liberal opinions, is to be lost TO our own
solicitation, and to the "glory of mankind, and
our domestic and foreign policy is TO be made
subservient to slave holding will and slave hol-
ding sentiments, prefer dissolution to that! If
national spirit of the compromise must for
swear Justice and humanity forever and bow down
TO an altar consecrated to crime, where uf-head-
ed manliness can never venture with honor to it.
self or respect from o;hars-then give me dissO-
luton, Give me the justice-glve me the true
principles of liberty-give me manness-glve
me trust in humanity-give me faith III God
and | will risk in the reconstruction CT society,
and the reorganization of nations. knowing
well that something better may happen-0tt that
nothing worSe can come than such unon--a
body without a soul, that stinks in the nostrlls OF
sentiment, of reason, and OF religion
Whilst, then, commend your submission to
law; your determination to pass laws, IN good
faith. for the return of fugitives from service,
and your determination to stand by the pledged
faith of the Government, in regard TO the atlmls-
sion of four more slave states from Texas, II she
will it-your fixed purpose. in or out of the pub
lie councils to stand upon "the penalties of the
bond u cannot but regret that you did not feel
it in your duty, as Northern Senator, as Daniel
Webster, as MAN, to say word In favor OF tree
dom, which would encourageits friends and car
nv terror into the hearts of its enemies.
Twenty millions of men spread from sea to
sea If there be not a man of great soul among
them, il is more a cause for tears and contrltlon
than of triumph and Mandatory poetry
1t is a subject Of regret that you did not equal
ly as decisvely lay down the platform of defence,
where liberty is to entrench herself against the
assault. of those who, you confess, have moved
from the ground occupied at the formation OF the
constitution, and now threaten to enter with bloc
dy feet, upon consecrated ground, or to destroy
the temple of our common worship: that you
have not said for your section, what Mr.. Cal
houn has said for his that, at all hazards, Nor
thern freemen shall remain so, even to the throw
ing down the stone walls of CharlestoWn or New
Orleans; that free territory, by Mexican law, by
by American law, and by mature 5 law" shall
remain free, though southern madmen rage
wordy war in Congress, or Quattlebums march
to drum and fife in the field that right wrongs
no man, and that mauliness and fair dealing COM
pei YOU to say what you intend to do, that the
North and South may learn that you do homage
if not to Wilmot's," at least to " Natures "
proviso.
In my humble judgment, these issues have to
be met at last; the sooner the better for us, and
for all mankind.
This is no time for "courtly complaisance."
1t is not necessary to 60 to Europe to see war
of determination and despair; here and now are
blood and criue and death struggle. Liberty
and slavery cannot co-eXist One or the other
must triumph utterly.
"Where are you to go?" You will be allow
ed to take no fragment upon which to float
away from the wreck" The good old ship,
Constitutional Liberty must be kept afoat,
Ito continue your metaphor) by strong arms and
gallant hearts, or else the pratical hull slave
Ty" will send you and us where tyrants In all
ages have sent and will send all who submit not
unqualifiedly to themselves-to the bottom
Respectfully, | am your obedient servant,
C.. III. CLAY.