Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1855-08-06

parture, with the prospect Of bloody and
unequal conflict before MIN, he sent the fol.
lowing characteristic letter to the Cincin.
natl Gazette:
LETTER FROM CASSIUs NJ. CLAY.
| Correspondence of the Cincinnati Gazette.
Liberty or Despotism.
July 10, 1855.
Eps. GAzErTE:-To-morrow 90 TO the
field OF contest, to determine whether the
liberty Of speech and religious freedom is
longer possible in slave State In this
uneqsal struggle as the result cannot be
fofeseen deem it due my own character
and the great issues pending. to say a part
/ ing word through press where suppression
lis impossible. Born and bred in a slave
State, every hour Of my experience compels
me to avow that the world has not yet be-
| gun to conceive the consistent Jesutism
and unfathomable atrocity OF theslaye prop
aganda They who stand at the cradle,
/ ignoring the holy sentiments which conse-
crate the pledges Of devo,ed and mutual love,
10 catechise Gods nobest work, and to
! stile the immortal aspirations of the human
soul, are not the m en- to show magnanimity,
/ or indulge in the weakness of justice, mer-
/ cy and truth
! 1t is their vocation to dominate over the
I human mind and u subject brute power to
| the superior force OF intellect Gentle poll
! ishing, and winning, stern bullying, and
most remorselessly cruel-appealng at one
| time TO the sentiments, now to the passions,
! and then to the fears OF men--they must be
"cunning in fence" indeed, who can stand
up under such odds. No wonder then that
| they have taken possession OF the press, the
7 nuIpit, and the Gpvernm mt; and that the
/ boasted liberties of the American people lie
crashed AID bleeding under the iron heel.
Bur des oiism is under Whatever name,
every whore the same; and its chei and last
resor, Is force. To that has the slave pow
err now me. It's organs threaten to drive
ont the new Congress with arms, renewed
violence sweIls on westward, and the can
non and the rifle, and the bowie knife, over
throw the civil power and despotism rules
supreme in places Of Wanted popular SOW
eieignity," in the great praries so solemnly
pledged To, Liberty, to Civilization and
Christianity.
When Governor Reeder is threatened
with u halter. and assaulted with intent 10
kill, the Representative OF the American
severe On -ty, Franklin Pierce, who was very
manly in summouing the nations pawar 10
the tccaptnre Of poor trembling fugitive
rom slavery, repndiates his own government
snd plunges the sword Of justice INTO the
heart of his own standard bearer, II cannot
be exprcted thu should advance, unop-
posed, the vanguard Of The "R publican
army in the midst Ut its enemies. sse now
Il have long seen tn mesheS gathering
ar ua1 met no msn, therefore, too
harshlv repruve me- il tn instlActs oi self
preservation hay, caused me to cry out too
wildly, for the composed ears oil selt-dciiid-
ing nation, against the ever onward march
OF Despotism. When Douglas & Go. re-
peaied the Missouri Compromise, how could
| refrain from danouncing them as icorhy
Of death Not from me--not Tor M comes
the im2rccatJn. Il ant mine will be Tor
gotten in The greater issues OF this crime,
and nv voice vii be silenred amid the tears
and blood the woe which follows in its
wake and the lamentations OF the widows
and the orphans, which IT viii have made
No, 10 all America the time has eoine-
Liberty or D,spotism
The Courier oi louisville found Us quiet
Is at orr work--it called upon us myrmi-
don, to i'm tate tn. deeds o. Atchison and
Dan1ias aud Stringfallaw: ready wish j stoi
and bowie knife, III y silence JIhn u Fae,
the fearless, martyr spirit OF our party, IN
Reliriun. If a lie had not have iollowei
fist in the footsteps of this execution, thS
had not been til hand Of slavery! He i
falsely accused Of distributing tracts TO
slaves, and exciting insurrcction! Mr. rec
sends his denial to the Courier with the pro-
rramme Of his action, laid down III the an
nuaI re mort Of the American VI sslonary So
ciety. Dill Il retract its cliumnf Id i II
pubiish It's reutatioa. No, that wouid have
been like the mercenary tool OF Gespohsm
ITnheard he is con demned and silenced
come To the rescue otmy friend, The de-
fender of my cause; resist men who. once
more against me, also, unheafd. PUBLISH
lbellous letter, and Jesu ticaliy invoke
bloodshed.
Tn. resolutions ssed at the Jessamine
meeting and published in the Clnennau
Gazette, were read AT the assemblies at
Brush Creek and Scaff1ll GAYS, thut there
might be 30 question about our motives and
octi,ns, | know too well the scound' eiism
Of that party to trust myself To their magma
nimFty | Halter myself that my naIne Is
nl,c,d beyond the sphere OF eaIuhny, and
a II IN, past history gives assurance that my
friend, NAV hav. cause to mourn my tate,
bu, never nay principles.
1 call your attention once more 10 my Ie,-
| ter 10 the New York Tribune after the Me-
braska crime. ask of you the favor OF It's
I republication. ara cheered that lind my
self in sympathy with the great minds and
heroic hearts of the Nation Thank God
/ for this foretaste of"the good time coming"
! All hail, Ohio! all hail the "Nor,h!"--all
hail. the REPUBLICAN PARTY
Go on, then, with the sentiments OF the
18th of July inscribed on your banners
| July the 4th, and July the 18Th: may they
both be eras TO be ever remembered among
men when the aspirations of the great
Jeff rson should b. fulfilled, and the revou.
ton begun in '76 shall commence being
completed in 30!
But we shali not have peaceful triumph.
Deity vindicates und expia'es the violation
OF His eternal laws. Blood consecrates ever
The remorsc OF great wrong. Standing here
under the acknowledged responsibilities o!
| home and country. which no man can at will
put on, or put off, | calmly look destiny,
| whatever it be, in the face, but living or dy-
ing. my aspiration shall be immortal --may
our country YET be Tree.
! yDur ohaLitEt servant,