Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1851-11-13
VOL. XIII.
n cLAYs LETTER.


-.ps q New York, to visit that city, and address
A. On some Of the public and exciting topics OF
Z. a,v Mr. Clay regrets that the state OF his
LIN requires him 10 decline the invitation, lest
!. -..nas ~ excitement into which he might be
should be detrimental to his health, which
-. .Icate ever stree the long session Of
ne last Congress.
- -. .onmittee in their address to Mr. Clay hav-
- .M,aea TO the Compromise measures, he ex-
p his belief that the patriotic obligation of
rr...;,o the Constitution and laws made directly
: ;ra;rect,y by the people themselves is now al
,,o.t universally recognized and admitted. He
.s;,.. there has been on this question, salutary
.k,cce At the North which authorizes the conf
Sect snicipation that reason and law will finally
..h;.ve noble triumph. Every where North,
soulh. East and West an immense majority of the
..c.as are satisfied with or acquiesce in the Com
s.ori.e. This, he says, may be confidently af-
{,ncd IL regard 10 thirteen of the slave-ho!ding
sl,tss. and thirteen, if not fourteen of the free
NJ clay thinks that the necessity Of maintain
i, IA enforcing the Fugitive Slave law, unre-
Is.,,d. and without any modification that would
.r;ously impair its efficiency, must be admitted
X ,he impartial Judgment of all candid men,.
u. thinks an abandonment of the law would en-
danger the Union;-and that though abo!itionists
,pd their partisans deny and deride the existence
4 ,nv such danger, that men who will not per-
..;,e and own il. must be blind TO the signs of
\. Hc,es 4. well as TO the actual state Of feeling
Il the South.
The committee in their letter having alluded TO
he resolutions and addresses adopted at conven-
tions in which the question of adherance 10 the
compromise IS evaded or avoided, Mr. Clay in his
letter administers just rebake to these bodies:
sssf wish that these respectable bodies could
have been less ambiguous, and more explicit, in
declaring their determination to acquiesce In, and
ABIDE by, great measure of Peace and Compro-
m;se. which, forming an epoch in the progress of
oor country, was intended to reconcile and re-
s.ore concord and fraternal feelings among on
divided countrymen. There was no necessity &c
reserve right to discuss, 70 modify and % repeal
~ obnoxions law. Sach right existed without
any express reservation, not only as to that law
haf q TO all laws, and as to the Constitution IT.
~. which has incorporated in it the right of a
nerdment, and consequently that of discussion
Hat there are occasions when spirit of modera
t;on should prompt forbearance to exercise tina
rieh.. lf more were intended than meets the eve
more than to proclaim the theoretc right OF dis
cession, II il were designed to announce the righ
II unremitted agitation, to continue The destrac
lions cf the country, and. finally. ii possible, z
repeal the Fugitive Slave Law. patriotism am
harmony must condemn the unwisa course, a
q Inn
consequences"
The agitation in South Carolina is referred t
with regret OF the Nalliica.ion and Secession
doctrines he says:
..Nullifcaton derived an ambiguous but con
tested support from the memorable resolutions o
The states Of Virginia and Kentucky, adopted il
1889; but these resolutions affort no color o
coantenance to the pretensious Of Secession.
The doctrine Of Secession assumes. that an
one Of the thirty-one states composing the Uni
on, wherever or however situated, whether in til
interior or on the frontier, has right, upon il
own separate will, and according to the dictate
Of its exclusive Judgment, 10 withdraw from tn
Union whenever II pleases; that this act of Sc
cession is peaceful. and not to be controverted G
obstructed by the rest of the states or bv the ar
plication of any force, within the limits of Il
seeding state. to execute the laws of the Unite
States; and that thereupon the states and ITS clt
xens are absolved from all obligations and duti
70 the United States, and becomes power as i
dependent and sovereign as any of the nations
the earth
The doctrine maintains that this right Of $
cesSion may be exercised whenever the sta
deems il has sufficient cause; at all times-in
state of profound peace and prosperity, or in Il
midst Of furious war, raging in all our border
ouA Ah~ts -, tha affar self
TO q distinct and indepenpent nation, II may e
cape the calamities of war, make separate trc
" Of peace with the common enemy, becor
neutral, or even ally itself with that enemy. al
take up arms agans. the United States. 1t q
serts this right, although il may lead, IN the pr
cess Of time, 10 the proniscuous dotting over, u
On the surface Of the territory Of the U. States,
petty Independent nations, establishing for ther
selves any form Of government, free or despoti
known TO mankind, and interrupting the inte
course and violating or menacing the execution
the laws Of the dismembered confeteracy
contends for this right. as well for Louisiana
tor Soath Carolina, although the province
Louisiana cost us so much money, and was nis
involving rs in foreign war; for Texas; althor!
occasioncd Us war with Mexico, the pa
ment Of ten millians Of dollars to arrange
boundariesl and to acquire il many were Wilt
70 risk war with England; and for distant Ca
toInia, although that was acquired by the dout
ntle Of conquest and the payment Of an ample I
eanlary consideration.
II, indeed, the Union. under which we have
lcng, and generally so happily lived, be thus Fl
gle, and liable to crumble into pieces, We m,
cease to boast Of the wisdom of our forefa'h'
VINO formed it, tear from our hearts the sen
menes Of gratitude and seneration with VIII
mey had inspired US, and no longer expect an {
hgn'ened world TO hestow the unbonnded pra
which i has hitherto lavished on them. A dc
uine % extraordinary and indefensible, fraua
w!th the destruction of the Union, and su
olnef direful consequences, hnas no enco'
sgement or support in the constitution of
United States. 1t had none under the articles
confederation which formed, in terms. a perp
ual Union, however. otherwise weak and inc
cent the government was which they establish
That inefficiencv arose ont of the fact that It {
Grated not on the people directly, but upon
states, which might, and ofte, did fail to conn
with the acquisitions made on them bv Congre
10 correct that defect, and to form more pert
Union, the present constitution was adopted.
mad been alleged that the Union of the States,
Der the articles OF confederation, was held toge
e only by a rope of sand, but il was rope Of
amant. compared with the cord which now bi,
Us, It the right of secession is sanctioned and 5
sained.s
We regret that it is out Of or power to 9
the whole Of this very interesting letter. l
worthy OF the best days of Mr. Clay. and is.
every part, like all the other productions Of
great author. clear, forcible and eminently pa
otic.
We are indebted to Henry c. Terrell for
papers from ST Paul. Minnesota.
Ma FILLMORE IN GEoRGIA.-The Mobile I
lister says that s.Uaionism (Which has rece