Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-04-05
CLEVELAND THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL 5, 1860

We would defend ourselves to the last; and
th at ia such defense, we'd shoot him, Reuben
Munday, Terrill, or any other one Of the Com.
mitteo who aided and abettSd any assassination
Of any one Of my party; that / was for peace;
that had told our friends at Berea, that who
ever stood in defence Of Hanson, would do 50
at his own risk, and we would not stand by
him; but that II they cleared themselves Of
Hanson, and were attacked in their own right,
that w0 would make common cause-We
would take 10 the woods, and defend ourselves
10 the death.
This, men of Madison, is my whole connec'
tion with the Radicals Of Berea. All the time
against their doctrine-all the time for the
peace and safety OF the community.
On Monday night I staid with my sister
Snish;lOn Tuesday hearing that the eHcltsment
was mostly Rgsinst me, and that was thought
TO have dictated the letter Of Hanson to Judge
Field with view to bring on the war, made
my remarks at the court house 20 clear the
popular mind of all ApprehenuiouS. The false
hood Of the whole allegation iH apparent, when
you will see by the letter to Judge Field that
il is dated on the 18th instant two weeks ago,
when had neither seen nor known Hanson,noT
been at Berea since my Northern tour, and
therefore could not possibly have had any in'
teToOurse with him
Now il turns out just as had expected,
from what was said by Mr.. Newton in Rich
mOnd on Wednesday morning last, in the
presence Of G.. W. Maupin and others that
the Republicans had nothing to do with Han
son; were for peace; and fought in their own
defense.
The Republicans say (Which was admitted
to me by one of the party) their houses were
,H.fs - H. q
letter written to me by M0isrs. Bland and
Haley, stating that the whole cause of the
difficulty; which original letter. signed by
Haley and Band; by ]. r. Rawlings, can be
seen by calling upon me.
"BEREA, in the Evening,
s "March 80, 1860.
"MY FnRND G. NJ CLAY; I drop you lino
stating the facts concerning the fight. 10 the
first place. It was not brought about over Han
son, but over the treatment to George West -
The Committee went to his house on the hunt
Of Hanson. West is in the last stage of con,
sumption, and told his daughter to shut the
door; and they broke the door down, and they
cufIed and abused West and his daughter; and
We went to see West, with no view of seeing
any Of them. We met them, and begged 10.
peace and did ali could to obtain it. inten-
ded to laks your good advics.
"FRANE GLAND and GREEN Haley"
Here, men Of Madison, a-o some OF the facts
but not ali Of tho faets-the language TO the
daughter Of West was too gross for the public
eye; and | therefore suppress il. Nor were
these the only outrages. A similar ofiense TO
the children the poor brought on ! revolution
in that kingdom from which we draw our blood
and our love Of liberty. The story will sink
deep into the hearts of thirty millions of Amer.
leans The battle Of the Goth day Of Msrch
will never be forgotten in the annals of this ma
tion You may drive these men into the
mountains; you may burn their houses; you
may hunt them down like wild beasts, till the
lest one falls by superior force; but their cause
is the cause OF American liberty, and the holiest
instincts of human nature. Their maTtyrdom
will light up the fires Of civil war which will
pervade the Union, and be extinguished only
by the downfall Of one or the other Of the grest
powers which shall have caused them TO DESC
late the land
Men of Madison, stand by those men-l
stand by the Constitution and laws Of my native
State-I stand by the Republican party every
where-I stand by the liberties which inheri>
ted from our fathers, and which my own blood
has from the beginning Of the Revolution Of
l776 to this hour, in every battle field, been
PA0HeAH " NoANuAs 1balnt ia Wuluf uIl my
Frankfort speech of January 10, 1860, which
desire to place before the world as the ground
Of my faith and my action.
skaA IN no iray t0hatsVer reeogAiss or SUB
ma 10 any Revolutionary C0mmIttes. At my
cOuntry's call have freely risked my life in
her defense. Two years in exile f ON my home
and family; nine months in a foreign prison;
ready at all times TO sacrifice money, health,
and even life ITSELF have brought back an IN.
sullied name to the place Of my birth, and which
you were not the last to welcome as part Of the
common glory of the State You may be strong
enough to oyeFPower me; you cannot drive me
from the duty which ! owe TO myself, to my
friends and to my country. If fall, l trust !
shall not fall in vain; and it will be enough for
all my long~cherished aspirations, if perchance
my bloed shall atone for the wrongs OF my race,
AND THESE STATES SHALL AT LAST BE FREE.
@ NJ. CLAY.
White Hall, Ky, March 81, 1860.