East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1864-10-19
Henry Clay on The. evils Of Abolition
md Eactsonal A citation

and Sectional Agitation.
The following letter from Henry
Clay, with the Introductory notice from
Mr.. Bloom, was published for the frs!
time last year. 1t may not be map
propriate to reproduce it at this timo.
1t shows the views taken by the great
Wing Statesman of the evil effects Of
the anti-slavery agitation. With q
prophetic mind he saw, and with a
patriots impulse, he warned his coun-
trymen against the breakers ahead, il
they gave to the Abolitionists the di-
rection Of the Ship of State:
fromthe Mansfield shield and Banner
SHELBY, Ohio, July IL, 1863
John Y. Gl ssner:
DEAR SIR: 1t may be well to give
to the public the following lettor from
Henry Clay, published for the FIRST
time in the Shelby Express about six
months ago. The original letter was
in my possession, and the following is
. .-..~s. .-Py IS :. .--ls. at the time.
The letter is in possession OF m,s.
Elizabeth Pittinger, daughter OF
Jacob Gibson, to whom it was origin
ally addressed. The letter is in his
own hand writing, and in an excellent
state Of preservation. / bespeak for
it a careful perusal.
S. NJ. BLOOM.
LETTER FROM HENRY CLAY.
ASHLAND, 25th Of July, lS42.
DFAR SIR--I received your letter
by my neighbor and friend Mr.. Hen
ry, and the good account he gives me
Of you induces me to transmit this an
swer.
My opinion on tho subject Of slave
ry and Abolition was fully expressed
in the Senate Of tho United States in
February, 1899, and ! have seen no
reason since to change it. The speech
which / delivered on that occasion
may be found in cheap, although
imperfect collection Of my sreech' s,
recently published in Cincinnati, and
to that i respectfully refer you. re-
gret that have no copy OF II ty ne,
detached from tho book, or ] would
send it to you.
regret the existence of slavery az
an evil. / regret it, and wish tina,
there was not slave in the United
States.
But it is al evil which, whilst it Of
fects the States only or principally
where it abounds, each State within
which it is situated, is the exclusive
Judge Of what is best to be done with
it, and no other State has q right tc
interfere with il. kentucky has no
right to interfere with slavery in Vir.
z MIA, and Ohio has no right TO inter
fere with it in either.
The jurisdiction of each State where
slavery exists, is among the reserved
rights Of the States. Congress pos
sesses no power or authority TO abol
ish II. Congress is invested with NJ
power relating to It, except that which
assumes is Legitimate and continued
oAistcnve. as 10 slavery, win the oX-
ception OF the conservative repr.sent-
atives, and taxing powers of Con-
gress, the States are as much beyond
control Of Congress, as if they were
independent nations, unconnecied by
any confederate Constitution. Al
though believe SLAYER, to be a, evil,
I regard it as q far less evil than
would arise out Of an Immediate
emancipation Of the slaves Of tho Uni
ted States, and Their remaining here,
mixed up in our communities, In
such a contingen y / believe that a
bloody civil war would arise, which
could terminate only by the extinction
of the black race. 1t results, from
these opinions which entertain, that
l consider the movements Of the Abo.
litionists as altogether unauthorized,
and most unfortunate. i believe them
productive of no good whatever, but
attended with positive mischief to both
the white and black races.
OF all the modes of separating the
free blacks from the rest of the popu
lation of the United States, in my
opinion, that Of colonizing them il
Africa is the best. They are there in
tho sbodes Of their ancestors, in a eli
mate congenial with their constitu.
tions, and with boundless territoria
scope before them. For these ant
other reasons, ] think Africa far pref
cradle to Oregon. An emigrant car
be sent to Africa much cheaper than
he can be to Oregon. Ho would theI
be not only i'll the homo of his fore
fathers, but he might render grea
service to the natives OF Africa, 10y III
tIoducing among then. the arts cav
ilization, and the religion of Christ. -
He would moreover be secure from
the progress of the white mnn, whicl
he would bc far from being IN Oregon
i have regretted extremely me az
tation Of abolition in the free States
1t has done no good, but harm. !
will do no good. The great body o
Abolitionists, ike the great III ,ss o
every party, have no doubt, is Lon
est, sincere and humane. Their lead
ers deceive them, anu will cndeavor t
profit by them. They will seek e
ride into public Office, and snatch pub
lie honors, upon ths delusions whicl
they propagate.
Abolition is delusion which can
not last. 1t is impossible it shoul'
endure. What is it? In pursuit 0
principals great principle---if yo'
please, It undertakes to tread dow
and trample in the dus. al opposing
principles, human or sacred. 1t set
up the right of the people OF on
State to dictate to the people OF othe
States. 10 make the black man free
it would virtually enslavo the whit
man. With a single idea some of il
paltisans rush ON blindly regardies
of Consequences. They have dare
even to threaten our glorious Unio
with dissolution And suppose tha