The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1854-07-20
CAssIUs M. CLAY.

large concourse of people assembled on
Saturday evening last in our Court House
yard He spoke for the space OF two hours
and elected very respectful attention from
all parties who had assembled to hear him.
He dwelt long and earnestly upoa those
themes which for 50 many years have found
in him Jealous advocate, and May who
went strongly prejudiced ngalnst him as an
Aholtionist and DisuniolD, came away
convinced that he had been misrepresentrd,
Very many could not coincide with all his
views upon he great questions d the day,
but there were few, even OF the Democrat
lie party, who upon consideration would not
in the main favor the sentiments he ad-
eanced.
As we took no notes at the time we
could not do justice TO Mr. Clay Were we to
attempt to report his remarks, we therefore
publish from the address he delivered at
Chicago on the 18th Of July such PORTIONS as
bear similarity to the ideas he advanced
On Saturday evening. Those who were
present on The latter occasion will reeog-
uze in the following but brief synopsis Of
the arguments he then % beautifully elabo-
rated:
Icome now to speak of the exception to
these great principles. Now, fellow eiti-
zens OF Michigan, (yoices. Illinois lHNots9
YOU grow Up 50 fast here IN the Northwest
cannot keep track Of you-noW does not
every man here feel asst something is want
inp 10 .argy out fully the Declaration Of In
dependence which is so familiar TO our ears !
(Yes. yes.) believe if all We're to speak
honesty and frankly, The response would
8 universal affirmative. Since first Ven
tured 10 address my countrymen in public.
have been invited more than fifty times to
sneak on the Fourth of July. | have never
before consented. could net.do it con-
sistently with my own feelings. Have you
no, all felt that there was disturbing in
iluenee in cur public policy. which extends
through al lis ramifcations, eve hase.1
Ifyou feel, Why not speak. and II YOU come
not together to remedy evils in the govern
mcnt, why come at ALL
There was then an exception to the great
aud glorious principles our fathers sought
10 establish NV il boldly rears is head,
an absolute and untranmeed dcsp tism, IN
the midst Of great republic. ! know
What say Negro slavery Is a. great and
absnu,4 a despot.sm as the world has ever
seen The systems established by Pisls-
tratus in Greece, Nero in Rome, and the
Car in Russia, are no more SO. The idea
OF Masking laws to regulate such an institu-
ten i all hHmbug.
Oar fathers saw incompatibil!tr between
the declaration they put forth. and al the
same time holding their fellow men in abso-
Lutte bondage. Were they not sincerei-
They were, They carried cut as far as PCS
sihle, the principles thy were conscious
should be made 81 universal application
But they had many preiudlces, and muehig-
norance to contend with, and the wonder IL
not that they did not accomplish more for
human lree#om, bat that they achieved SO
much. l. is worthy Of remark that though
slaves were about the trainers 81 the consti-
tuition. waited upon them, and remained in
their presence while they were occupied in
their Deliberations, tie word slave ~
nowhere 10 be found in thot Instrument
We are furnished with the key to this re-
markabe fact by Mr Madison, who said
that they did not wish the word TO remain II
the constitution when tha Institution itself
had passed away.
| say the declaration Of demagogues i
not true. thar slavery Is a national lnstjtu-
;i5n, ard re recognized by The national govern
ment Look 10 the constitution Itself
Show ne 4 single clause that places aty
obligation upon any one 10 aid III SUSTAIN
Ing this great evil He is faithless to the
birthrigt, he derives from those noble pat
lots. who would cast upon them the lmpu-
tation OF framing a sentence justly capable
of such construction. Cheese The
pers ms we cali slaves are alluded 10 but
lour times in the constitution. The first i
in relation to representation VIII any
one say that any obligation IS there laid on
one Of rs to become Parttcsps crimiHiS IN
his matter OF slavery No. | defy the
most subtle mctaphy to show it, This
is bold ground, bot bold as it is, i; is impreg-
uable, becausa true. The second instance
is the prohibition of slave impor; alton after
1903. again defy the most acutc logician
here to demonstrate that any obligation vas
created TO import them before that time
You, sir, are christian: yonder is Mahom-
medan; your marriage institutions differ
widely; You permit him to hold a plurality
Of wives. Are you responsible for H. Not
at all The most that can be said is that
YOU maintain a strict neutrality on the sub
iect. Again is that article OF tie constitu-
ton which says that persons escaping from
servitude shall not be absorbed, but shall be
given M, there is no obligation imposed to
give them up by resort - arms or eXpendi-
ture from the public treasury. II may seem
pretcntions in me to place my opinions a
rainst those who take opposite ground, but
Daniel Webster once said, before his first
love Of freedom was iured away, that 10
power existed in Congress to Iegislate IN
the subject OF slavery, that there was no
power in the constitution to authorize
Congress To enact laws on the subject oil
slavery.
say there is no obligation on any man
To return a 5 lave TO his master. none on me
a citizen ofa slave State ] have always
repudiated the idea Of any such obligation.
When cease TO havethe manhood TO main
tain the position now hold on this question:
let me be numbered among the traitors to
liberty and justice, who are born fora curse
to mankind.
say then, so long as slavery continues
a local institution, it should be left to itself
! say boldly, It is rot a duty to form a cru
SADIE against the South for moral re'orma-
tion, so long as slavery is confined TO it,
own ground To is own municipality, its