Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1851-06-28
REPLY OF JOHN j. McRAE 10 ihE
SPEECH SENATOR FOoFE'
(coNrINuEp)

(CoNrINuEpl
Here i, would seem, the Senator had planted
himself anon the strict constitutional rights OF Inc
gurh. and that there he was fixed, lMntrdJte,
until The North should present compfom'se, the
time having forever passed By when IN his Jnd5
ment, il could emauate from tho South bu',
strange 10 say, in short tine afterwards cloud
came over bis minds eye, change came Der
the spirit OF his dream ana he was moving him'
ss!fblsy with Science Of Compromtse-he was
moving resolution for a Committee Of lp'rteeh,
through which, under the influence Of ieadmg
seuntors, and big Pacjtcatofs and iiHie PacllIca-
tors. the interests Of the country might be be-
.rayed and the rights Of the South surrendered.
TO show YOU, fellow.cilizens, how totally the
senator must have changed every principle aud
position with which he first set out, IN coming to
his last conclusions, now read YOU certain eI'
tracts from his speeches and writings which must
shock and conpace every mind. It's well known
% yoo tina, Mr. Clay through always opposed 70
slavery and declaring IN a eterto the cleveland
abolition Convention, that no one was moro oP-
pwed than he was 10 The extension Of slavery IN
20 ,ha territories acquired from Mexico ei'her BY
lNJlNlHudl cHtti pttSS VI " S.'SiAA'N
and ia the senate Of the United States, that no
e1fsAlg pousr could induce him to do an dct to er-
.sn3 sLapery into territory paere u dtd not ef'st,
vas the great leader in the pretended scheme oil
compromise Ghough there was also a lutte lead
en- aGd that il was TO his Influences more than
cay oher, that tho Soah Is Indebted Tor the sur
render Of her rights. lie says himself in his
saeech before the Kentucky Legislature, 18Th
Nov iast-"The perhaps presumpnous hope that
might, uad,r the blessing Of Providence, be ~
humble instrument in assisting TO allay II, the
slavery excitement constituted principle mo.
tqa with mo for returning to public llie Long
b'fre the meeting Of Congress, aud during the
earlier part oftho session il engaged almost eX-
clusivelY alt my most anxious thoughts. The
yesult Of my reflections was, that series Of reson-
.ions which presented 70 the senate tthe Unt>
led States in February last" now read YOU
from speech Of the senator, in the National In
tellisencer Of Feb. 22d, delivered in the senate
Feb. 2eh, 80 Mr.. CIay's Resolutions Of Com,
promise, few days after they were introduced,
and which Mr.. Clay says, "long before he NEE ;
Ing Of Congress, and during the earlier part OF
tha session, engaged almost eEciusiyely al bis
most anxious thoughts" The extracts from The
senator s8peech is as follows:
"Mr- President am justified by the course
pursued by the honorable senator from Kentucky
on this occasion in going somewhat particular,
into his past history in connection with the sub
,ect of slavery. In the early days Of young ant
blooming manhood, the honorable senator from
Kentucky was betrayed, as think into somt
gross but rather fdntastcal errors in relation L
slavery from which he has never been abs 4
relieve his mind since. These errors seem t
have been theoretical merely; they were not Q
nature, at any rate, so potential as TO ndlc
the honorable senator TO ehancipae his ow
slaves, or to persuade his neighbors and friend
.o the execution Of any such iancUl scheme
philanthropy. In subsequent life he becam
known as a member, as President Of the Coloni
zaon Society, and as such has delivered MOI
than one address, in which he has borne eIoqlei
testimony to the evils OF slavery On scger
occasions in Congress the honorable senator ha
been known in tolmer years to exhibit hmse
more or less as decided disapproyer Of the sy
tenn OF domestic slavery in the South. La
summer he took another SEP and recommend
to tie people Of Kentucky, in deeply intere.
ing letter, the adoption of a system OF prospecti
emancipation. The publication Of this lett
brought on contest in that State, which W
waged heatedy and actively for several month
and not without some bIoodshed but which ha
PIiy terminated in the utter defeat Of this plan
emancipation. A short time since, the Ere
Sollers ofOhio, and believe Of several 9th
States. held Convention at Cleveland, at viii
they adopted resolutions more Objectionable
the South than any which had autecedenty a
peared. committee of this Convention wr,
letter TO the honorable senator from Ken,uc,
to which he replied, approving fully the ohie
Of their assenbiage. and giving his assent
their general doctrines Such was The predIc
ment OF the honorable senator when he cal
among Us at this session and what has be
his course here Why, sir. feel bound 10
nit that the honorable senator has been qu
consistent. His first important movement y
the Introduction Of his resolutions Of compromi
and what are these resolutions Why, one
them Is formally decorative Of the hated Will
proviso principle ar Ter brings in Cahforn
another by inevitable Implication asserts
power Of Congress to abolish slavery in the [
trlct OF Columbia another proposes to abo
the slave trade in the District Of Columbia.
ell this is to be conceded by the South with
any compromising advantages whatever
certainly not a.gfeat deal surprised that $