Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1861-01-03
Letter from Cassius NJ. Clay.

The following letter from Hon. c. NJ Clay was
read at Republican meeting, held at indianapolis
on the ODD instant:
WHITE HALL, KY. Dec 10.
MY DEAR FRIEyD: Your favor of the 9th inst,
advising me of a meeting Of the people of the
Capital of Indiana, to take place on the 22d inst.
and asking "a word of counsel in reference to the
pending issues of the United States Government,
which they propose to consider, isreceived.
thank YOU most sincerely for this mark of your
confidence in my judgment and patriotism.
yield to your request in spirit of humility; but
| trust, with fidelity and unselhshness which be-
come one who knows how much all personal
greatness is dwarfed in comparison with the mag
nitude of the events of our times.
The threatened dissolution ofthe Government
of the United States of America takes no re-
flecting man by surprise. The existence of two
elements ofcivilizaticn-of free and slave society
/ of Freedom and Slavery--of Repubcanism
and Despotsm-of appeal to right and rule of
| force--in the same Government, was anomaly
in theoretic unity--was a disturbing influence
before, and in the formation of the Federal
Union. Thomas Jefferson and Roger Sherman,
and all the leaders of the true Democracy, look
ed upon the existence of African Slavery as an
alien and destructive element in our Republic,
and went down to their graves fearful of the is
sues which it now forces upon us-which are, in
a word, to WELD to its unquestioned rule, or suf-
fer dissolution of the Union.
Before We can apply remedy to the present
ills, we must understand the real causes of the
disease
|. Then, the Personal Liberty Bills ofthe Free
States are not the cause. The very dispassion-
ate editor of the National Intelligencer, after a
| full review of the laws of all tho Free States.
supposed to nullify the Fugitive Slave Law, adj
mts that but four States have passed laws in
conflict with the fugitive Slave Law; and one of
them. Massachusetts, in doubtful position
The intention of these laws seems to be simply
to protect the rights of freemen generally, with
out reference to the Fugitive Slave Law; and OF
but few of them. to nulify the unconstitutional
provisions Of Mason's BILL Every Southern
State has similar Personal Liberty Bills and my
own State in de ance of the Federal Constitu-
ton, generazes Governor Dennison's illegal re-
! fusal to return Lago, into a law.
All the Republican party ask IL to have thai
law cleared Of its unconstitutional and insulting
clauses. and il will be carried out in good faith,
as our fathers in the Constitution agreed, and aA
Personal Liberty Bills, conflicting with its legal
enforcement. will be repealed.
.. Neither is the refusal of the Republican
party to allow Slavery to 60 into the Territories
a cause.
In this we follow the footsteps of our fathers,
and the footsteps even of the disunion Democ-
racv. running down to a late period in our times
The South knows very well that, under even
the local territorial sovereignty of her Cincln-
natl platform, by sad experience, she can not
meet free labor by free ballot and conquer.
Her usurpation of political power in the persons
Of the Supreme Court of the United States. she
ONLY knows, a. her great leader, Senator Doug
las admits can not avail her, even il acquiesced
in bv Republicans, against the inevitable "un-
friendl7 Legislation Of the free labo. settlers OF
the Territories.
2. Neither is the election of Abraham Lincoln,
- - -
The South knows that Mr.. Lincoln Is Ken
tuckian bv birth, and has a Kentucky born wife
and numerous slaveholding relatives-that he -
an old Henry CLAY Whig-a conservative by
temperament antecedents and avowals. and that
all the constitutional rights Of the South r'H Dc
By him thoroughly protected In fact, the leading
minds in the secession movment now abandon
this ground of ofense.
What, then is the cause of the disInion move !
II is simply desire 10 rule or ruin-'he ora pas :
sion in the hearts of our humanity, which we
are told is as old as the race, and antecedent to
il in the devils of old.
The .irress oresible conflict" between free and
slave labor has been. by the natural laws OF peace
+ full ntasonsm. fought out, and victory mas
perchei upon the standard OF Liberty. south
Carolina had teSed the thing as early as ie32-5
Failing in her designs of seperate existence 10y
which alone she could compel some ola the trade
which centers in New York and the other Free
cities into the building up of her own
Charleston upon the tariff ISSUE she has steadi-
ly abided her time, and now, Andrew jackson
I fore.old. she takes hold of the Slavery question
! 70 effect the same purpose, with the same ois.e
gard of the rights ofothcrs even OF the Border
Slave States--but with more hope oil maj
success.
nthese aspirations Of separate existence
aalltho Goften SfataauaEnnnthi1G Nth ME a2