The primitive Republican. (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-1852, 1852-09-23
From the Washington Union.
Clay and Scott.

Always hiring az The camp, qrith lis saoord
By has SIDE and has epaulets on his shoulders
1t IS proposed to TRANSFER him from has
actual position. ofsecoad IL command Of the
army to the chief ntogistracy Of this great
and glorious Republic l-HENRY CLAY
However controlling may have been the
influence with which Mr.. Clay swayed the
wing party during the greater portion of his
life, it cannot be disputed that of late years
he ruled it, if he ruled it at all, with a d.
vided empire and diminished power. In
stances of contempt for his counsel, and re-
bellion against his authority, since 1948,
have been so frequent in the wing ranks as
to convince the public that the sceptre had
fallen from his hands. In declining life his
glory was eclipsed by the overshadoWing in
fuence of Seward, and he descended to the
grave shorn almost entirely of that absolute
sway which once made him the monarch Of
the wing party. The first signal instance
of contempt for his authority and disregard
of his feelings was the nomination of Taylor
against his urgent remonstranee and en-
phatic protest, The last outrage which the
wing party inflicted upon Mr.. Clay was the
nomination of Scott.
That Mr.. Clay was opposed to the nomi.
nation of General Scott is a fact which the
whig press do not pretend to dispute. tits no.
torious that the anxiety which be expressed
for the nomination of Mr. Fillmore sprana
not only from his preference for that gen.
tleman, but from his opposition to the rival
candidate whom Seward had set up. Both
in private conversation and in public cores.
pondence he betrayed an extreme apprehen
sion of the success of that faction in the
wing party which comprised the ruin of Mr.
Fillmore and his compromise friends through
the instrumentality of Gen. Scott.
But, conceding that Mr.. Clay was op
posed to the nomination of Gen. Scott, the
wing press would fain have the public be-
lieve that he was nevertheless anxious fol
the election of the whig candidate. They
cannot prove that Mr.. Clay ever, by impli
cation even, approved the nomination of the
Wing Convention. On the contrary, Ger
tain notorious facts make it absolutely i'm
possible that he should ever have been the
advocate of SCOTS election. Mr. Clay wa:
pledged by his own solemn, recorded VOW t.
support no man for any Office who refused
to commit himself to the fnality of the Com
promise.
This pledge was an insuperable barrier be
tween him and the wing candidate; for
despite the reckless assertions of the wits
press, Gen. ScOtt's position upon the Com
promise is identical with Stewards. Then
again, Mr.. Clay pertinaciously and positively
refused to do any act, or to utter one word
in commentator or sanction of Genera
SCOTS nomination. All sorts of influences
were brought to bear upon him by the Scot
men to draw from him some token of appro
baton of the Seward nomination, but to tn,
last he continued relentlessly silent. H
would not speak the word-he would no
, make the sign. He went to his grave Will
lips sealed, and he left behind him no tesla
ment of confidence in Scott or desire for hi
election. This fact is deeply significant
Indeed, it is conclusive evidence that Mr.
Clay distrusted the whig candidate and dep
recated hiselection. 1t was rumored through
out the country--it was the common talk il
Washington-that Mr.. Clay was opposed t.
}, Gen. Scott's election. This rumor wa
brought to the knowledge of Mr.. Clay b
ScOtt's friends, and they implored him t
contradict it, and not suffer his name to b
used in opposition to the whig candidate
If he had been anxious for the success c
} the wing candidate, would he have refuse
to say so? Would he have suffered hi
name to be used by the democratic part
against the candidate of that party for who's
ascendency he had devoted the labors of hi
: life? The inference is irresistible that Nj
7 Clay did not mean that his country shout
hold him responsible for the calamitie
which he fOresaw would be the result
Gen. SCOTS election.
Mr.. Clay's opposition to the election
Gen. Scott was not only provoked by Ger
, Scott's completely with Seward and his ia,
4 ton of abolition agitators, but. was the log
e cal and consistent consequence of distru,
f of military Presidents. The paragraph pr,
fixed to this article is an emp hatic prote:
. against the election of Gen. Scott. It
true that it was written in remonstranc
4 against the election of Gen. Taylor; but. b
. a simple change of name and date, it b,
O comes an eloquent admonition against til
election of the present wing candidate
. Like Gen. Taylor, Gen. Scott is eexclusiv,
ly military man." Like Gen Taylor,
has ono experience in civil affairs" Lib
!. Gen Taylor, he was "born and bred in tt
camp" Like Gen. Taylor, he has his "swor
by his side and his epaulets on his shoulders.
> Like Gen. Taylor, he asks the people of tn
t country to transfer him from his "actual DOS
s ton as first in command of the army to tt
= chief magistracy of this great and glorior
republic!' The ahsurdity of such deman
was treated by Mr.. Clay with mingled col
tempt and Armament. He did not stop
expose the folly and danger of elevating
4 the presidency such man in such a "pos
ton" but by dash of the pen a simp
o mark of wonder (!)-he indicated an empb
sis of conviction and an intensity of feelin
which language cannot fully express.
}, Although the name of Henry Clay,
e consequence of the ascendency and CORFU
= influence of bad men, no longer exerts TIL
; magic power with the wing party of whic
it could once boast, yet there arc still ind
vidual wings who reverence his opinion al
submit to his authority. To them we cor
mend the example and the precept of the
great leader In his eloquent and earne
! language, we warn them of the peril
6 transferring to the chief magistracy of til
G great and glorious republic man so un
:. for the presidency as is the candidate, not
the wing party, but of the Seward faction