Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-06-04
The Prophecy of Henry Clay Full.
filed.

The late ceremony of lunvailing the stat
ute of HENRY CLAY. at the chief city of tn,
State of his adoption-attended as it wa.
by citizens from all parts of the Republic
and endorsed by letters from thealeadine
statesmen of all parties, has revived the
name and fame of the ''great commoner.'
| As the leader of his party, he was bolG
and eloquent. His clarion voice never fail.
ed, in old Wing times, to rally his party to
the field, and when he was in command. the
battle was always desperate one. Yet in
the darkest day, and amid the fiercest bat.
tie, from even the most bitter of his politi-
cal opponents, never was the name of HENRY
CLAY coupled with q want of patriot.
ism. And the marble statute, intended to
transmit his form and features to posterity
represents him in that most sublime of all
his trinmpbs, when led by him, Whig and
Democrat alike Joined hands in 1850 to
tsave the Republic from ruin.
Years before the Compromise Measures
were passed, he prophesied not only the
danger, but the source from which it would
come, and thus, in 1889, from his place in
the Senate, he depicted, with prophetic
tongue, the terrible scenes to which Aboli-
tionism was bringing the country. Like
CAssANDRA,, the spirit of prophecy, was
upon him, but like that fated prophecies,
he was not believed until the ruin was ac-
complished. We quote from CoLToN's
Life of Henry Clay, page 157, volume 6. He
said: = Siz=ss = " < = : -
-.SIR: am not in the habit of speaking
lightly of the possibility of dissolying this
happy Union. The Senate knows that 1
have deprecated allusions, on ordinary oc-
casions, to that direful event. The country
will testify that If there be any thing in the
history of my public career worthy of re-
collection, it is the truth and sincerity of
my ardent devotion to its lasting preserva-
glance toit, If we do not discriminate be-
tween the imaginary and real dangers by
which it may be assailed. Abolition should
no longer be regarded as an lima aginary
danger. The Abolitionists, let me suppose,
succeed in their present aim of uniting the
inhabitants of the free States, as one
man, against the inhabitants of the slave
States : union on the one side will be-
get. union on the other, and the
process Of reciprocal consolidation,
VIII be attended with all the violent preju-
dices, embittered passions, and implacable
animosities which ever degraded or de-
formed human nature. A virtual dissolu-
ton of the Union will have taken place, |
while the forms of its existence remain
The most valuable element of Union, mu-
tual kindness, the. feelings of sympathy, |
the fraternal bonds which now happily
unite us will have been eXtinguished for |
eyer-ope section will stand in menacing
hostile array against the other. The col
lision of opinion will be quickly followed
by the clash of arms. / will not now at
tempt to describe scenes which now happily |
lie concealed from our view. Abolitionists |
themselves would shrink back in dismay |
and horror at the contemplation of desc
lated fields, confagrated cities, murdered |
inhabitants, and the overthrow of the fair
st fabric of human government that ever
rose to animate the hopes of civilized man.
Nor should these Abolitionists fatter them.
selves that, If they succeed in their object |
of uniting the people of the States, they |
will enter the contest with numerical su-
perioritY that must insure victory. ALI |
history and experience proves the hazard |
and uncertainty of war. And we are ad-
monished by Holy Writ that the race is not |
TO the swift, nor the battle to the strong.
But if they were to conquer, whom should |
Ghey conquer? A foreign foe one who has
nsulted our flag, invaded our shores, and
aid our country waste? No, sir; no, sir !
1t would be a conquest without laurels,
without glory; self, suicidal conquest
l conquest of brothers over brothers,
achieved by one over another portion of the
of common ancestors, who
hobly pledged their lives, their fortunes and |
heir sacred honor; and fought and bled,
side by side, in many hard battle on land /
and oeean-severed our country from the |
British Crown, and established our inde-
1ence.o EiE5ss EEEee ~ ~ .s-s |
Never did prophet paint the future in
,olors more true, than did HENRY CLAY
years since, paint the scenes
which the misguided ambition of A Aboiition
md the inordinate longing for Office Of its
ollowers, has plunged the country.