The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1860-04-19
Henry CDay's Optss IONS on slavery
TeSeisea Omy Of Mr.. G6a1imgS.

Tesftsnony Of Mr.. GtAAimgs.
In answer 10 a friend, who inquiries what
were ",he views of the late Hon Henry
Clay upon the subject Of American Slavery.
especially the powers and duties OF our
General Government in regard to it; as held
by him in lS44," Hon Joshua r GiddIngs
replies (after some preliminary remarks as 10
his personal intercourse with Mr.. Clay, &c,
rs follows:
You will recollect my own resolutions pre-
sented to the House Of Representatives
They were in direct conflict with those OF
the Senate: they denied the right OF the Fed
eral Government to invoke the people of the
Free States in the crime disgrace Of sus
tanning '.tralfc IN slaees-" | need not re-
mind you that was publicly censured and
driven from my seat for thus asserting our
constitutional rights. l refer to these facts.
for the purpose of saying that Mr. Clay sus.
i tained my right to express my views; he even
of Representatives when the final vote was
taken. and the outrage consummated AS l
left the body. met Mr.. Clay near the door.
He extended his hand to take leave Of me.
approved my course, and encouraged me.
was passing through The most trying scene
of nv life. and l shall not soon forget the
encourag ement he lent me.
| The National In,elligencer also asserted
my rights and ably maintained them. The
venerable editor OF that paper still lives, and
may recollect the circumstance. but | speak
from information when say Mr. Gales con-
suited with Mr. Clay in regard to his course,
and acted with the full! appreciation OF that
distinguished statesman.
l returned to Washington after an absence
of FIVE weeks, and had a more free inter-
change of views with Mr.. Clay than before.
In private conversation he spoke OF his firm
hostility to the extension of slavery, which
he afterwards expressed publicly in the Sen
ate | then understood him to hold that
Congress possessed no constitutional author
uy to involve the people of the Free States
in the support of that institution. But as
Mr. Calhoun and other Southern men now
demanded that the nation should support
the slave trade and slavery. Mr.. Clay ap
peared more delicate on this point.
In the summer and autumn Of l842 l
wrote ten short essays upon the relation of
the Federal Government TO the institution of
Slavery. They were prepared with some
care. and were first published in the Western
Reserve Chronicle. over the signature of
"Paci6cus;' they were republished in pamph-
let form in Washington, and in some of the
Free States. They took the most decided
ground against all efforts to involve the peo-
pie of the Free States or the Federal Gov
ernment in the support OF Slavery. or the
slave trade, or in the recapture Of fugitive
slaves. On this last point | admitted that
Congress might pass laws prohibiting the
people Of the Free States from aiding tugl-
tives to escape, but denied the power OF the
Federal Government to prohibit US from
feeding the hungry. or clothing the naked.
or instructing the ignorant In short. those
essays declare Slavery to be a State instltu-
ton, dependent entirely on State enactments.
That if it be maintained it must be by the
State in which it existed. and not by the
Federal Government
Mr.. Clay fully approved these doctrines,
declared them to be the doctrines of the
Constitution, by which this Government
must be maintained if it be perpetuated. He
SO said to Northern men and to Southern
men.
In April. 1874. Mr.. Clay made speech at
| Raleigh, North Carolina at the close Of which
he stated synopsis of Wing faith. declar-
ing that it Of the principles of the
| Wing party "shat each State shoald sustain
or abolish It's opa peculiar Institutions
warmly sustained Mr.. Clay for the Pres
/ iencv 1884. and so did our venerable
friend Mr. Adams. In all my speeches
stated his doctrines were to leave that iusti-
tuition entirely with the States in which it
existed, and separate the federal government
and tie people of the Free States from all
| support Of it.
An edition Of his Raleigh speech was
published in Kentucky, leaving out his syn
! opsls Of Wing faith. was told Mr.. Clay
did not intend to commit himself to the doe
trines which l imputed TO him. l at once
wrote to Mr.. Clay. Stating what was said
| He replied. saying the omission was through
insdverlence. without his knowledge. and
that he would set the matter right at an ear
| ly day.
Accordingly he soon published his letter
| to the Lexington Observer. using tie very
emphatic language, that "the continuance,
the maintenance, the eristence of slavery
must depend erclasirely upon the power and
authority OF the States in which it exists"
This full. this urequiyocal exclusion of
the Federal Government from all support of
slavery. and making that institution to de-
pend entirely upon the power and authority
OF the States in which it exists was perfect
| ly satisfactory to me, then and now constitutes
the basis Of our Republican platform.
/ l supported Mr.. Clay for the Presidency
The Liberty party opposed him; at least
many OF them did. Our old men will recol
lect that Judge King. the leader of thai
party, challenged me to discuss the propriesy
of sustaining Mr.. Clay. We met at Bloom
field. and those who were present will recol
lect that Judge King admitted that Mr.. Ola,
was pledged 10 the doctrines which main
tanned, bu, insisted that as Mr.. Clay was
STAKEHOLDER. be would not carry out thos'
doctrines if elected; and may add that ex
cept for Mr.. Clsy's letters upon the annexs
ton of Texas, written apparently to obtain
Southern support, he would have been elect
:. ed, vet believe, would faithfully have re
deemed his pledges thus distinctly and EN-
phatically given.
a He was defeated. but l am not aware tina
he changed his views at that time. On tn
contrary think, in speech at Lexington
in lS4s. he repeated the same doctrine
which he had pu, forth in lS44 and in lS5