New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-04-19
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a1Ial JOURNAL OF the UNITED STATES
,lat JOURNAL Of NEW ORLEANS
CAssIUs M. CLAY.
-, secech IN Kentucky-The Administra-
- ArraieueA and the Cincinnati Con-
Z X Weldon IndeRsed. =.
tFrom the Cincinnati Enquirer.


- ArraieueA and the Cincinnati Con-
z X vcusaen InAersed. =
'&s rFrom the Cincinnati Enquirer]
erxxFoRD, XIV, April 15-Hon. Cassius
n. CLAW addressed = large mass meeting
I here today. 1t was an earnest and ex-
ianstive effort, was received throughout
vuifh appliance, and created marked sen
a64ion. Mr.. Clay said:
g relIow- Citizens-I appear before you as
I. tmo Of the people, not az partisan. am
!. 1ot in the habit Of speaking OF myself, as
syou all know; but on this occasion, when
IN who pursue their conscientious con-
4 vicfions are accused Of being influenced by
Improper motives, it will not be inappropri-
-. perhaps, for me to refer to some OF the
& inojdAnts Of INV political life.
Originally Wing, / took the liberty, al.
WAYS, Of thinking and acting independent
!. IL. and according to my own convictions;
% that shen the Wing party diverged from
III original principles into Know Nothing
politic but unjust-I did not hesitate to
1vOw my convictions Is opposed to- the
WhOle movement. And later in life, when
the anti-slavery question became prom
inout, and the Wing organization was found
to be unwilling or incompetent to recog-
Dise the liberal movement, l separated from
the Whies and joined-and if may be
AAWW0U " b&y so-d<SlsUcu ~ iOrMIus Inc
4 Republican party. Later still, when the
scheme of territ0rialising the States-"the
cause Of all our woes"-was entered upon,
opposed it ~ ''outside of the constitu-
tion.e
So now. once more, laner in life, when all
tie great principles of the Republican party
have been vindicated and established, and
/: 4 81 attempted to commit me to new princi-
! ples md new Issues, which can not con-
aunfsn r1vyo 4 m "
@ne1f md assume the designation and aims OF
the Liberal Republicans. ! can NO longer
act with the Radical Republican leaders for
Rany reasons. some of them personal, but
met Of them political.
A CONSTITUTIONAL MAN.
You know very we'll, men of Kentucky,
that al nv life have been Q constitutional
( 6An-hOlding that constitutional liberty
30 the only possible liberty. In the dis
cussion of the subject OF slavery it was al
Wsys my purpose to persuade the people Of
X6ntucky to change their institutions, and
% that end I used such arguments ~ my
ing al these times Of political discussion
\ ard excitement, always Obeyed, and advo-
Y Gated obedience to law. / differed IN this
cespect from my Abolition friends, who
were for the overthrow of slavery, without
reGsrd to State or national constitutions.
: differed from them because, in country
Ike ours, based upon the principle that the
duty OF the people to obey the cOnstitu-
tional laws until they we're legitimately
changed.
In . complex government like ours,
where al the power belongs to the people,
composed Of sovereign States and national
unity, felt it the highest duty Of the citi-
; sen TO subordinate his opinions and action
~ Il hn11 <hnk
!, long as slaves were held as property by the
States, there was NO power in the national
govern ment to disturb them, except in
places of national exclusive jurisdiction.
And I therefore commended the cOnscien-
Z fiOus action Of the Garrison Abolition
! rarty, not intending to obey the fugitive
/ lave laws. and thereby fulfill their obliga-
lions to the constitution in calling tor the
+ 1issOlution Of the Union.
Once more, fellow citizens, in 1862, while,
- . war measure, l advocated universal
emancipation, / held that in the loyal
6tatos, the States alone had power to
obolish it, or the federal government by
change Of the constitution.
HIs MISSION UNDER LINCOLN.
urged the emancipation policy as war
weasure upon President Lincoln at a time
when stood almost alone in the Republi-
GAn party. fattered myself that brought
conyiction to his mind that it was necessary
- the success of the Union cause that slaves
should be treated as any other property
- mules, ~ grain. or any other article Of
oonsumptiOn, or of offense or defense, and,
II lawfully captured, subject to all the rules
IT war; that without that our cause would
al and ought to fail. After thOughtfully
considering the arguments, he said the
BATES were 80 equally balanced in power
that If he issued the proclamation, toward
which his own judgment and inclinations In
elined him, he feared that the State of Ken
tucky, being a slave State, would go over
and Join the South. In reply I told him,
having discussed the question of slavery
~ over Kentucky for many years, ven
1nod to cay that not single man in the
Gtato would be changed in consequence of
onch proclamation; that they had already
.nade up their minds and taken their
POSITION. Those who we're for slavery,
for the South, and those who had made up
their minds to stand by the Union had
made up their minds to lose, if need be,
their slaves also. He replied that if he
thought 90 be would issue such q prOcla-
nation, and suggested to me that, ae had
already been ordered by General Halleck
and the War Department to join General
Butler in New Orleans, should be relieved
Of that duty, and should 60 to Kentucky,
and see what was the feeling of the people
tn that respect. Thereupon he recalled the
order OF General Halleck, and sent me on q
secret mission to the Kentucky Legislature,
which was then in session, to ascertain
what would be the sentiment Of the lead |
ing pu bic men Of Kentucky if such a proc
lamati0n should be issued. l went to Ken
lucky. The Legislature was then in ses-
sion The Senate and House of Represent.
tives adjourned, and invited me to take the |
hall of the House of Representatives, which |
i did, and l spoke upon those issues. This |
epeech was reported by and published in |
the Cincinnati Gazette of August, 1862. I |
have not the original speech before me, but |
] have pamphlet edition of very nearly |
the precise language which used on that |
occasion as lecture, which / was called |
upon to deliver before the University of |
Albany, New, York, in, February, 1863. ex
tracts from which will now read:
"The President and the Republican party
leave slavery in the loyal States where
they found it. We have never claimed any
political power to abolish it there. We
abolish it in the District of Columbia, in
the erritories, and in all places of ex-
elusive national jurisdiction. This is glory
enough for any administration. The propo-
eition to compensate the slave-0wners in the
loyal States who shall iberate their bonds
men is on our part magnanimOus and pa
triotic. l approve the policy, and urged
the justice and expediency of it's adoption
upon the Representatives. of Kentucky in |
the hall Of the Representatives in August !
last. 1t is for them to adopt or to reject |
the proposition.
But, whether for or against the prociama-
ton and the scheme Of emancipation, the
loyalty Of my native State have never
doubted. hereditary slave State herself.
~ 10 Il
the higher interests, seconded by the CON
otitutiOn and the Union. Whatever oninion