The southern press., 1851-10-22
Letter from Hss. Henry Clay.


topics of the day; and you are pleased to add an
expression of your own kind wishes that |
would accept the invitation. | should be most
| happy, if felt myself in condition to do so !;
but for the reasons assigned in my answer to the
address, which is herewith forwarded, / am very
sorry that it is not in my power to accept it. /
hope that answer may be deemed satisfactory by
you. and by those whom you represent.
| have the honor to be, gentlemen, with high
respect, Your obedient servant,
ii. CLAY.
Messrs. Geo. Griswold, Stephen Whitney, A. G.
Kingsland, Chas. M. Leupp, and Jas. d. p.
Ogden, &c., &c.
ASHLAND, Sd October, 1851
GESTLEMEH:-I have the honor to acknowl-
edge the receipt, yesterday, of the address which
you transmitted to me, from number of gen.
tlemen in the city of New York. Emanating
from source SO highly respectable and impos-
ing, from friends and fellow-citizens so numer-
GUS and intelligent, and u whom am under
such great obligations, / have perused it wi h
profound attention and Difference. After advert
ing to the present state of public affairs, to the
spirit adverse to the measures OF compromise
adopted during the last Congress, which prevails
in certain quarters, to the necessity of unremit-
ted exertion to preserve our glorious Union, and
to what has been so seasonably and well done,
with 30 much ability, eloquence, and patriotism,
by some of our eminent countrymen, you invite
me to leave, for time my quiet abode here, to
appear in your great city. and to address my fel-
low citizens on the actual condition, and menac-
ing danger of our country.
feel, gentlemen, with the greatest interest
and the deepest socitude, the full force Of all
that you have expressed /; and | would gladly
comply with your wishes, and even dedicate the
remnant of life, the largest and best part of
which has been spent in the public service, to
the cause of the Union, if the state of my health
would allow me- and if believed that any fresh
exertions of mine would be useful. But ever
since the long session of the last Congress, dur
ing which my arduous duties were greater than
was well able to encounter, my health has been
delicate, and it has remained so throughout the
past summer | hope that it is improving, but
it still requires the most assidious care; and
entertain serious arprehensons that if were to
accept your invitation, and throw myself into
the scenes of excitement incident to it, my
strength might fail me, and my present debility
might be much increased There is no place,
am fully aware, where should find more ardent
and enthusiastic friends in one party, and more
courtesy and respect in the other, than in the
commercial metropolis of the Union. Whilst
am constrained, with much regret, respectfully
to decline the meeting you propose, avail my
self of the occasion to present some views which
have taken Of public aff.irs, al which trust
may be received as substitute for any oral ex-
hb,ion of them, which ! could make before Il
large concourse Of my fellow-citizens in New
York. ......
1t was not supposed by the authors and sup.
porters Of the compromise, in the last Congress,
that the adoption Of the series OF measures which
composed it, would secure the unanimous con-
currence Of all Their reasonable hopes were
confined to the great majority Of the people Of
the United States, and their hopes have not been
disappointed Everywhere, North, South East
aud West, an immense majority of the people
| are satisfied with, or acquiesce in, the compro-
mise. This may be confidently asserted in re-
gard to thirtseG Of The save-holding States, and
| to thirteen, if not fourteen. cf the free States
| In few OF both classes Of the Statez, and in
some particular localities. dissatisfaction exists,
exhibiting itself occasionally in words Of great
violence and intenperance; but this feeling Ia, ]
! trust where il has most prevailed, gradually
Welding to an enlightened sense Of publ duty.
| will Yasen. n rapid survey of the actual state
of thingS as il appears 10 me. both at the North
and the s ruth, beginning at the former,
In all that region, there Is but one Of ths vari-
Gus compromise measures that is seriously as
sailed, and that is the law, made Ia strict con-
formity with the Constitution, for the surrender
Of fugitiyes from lawful service or labor. But
the law itself, will, two exceptions, hiss been
everywhere enforced; opa0sition TO il is con-
stantly abaing and the patriotic obligations OF
obeying the Constitution and the laws, made
directly or indirectly by the people u emselves,
is now almost universally recognized and adj
mitted. IL, in the execution OF the lay, by the
public authority, popular discomfort Is sometimes
manifested, il has, with the exception mentioned,
been invariably repressed, or prevented from OBJ.
structing the officers Of justice in the perform.
ance of their duties. II | um correctly informed,
great and salutary change has been made, and
is vet in trcsress At the North, which authorizes
the confident anticipation that reason and law
will finally achieve a noble triumph.
The necessity of maintaining and enforcing
that law, unrepealed, and without any modfca.
ton that would seriously impair its efficiency.
must be admitted by the impartial judgment OF
all candid men. Many OF the slayeholdng
States, and many public meetings OF tie people
in them, have deliberately declared that their ad.
herence to the Union depended upon the preser-
walton of that law, and that its abandonment
would be the signal Of the dissolution Of the
Union. know that the Abolitionists (some OF
whom openly avow desire TO produce that cal.
amitoss sVegD and their partlzans deny and de-
ride the existence OF any such danger; but men
who will not perceive and own IL. must be blind
TO the signs OF the times, TO the sectional strife
which has unhappily arisen, to the emtitiered
feelings which have been excited, as well as the
solemn resolutions Of deliberative assemblies,
unanimously adopted Their disregard Of the
danger, am apprehensive, proceeds more from
their desire to continge agitation, which aug
ments IT, than from their love Of the Onion itself
| You refer, gentlemen, to " resolutions and
addresses adopted at convent ms lately assem-
bled around Us. in which we have seen with re-
greet, IA well as alarm. that the question Of ad.
herence 10 the compromise is avoided or evaded,
and you Justly deprecate the tendency Of these
resolutions. | have not been an nstteBtiye OF
indifferent observer Of them, and with you
deeply regret their adoption. | wish that these
respectable bodies would have been less am
; biguous, and more explicit, in declaring Their
determination 10 scquiesce in, and abide by, q
great measure Of peace aud compromise, which
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