The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1853-05-27
G. M. CLAY PLAYING THOMAS
= ,t; CORWIN.

ult., Casslns M. Clay glvfs The Hon.
Thomas Corwin political fiyigg, II j:
complete; and, in order that our readers
may see the workman~like manner in
which il is done, I'VE transfer tito puI
columns without abridgment;
pga, CINCINNATI, Ohio, April s, 1858.
To the Editors Of he Enquirer:
In the Enquirer Of this date you have
The following extract, from the Southern
Patriot, Of the "pquant sayings Of the
inmitable Tum.' ale said they were
a whining, cuuiing, praying set Of efel>
lows, who kept regular bnoks Of debt and
credit with the Almighty. They would
lie and cheat all the week, and pray Of
their sins ON Sunday. IF they steal a
negro, that made a very large entry to
their credit, and would cover multitude
o! pcccGdi,oes and frauds. This kin6 Of
entry they were always glad to make,
because it cost them nothing. When
they could not steal negro they gave
something in charily,ror extension o! the
gospel, and lhen commenced system Of
fraud and cheating, til they thought they
had bllanced accounts with their Gods
| And you add: ale has, as is understood,
purchased property in Kentucky as a
residehce."
Whether Thomas Corwin includes me,
who have conlended, in my own State,
for emancipation on She soil Among the
Abolitionis!s, knew moi. Ii is the
policy Of the slave party md their rene,
gades to render odious the m"st ultra Of
the opponents of slavery, and then use
hat odum for the overthrow OF all the
friends Of justice and liberty. For my
part, | am willing to come under his
category; nr, inasmuch as ] would use
all the opponents of slavery in the world
for its overthrow, so | must not avoid the
Consequences of my associations. Al
one time the Abolitionists are held up as
invidious knaves, at another as one~idead
fanatics, who are void of moral response
ihilily, and unfit 10 administer any Gov-
ernmen'! They cannot be both! They
are neilher one OF the other But do
not propose to defend them---hstery will
do that--but TO rep@l the calumny Of the
ex-Secretary. If The Abolitlonists were
as base as CerWin represents ,hem,it IS
right they should be exposed. Although
a war of personalities is aIw vs. repng-
mint 10 gentleman, yet, if he thinks
they are, (even though they are not0 as
he says, 1 have no objections to the
utterance.
But when Thos. Corwin tells not only
what is untrue, but what know he
beliepes TO be untrue, moi only selfde.
fense, but the instincts of generous
indignation at unprovokcd and nngratelu
wrong compels ne TO hold him up 10
public reprobaiion,
When Mr.. Clay was the candidate for
The Presidency, in 1874 Thomas Corwin
md ! spoke daily for a long time through
OHIO in company. That battle was fought
in The North at least upon ants slavery
"aboIilion" principles, the friends Of
slavery perpetuation being avowedly in
favor of the annexation of Texrs, with
view Of keeping np balance of power
in the Senate, by The acquisition Of more
slave States; and the friends Of Jeffer-
sonian republicanism, holding that slavery
was an tolerated but 10 be exin.
guished in due iime-Norlh and South.
standing for Ii. Clay, and against Texas.
annexation. came from slave State !.
embilered in my feelings against the
slave party by recent personal and polii-
cal contests, yet in thsSpeeches made by
Thomas Corwin, the Shareholders were
so heartily denounced thai my scnsbiE-
ties as a Southern man were continually
susceptible. am an habiiual reader OF
Wm. L. Garrison's Liberator, and Carl.
son never surpassed him in bearlful
haired OF slavery and slave holders. HisI
now ve-holding frieIds will gather
some idea of bis abaled ire when they
review his celebrated speech in the
Senate, where he awarded me and other
volunteers in Mexico his aspirations Of
''bloody hands and hospitable gravesm
But what struck me as most remarkable
in the "inimilable Tom'' was his indul-
gence in s'whiniog, csnting aud praying"
in his speeches! have been in the
furor Of rcvvals, and the wild enthusiasm
of the bivouacked camp-meetlng, and
never did uncl;ous Methodist parson
move me to tears like the 'sinimiiable
Toni! And 10 such extreme did "Tom"
carry his scriplural quotations that he got
TO be decided bore; and ] severely
criticised his want Of lasle-and what
was, TO me, irreverent as the slave
christians would have me almost bias
phemy! lie then defended himself upon
The grnnnd that no people were SO con-
scientious and devout as these same
Abolitionists, whom be now denounces
as consummate knaves! |
Ifthe Abolilionists 'chcat" and 'ssteal"
The reproach comes with a bad grace |
from the chief beneficiary OF The Gardiner
swndle! And however guilty we may
be, il adds u,liltle to our peni,ence TO
BE- lectured by man who now has,