The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer. (Bel Air, Md.) 1862-1864, 1863-11-06
/. BEL AIR. MD. FRIDAY MORNING,


the presentation of the petition had not
oceasioned him the slightest paiu, nor ex-
citec one solitary disagreeable emotion ~
II it were to be presented to him, he pre-
ferred that it should be done in the face of
this assemblage. He thought he could
give it such an answer as become him and
the subject Of which it treated AT all
events, he entreated aud beseeched his
fellow cilzens for their own, for the coun-
try's sake, for his sake, to offer no disre-
spect, no iudignity, no violence, in word
or deed, to Mr.. Mendenhall. a...r,.....
This appearing to compose the assembly,
Mr.. Clay bowed to Mr.. Mendephall, and
addressing him, said = ...l ~. l.. r,-.
[ will now, Sir, make to you and to this
petition, such a response as becomes me.
Allow me to say, that | think you have
not conformed to the independent charac-
ter of an American citizen, in presenting
"a petttion to me. | am, like yourself, but
u private citizen. A petition, as the term
implies, generally proceeds from an inte-
rior in power, or station, to superior !;
but between us, there is entire equality
And what are the circumstances under
which you have chosen to offer it? ain
a total stranger, passing through your
State, on my way to it's capital, in conse-
queuce of an invitation with which have
been honored to visit, to exchange friendly
salutation with such of my fellow-citizeus
Of Indiana as think proper to meet me,
to accept of their hospitality. Anxious as
I am to see them, and to view part of this
State which [ had never seen, [ came
here with hesitation aud reluctance, be-
cause 1 unprecedented that the motives Of
my journey might be misconceived and
perverted. But when the fulillment of
an old promise to visit Indianapolis, was
insisted upon, I yielded to the solicitations
of my friends and have presented myself
among you. . ..' ...' 'f"
Such is the occasion which has been de-
liberately chosen tor handing this petition
to me. [ am advanced in years and nei-
ther myself nor the place of my residence
is altogether unknown to the world -
You at any time within these last 20 Or
30 years, might have presented your pc.
ton to me at Ashland. If you had gone
there for that purpose, you should have
been received and treated with perfect res.
pect and liberal hospitality.
o"Now, Mr.. Mendenhall, let us reverse
conditions, and suppose you had been in
vited to Kentucky to partake of this hos.
pitality and that previous to your arri.
val, I had employed such means as 1 UNI
derstand have been used to get up this
petition, to obtain the signatures of citi-
zens of that State to- a petition to present
TO you to relinquish your farm aud other
property, What would you have thought Of
such a proceeding3 Would you have
deehled it courteous and according to the
rites Of hospitality? s''gt. .r''4 -'.s' ~
I know we'll that you, and those
who think with you, ccntrovert the
legitimacy of slavery, and deny the right
of property III slaves. But the lawin my
State and other States has otherwise de-
termined. The law may be wrong, 10
your opinion, aud ought to be repealed
but then you and your associates are not
tue law makers for us, and unless you can
show some authority to nullify our laws,
We must continue to respect them. Until
the, law is repealed, we must be excused
for asserting the rights AYE, the proper.
ty in slaves which 1t sancti ms, author.
ICES, and vihdicates. ~ o-', q ~ -
|, And who are the petitioners whose or
gan you assume to be? | have no doubt
that 'nauy Of them are worthy, amiabld
aud humane persons, who by erroneous
! Representations, have been induced incon-
! sidefately to afix the signatures to this
petition, and that they will deeply regret
it, Others, and not a few am told, are
free blacks, men, women and children,
who have been artfuily deceived and i'm
posed upon. A very large portion, ] have
lbseh Informed, are the political opponent:
Of the party to which ! belong Demo
crats as they most undaservedly callthenn'
selves, who have eagerly seized thisoppor.
tunity to wound, as they imagined, my
i FEELINGS and to aid the cause to which
They are attached In other quarters O.
4 the Uniop, Democrats claim to be the ex.
4 elusive champions Of the Southerbl inter
ests, The only safe defenders of the rights
lad slave property, and unjustly accuse as
INV higs with abolition designs, wholly In
!! com patible with its security What
\ ought these distant democrats to think Of
l|ahs coursslof their friends here wbolhave
united In this petition BIZ d al19t baidi
all naowhat isthe foundation of this ap
Il ,tu8l ,,st,,,a IN Indiana I'd liberafe the