The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-01-20
From the Cincinnati Commercial, Jan. Ilth
Speech of Cassius M. CLAW,

An announcement, though from mouth to
mouth only. thnt G. M. Clay would speak
somewhere in Frankfort tonight, detained
large number of tho Democratic State
Convention delegates, and filed tho streets
at an carly hour; it was rumorcd that no
would DO attacked if he prcsisted in speak
ing during tho present excitement, but be-
yond shutting him out of tho State House,
no indignities were offered. He said =
'Kontuckans. the profoundest of historians,
Gibbon, said that of tho virtues, courage
and sincerity arc tho greatest; you know
that | never speak of my courage, and re-
gard boasting us ono of tho worst faults of q
class of my fellow citizens, but tho circum
stances of to night justify me in alluding to
tho prOyerbial courage of Kontuckians'-
Relying upon that courage of yours. | come
hero tonight ono against million it NAV
be. AS | have Como abroad all over this
Commonwealth, it has been insinuatcd that
as John Brown intimidatod Virginia, | iu-
tended to bully all Kentucky, and for this
reason it would DO best to silence mo alto.
gothor. Your known courage is sufficient
rebuko 10 this.
Your women and children have no fears
There is ono who should DO sacred from
publicity, but am justified in holding up
this letter from Cash. Cay's wife, in which
she says nothing of my personal safety
That is of small account indeed, but she
hopes that tonight | will vindcate tho
tho great cause. dony tho charge
that a personal conflict was intended
by the announcement that on the 10th of
January | would reply to passages of tho in
augural of Gov. Magoilin and tho speech of
Vice President Breckenridge. Thoy arc
bravo and honorable mon, but thuy arc fal,
lible. Humble as | am-not so much as al
lowed tho peoples hall to speak in-I am
still citizen, and shall exercise tho rights
of one. Whatever has been said against me,
YOU believe think what speak. am an
Emancipationist llo is not dangerous who
avows his sentiments.
Mr.. Clay alluded to tho expulsion of John
G Feo and some nineteen others from
Madison County, and declared Eco pure
and upright man, though no (Clay) did not
agrco with him in his assumption of not
being amenablo to the laws. and had warned
him ho should not sustain him therein. He
(Clay) fought under tho Constitution and
tho laws, but tho act of driving Fec out was
lawloss and unjustifablc. Fec and his associ.
atos had preached no new God but had built
saw mills and school houses, and tonight
tho neglected youth of tho mountain dis
tricts, who had no other teachers and no
other friends, as tho reports in your State
archives attest, condemn thor cxpulsion.-
Foo had no SharpoS riflos, had nevor ap-
proved the act of John Brown, but was a
peaccablo and devoted Christian preacher.
MIR. Clay had written these facts to the
Madison County papers and to the Cincn-
natl papers, but tho letters had not been
allowed to reach their destination ia time
to disabuse tho popular mind. and the most
useful teachers and workers in Madison
County were driven forth.
Senator Breckenridge has alluded to the
position of Senator Seward in terms that re-
quire protest from mo. Elsewhere the
statesman of Now York will vindicato him.
self; but hore in kentucky, where tho press
is not free, aud liberty of speech not uni.
versal, he has a right to expect defense at
my hands. Mr.. Clay proceeded to show
that by "higher law" Seward intended tho
samo revorent Acknowledge of an over
ruling Providence, and the eternal su.
premaoy of divine law, that ovory statesman
and good citizen acknowledge in other
terms. Mr., Clay was impressvely eloquent
in this part. lie next proceeded 10 defend
Stewards expression in regard to the SIRE
paessible conflict" and showed that the
Representatives of South Carolina and othel
Slave States, and tho editor of The Louis
vile Courier, to-day so jubi!ant oyel