Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-03-12
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ME. CLAY ON STATE RIGHTS.

We have never felt more decided admiration for
Henry CLAY, than while reading his late reply 10
Mr. RHETT, Of South Carolina, on The fugitive slave
bill. With the weight of more than seventy Years
upon him, his form is moi bent and The glory of
his intellect is not obscured Always ready, he has
never to study reply, and words flow from his lips
with the same ease, apparently, that water issues from
a fountain. Ills language is plain and unambi,ious,
and so clear are The conceptions of his mind that
his meaning is always Ineligible. He exhibits the
same self confidence, also that his enemies censured
in his youthful days, and which, indeed, in common
men would be the height of presumption, but in one
possessing his genius is grand and imposing. And
as practical statesman how immeasurably Goes he
rise above those hair splitting abstrsclonis,s, who
seek to have the constitution Interpreted so as to
make it npolent for all useful purposes!
Mr.. RHErT had argued hsl Congress had no pow
or To pass fugitive slave law, although his colleague
in the Senate originally introduced The bill afterw ards
perfected by Mr.. Mason and adopted. In the course
Of his reply Mr.. Clay takes of Tie ultra S!ae-rph,s
school as follows:
| will be allowed trust to make few remarks un,o
the consultation Of the United States, upon this subject, and
upur the doctrines which have been advanced by The Sen
a'Nr from South Carolina He says the mure yuu limit The
constitution the more YOU add strength it, Then SUP
pse. if all the puwers of the Government are to bp taken
away in this process OF Limitation, it would make the IL
mon stronger lie suys the you stretch the consli,
ton The you increase the danger 10 The perpe,uEy r
The Unl"n But who Is To decide the question uf stretching
the pnwers OF the constitution, and IF limiting them o.
Nha man. mortal, Pablb. weak. erng man. can get IN
tFe and say the constitution this that and all OH
era wn0 give !! different Interpretation are trailrs cur
vldsii"nIs's W higs. Federasis have never heard
man get u mere and talk about his being
man enpGalirally and exclusively, per Sc Simon Pure
at It'd M, feel those emotions which Juuus describes
Whenever he saw Sco,chman smile. Laughter Sir,
there two schoos Of SIaerivhs mt, One Of South
Carolina, and Of Virginia. Kentucky and other STA
From my birth, unmy knowledge Of conscious cxis
'ence human being, and suce have nrned my aen-
rnn 10 political affairs have been enphacay the true
legitimate, full Of the term Slare-rlghls man. But
look tina, schoo which have referred They want
you power but what is To he found in The
constitution. should like some Of those strict Satc.riphs
10 point 10 what par, IT this constitution gives
anyone Slae the power Of ufcslion Of the acls Of all
the other States What part oflhe constitution gives to
any OF the Satea The prwer Of secession from The mem
hership IF the Union? Where they 10 he fund 3
Why You find that whenever yon press them On these
pias, they fly from the constitution and talk about The
nude of lis formation, its cumpac character its being firm
ed by The States Whenever suits their purpose or for
any improper purpose they wish deduce power either of
nulhcaon or secession, any other, they find il
without the least difficulty, limited and crcumscribed as
they would have others in the Interpretation U the
stituiiOn.