White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1860-04-19
lGr. Bates and the Louisville Journal
Henry Clay Misrepresented by His
Ancient Organ.

Henry Clay Misrepresented by His
Ancient Organ.
The Louisville Journal, in its notice of
the recent letter Of Edward Bates, indul-
ges in such extraordinary perversion Of
the political sentiments Of Henry Clay,
that we feel compelled to request Of that
highly respected and influential paper q
review of its words.
The Journal commences its notice Of
Mr.. Bates letter as follows:
If the main points Of the letter OF this
gentleman to the Chicago delegation of
Missouri are correctly presented by the
telegraph, as We presume they are, he has
deliberately and formally subscribed to
every article in the Republican creed. Nay
he has not merely subscribed to the entire
Republican, platform but he has subscrib-
ed, to it in the peculiar Republican spirit.
"He is opposed to the extension of slave
~" says the telegraph. "and in his opin-
ion the spirit and policy of the GOrern-
nuent ought to be against its extension -
This covers the whole Republican ground.
It settles the position of Mr.. Bates de-
cisively. He is Republican and moth
ing else.
Very we'll. We will not discuss the
pertinency of the Journals nomenclature
as applied to Mr.. Bates. 1t is the ssnti-
msnts of man that be should be judged
by-not the epithet that is sought to be
applied to him.
The mere name Republican" means
nothing. 1t is not harmful to Mr.. Bates
or any one else. if the political principles
that are maintained are not shown 10
be harmful, and inconsistent with pa
triotism and the presidents Of the Faith
ers.
But the Journal thinks, or pretends to
think, that Mr.. Bates has departed from
the doctrines of Henry Clay, in regard
to the extension-of slavery into Terrific
ries. Says the Journal
Looking to the antecedents Of Bates,
these liberal minded gentlemen of the
South had right to suppose that he,
like his professsd srempLar, the Mustrious
Clay, no matter what his private views
might be, reekoned total impGrtiality or
complete neutrality touching the attention
or non extension Of slarery as he first
and most solemn duty of the Government
in this relation. They were fully war.
ranted, under the circumstances, in be-
lieving that Mr. Bates, whatever might be
his opinion of slavery in the abstract.
would, as 8 conscientious. practical states
man, insist on the broad and equal and
upright discharge of the trust confided to
the Government by the organic law Of
the nation. They were entirely justified
in entertaining the belief that Mr.. Bates.
like Mr.. Clay. would recognize the great
principle of justice and of comfy as sa-
credly binding on the statesmen of the
Union, and would regard the abolition Of
slavery in the District of Columbia and
the exclusion Of SLAVERY from the common
Territories as equally in violation of the
national trust, if nothing 9rGUer.
Let us see whether Mr.. Clay reckoned
complete neutrality, or the recognition Of
the right of slavery to go into the COM
mon Territories as part of his political
creed.
In the discussion of Mr.. Clsy's COM
promise scheme in 1850, reported from
the committee of thirteen, Mr.. Davis, Of
Mississippi, demanded the extension Of
the Missouri line to the Pacific Ocean,
and the recognition of slavery on the south
side of that line, and declared these terms
the least he would take. Thus
81 here assert, that never will 1 take
less than the Missouri Compromise line
TO the Pacific, and also that heiis not sat-
is6ed with that, but requires. if 1 under
stand him correctly. positive provision
for the admission Of slavery south of that
line. And now, sir, coming from a slave
State as do, l owe it to myself owe
it to TRUTH owe it to the subject-to
say, that no earthly power could induce
me to vote for specific measure for the
introduction of slavery shere IL had not
before er,sted, either south or north of
that line.
"Coming as do from a slave State,
it is my solemn, deliberate, and well ma
tured determination, that no power, no
earthly power, shall compel me to vote
for the positive introduction of slavery
either north or south of that line.
"Sir, while you reproach, and justly
too, our British ancestors for tie introdue.
lion of this institution upsn the continent
Of Worth America. am, for one. not
willing that the posterity of the present
inhabitants of California and of New
Mexico, shall reprOdch us for doing just
iUhdt tUs reproach Great Brian for do.
ing to as.
"If the citizens of these Territories
choose to establish slavery, and if they
come here with constitutions sstabLishin9
slavery, sm for admitting them with
such provisions in their constitutions
but then it will be their own work and
not ours and their posterity will have
to reproach them, and not us, for forming
constitutions allowing tie introduction Of
sIavsry to exist among them. These are
my views. sir, and I choose to express
them. and care not how extensively, or
universally they are known"
We have no argument to offer on this
subject. II Mr.. Clay does not take ground
distinctly and uncquivocally. that it is
against "the spirit and policy of the Gov
ernment'' to positively allow the intro
duction Of slavery into free Terrific
ries-that ii would be subjecting our ru-
lers to the Same reproach" that we visi-