The true Democrat., 1856-09-02
Speech of James B. Clay, Delivered at the Union Meeting in Mason
 County, Kentucky.

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 County, Kentucky.
 Mir. Clay being called for was introduced to the assemblage as an old-lne whig, the son of Henry Clay. He said:
 Ladies and Gentlemen, Fslzoao- Citizens of Mason County: 1 present myself before you on this occasion under circumstances peculiar and extraordinary. A candidate for no office in the gift of the people, in bad health, I have left my home and my occupation as an humble, plain farmer, at the request of those Tn whose names l recognize old whigs and democrats, to come here to-day to cast in my mite and to strike one blow for the Union. In all this vast assemblage there are perhaps not more than half dozen persons who have ever seen me before, and not that number with whom 1 have the least personal acquaintance. You have all of you, however, heard my name; and all of you have heard the vilest charges made against me, designed and calculated to destroy what ever little influence l might happen to possess as an individual, and to take from me the con- idence and respect of my fellow men. 1 have been denounced as false to the memory of my father, and as renegade to his principles Fellow citizens, 1 was born within stones throw of the capitol, in the very house in which my father died Educated under his care, the same shades of Ashland in which he so much delig ghted, and under which he had some of his nobleSt inspirations, gave shelter to me in my youthful days. l thank God that, by my own exertons, I have been able to preserve that spot in his family. In my more mature man. hood l was the companion, the partner, the trusted friend of my father Thus educated and thus associated, to be whig became a part of my nature. 1 am now whg; and 1 expect to die whig, as have lived
 Fellow citizens, you have heard the charges and calumnies against me. l am now before you, face to face, and you can judge for your selves whether 1 have the countenance of a false and insncere man. There is not one drop of false blood coursing through my veins.- Numbers of you here present are old enough to remember the River Raisin, and that bloody day, when all Kentucky was clothed in mourn ing. One of my race on that disastrous occa- sion, poured out his lfcs blood for his country. All of you have heard of Buena Vista, and how my noble brother, covered with hundred wounds, upon his back, surrounded by enemies, so long as his feeble arm could raise his sword, battled for the honor and glory of the Union and of his native Kentucky. None of you can have forgotten that funeral cortege, which, leaving Washington city, passing through hat the Uuon arrived at Ashland, amid the tiou's tears and grief-a patriot brough Int home to be laid under the green sod of the land which had so honored him, and upon which he had reflected so much honor. Fellow citizens, this Is my racc-these were my pcop!e-and with their memories always present and clus tering around me, appeal to you to know whether 1t IS possible for me to be false or ln- sincere
 Eearlv in the last year, fellow citizens, it was apparent to all men that the whlg party, as an organized party. was gone. The see,ls of its fall were sown in l84O, when the plume of a military chicftain was permitted to dazzle mems eyes. But in l849, when adopting the doctrine that availability and success were rath CT to be looked to than right, In lieu of the no be idea that 1t was better to be rig h than to b. President, the convention of Philade phia set the seal upon the fate of the party. Refusing to reassert platform of whig principles 1t se ected General Taylor as its candidate for the Presidency upon the sing ge idea of his avala, bity. The handwriting was as plainly upon the wall as at BelshazZars feast. The whlg par ty thus broken up, disorganlZed, and apparently hopelessly so, old line whss began to ask them selves the question which once the immortal sage of Marshtield propounded himself, "whefe am to go" RumOrs cane to us of party which was said already to have attained vast strength, even while many doubted its very ex- istence. Secret and mysterious it was reputed, like Minerva from the brain of Jove to have sprung forth fully armed. Its purposes were said to be the introduction of purer and better state of things in politics, and the good only of the country.
 Seeing many of my old whg associates at ! Il i I whiggery in disguise, and that it only differed from the old whig party in seeking a modiica- ton of the naturalization laws 1 had myself always thought that some modification ought to be made of those laws, and that greater safe guards ought to be placed around the elective franchise. 1 was told that its secrecy, which was abhorrent to my nature, was only to con- tinue until the party got fairly under way, when everything would be made open and pub- lie. Deceived by men in whom had every confidence, l thought it to be my duty to join this new party. 1 presented myself for ad- mission into the order Do not be deceivcd-I did not get in. The first questions that were propounded to me astounded and startled me. They are in substance these; do not pretend to quote the very words: Where was 1 born? The place of my residence? Was I twenty u Were my parents Protestant? Was my wife Roman Catholic? Was I willing to oppose for all offices of honor, trust or profit in the gift of the people, all foreigners and Roman Catholics?
 Fellow-citzens, lam not ttellngyou untruths declare to you upon my honor, and in the presence of God, that believe these to be sub stantaly the questions which were proposed to me; and appeal to those members of the so called American party, who may be present, to answer whether l have not stated truly the obligations under which they placed them selves in the early part of 1855, whatever may now be the doctrines of their party, which do not pretend to know. 1 do not expect them to answer me, but do expect them, when they go to their own homes, to make answer to their own consciences whether 1 have not spoken the truth. Shocked and startled, requested the presiding officer to read again the obliga- tlon against fore gners and Catholics. It was done, and an attempt made to explain away the force of the clear meaning of the words of the obligation. l observed that 1 had been mistaken and deceived as to the purposes of the party, or my shadow would never have darkened their door. 1 took my hat and wish" ed them good morning.
 Fellow citizens, there was once in the middle ages political society in Europe, and espe- cialy in Germany, called the Wuminoti; one of its practices was that when an individual became partially or fully initiated, and after wards disclosed any of it's secrets, two.alterna- tives were offered to the wretched victim-a cord and dagger were secretly placed by his bed side, and he might either hang himself or put himself to death with the dagger; if he chose neither of these delightful alternatives his nearest relation, even his own brother, if member of the society, was bound to take his life. Felow-citizens, all secret political so- cietes are alike. In this age, since letters and the press are come about, the cord and the dag ger are no longer used; venal press affords far more potent weapon and more vindictive punishment. By fasehood, by calumny, by libel and detraction, not only may the heart of the victim himself be torn in pieces, but the feel ings of his wife, his mother, his children, of his whole family are reached and lascerated for