Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1860-08-01
CAssIUs M. CLAY ON LINCOLN.

The able and eloquent speech of Mr. Clay
| the fearless champion of Freedom and Free
Labor recently delivered at Louisville, Ken
lucky, is published at length. 1t presents the
| principles and practice of the Republican par.
/ fy IN plain and most favorable contrast with
those of the double headed Democratic party.
Mr.. Clay very properly scouts the clamors OF
| dsunion, and rebukes the foolish and traitor
Gus schemes of those who make them. The
following description of ssHonesl Abe'' will
show that the speech was primarily intended
for Kentucky audience, but as the almanac
makers say. il will answer for any latitude;
SHOW, Gentlemen, few more words with
regard to ssHonest Old Abe and l will let you
off. TVoices-sGo on, .Hurrah for Bel,' and
Good.'1 He was born down here, gentlemen,
in Hardin county, Kentucky. He belonged to
that class that great many think it won't do
to make Presidents of,-but that think will
do. He was what we call in the mountains a
ssone .gallows, bare-footed boy,'' and he went
into the free State of Illinois, where every
man is looked upon according to his merit
where they don't ask who he is descended
from !; whether his grandfather was knight
or a sheep stealer ii made no difference. IA
Voice-sHow about Niger thief?''1 Or
whether he was niger thief, or the dog that
guards the nigger, and takes the bread out of
his own mouth to do it. He split rails. Yes,
sirs, he took his maui and split rails. He had
plause.l When the public did not sufficiently
educate him,-which they do there and which
we do devilish little of here,-he educated
himself, and then, in consequence of his fidel-
ity, they made him Captains not militia
Captain-not one of those captains who wear
gaudy clothes and fine epaulettes, and whose
principal business it is to go round the streets
drinking whisky and run around nights dis
turbing quiet people, and going to bed with
their boots on, TLaughter,] but they made
him captain of f1at-boat, and he went to New
Orleans and came back and handed the pro-
ceeds of his trip to his employers. AT about
the age of 30 he studied some law and he rose
to be one of the first lawyers in the State of
Illinois, and when the Little Giant, the Cap
tain of the Pro- slavery Democracy at that
time, took the field in defence of the exten-
sion of Slavery as against Free Labor, of all
the men of Illinois this zone gallows bare
footed boy was taken up to meet him.
A Bystander-ssAud he got badly beaten.''
Mr.. CLAY.-No, Sir. he did not He got
the popular majority over Douglas, however
much you may deny it. You tricked him out
of being Senator, but Won can't trick him ont
of being Presidents Well, there was Demo
crat in the mountains and he said he had no
notion of this thing, that he had split rails
once and he ought to be splitting them yet.
know that idea prevails in Kentucky, but he
met this champion of the minority. and what
do you think is the result We took the
speeches of both of them and sent them over
the country as electioneering documents.
And what do you Democrats do? You go a
way into some cellar and read them and then
burn the book, lest any else should see
them. Is not that glorious state of things
Does it not inspire manlness and confidence
in the bosom of any man to know shat really
man can have open field and fair fight.
and then the devil take the hndermost 2 If
you want this equal manliness for yourselves
go for Abraham Lincoln in 1860, and let US
take possession of the Government. Voices,
ssHurrah for Lincoln and hurrah for Bell.1 /
am much obliged to you for your kind atten-
tion, and l now bid you most respectful
good night. hope to meet you shortly at
the polls, helping to inaugurate "Honest Old
Abe.'' Mr.. Clay then retired, and the i'm
mense crowd dispersed