New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-06-16
CAssITls m. eLAY.
His Great speech 10 the ColOred PeO-
pie Of LexingtOn-Why They Can
Easier Vote for Greeley than for
Grant-His Own Position Explained.
Iron the Lexington Press, june II.

from the Lexington Press, June IL.
Monday afternoon, Immediately after the
adjournment Of the Democratic mass meet
ing at the courthouse, Cassius NJ. Clay adj
dressed the people from the stand IN the
courthouse yard. Long before the Demo
cratic meeting adjourned, a large crowd
had collected outside the house, and mani
tested their impotence. by repeated calls
for Clay.
At length Mr.. Clay assembled the stand,
and after a minute. perhaps, during which
he gazed round on the array OF faces turned
up toward him, be said;
Fellow-citizens ofEayette County, am,
as YOU all know, and have been Tor some
wears, no politician, and, notwithstanding
an that has been said against me- l hare
never yet, even by my most bitter oppo-
nents, been accused of being untruthful.
Whatever my opinions are now, whatever
thew have been, l have always spoken them
freely. both to white and black Knowing
that / spoke the truth, have never cared
to conceal my utterances. When l spoke,
not very long since, in st. Louis, by invita-
ton of those who, like myself, were friends
of the cOlored men, | told them, as now
tell YOU. that if there be in this country one
who can truthfully and consistently be
STYLED friend of the cOlored race that man
is Horace Greeley. He, like myself, was
their friend when to be such was dangerous,
when it was unpopular, and exposed one TO
the like risk Of being mObbed whether
he was in New York or Lexington. When
he was nominated by the Cincinnati con-
vention declared for him at once. What,
then, did the little Grant organ here say
/ knew that it was no contest between the
Democratic party and the Republican
party, but contest between all parties and
the Grant party. knew that Grant would
be nominated at Philadelphia by conven-
tion of Office-hOlders, for there never were
so many of these vultures before, nor were
they ever so corrupt before. knew that
Grants nomination was cut and dried, and
that these men, who pretended to love the
black man, when the hunt was up and the
game cooked, and cared nothing for him
when it was dangerous to do so, would
work for Grant, and / stuck to honest old
Horace Greeley, and the Grant party pa
pers said that Cash Clay had turned be-
cause Grant had recalled him. The st.
Louis Democrat called me a disappointed
ofice-seeker. Grant never recalled me,
and these assertions are false. My furnl
ture was sent home eighteen months or two
years before | came home, and why Be-
cause Seward was my enemy, and he
wished to have me recalled. l had re-
signed, but by law a foreign minister can
only resign his position to the Senate, by
and with whose advice he is appointed.
awaited the action of the Senate; but when
saw that Seward was trying to force me
out, being like other men, little proud,
would not 90 until l chose. And as mnch
as have been lied on, | stood by the only
government which acknowledged the
United States as a people. Did imperial
France or commercial England ever come
out boldly as our friend like Russia did
There may have been motives OF policy in
fuencing Russia. She desired us to pros
per that the balance of power might be
maintained, but yet she was for us; and If
l was sent to her court for anything, it
was to keep her true to us. did keep
her true to us, and she was the
only legitimate government in all
Europe that was. Yet Seward did not like
me, Just as the Kentucky Statesman didn't
like me, because / tell the truth; and If
there is anything on earth that such men
don't like it is the truth. A Senator, and he
was Republican, too, told me that he was
in the Republican caucus when they were
discussing my case, and they passed vote,
saving that / should not be recalled How,
then. can be called sorehead How can
it be said that Grant recalled me, and that
is the milk in the cOcOanut! did make
one request of General Grant, and my
friend of the Statesmen is welcome to know
all about that; if he wishes so [ will tell him
how it was, although | am not in the habit
of troubling myself about the little min
nows. for strike at the big fish Seward
was against me, and | wrote to Grant I'M
der my own sign and seal, asking him to
let me stay in my place a few more months,
as | did not want to be misrepresented;
that | had served my country well, had
kept Russia faithful, and would come
home as soon as l could do so without
it being said that l was turned out. This
was about nine months after Grant came in;
and, when people say | was recalled, 1t Is
simply lie made out of whole cloth. When
did come home, l came home Grant
man. This never concealed, and by this
time the Statesman ought to know 1t, II 1t
knows anything. They have never attacked
nv principles, not even when l was at the
Cincinnati convention; they knew that
had been lifelong consistent friend of the
cOlOred man, and so they sneered at me,
and called me a ''sOrebead," and said that |
hated Grant because he would not give me
an office. You all know that | am truth
full man, and I assure you upon my honor
that there is no Office in the gift of Ulysses
S. Grant that | would have--no, not if he
offered it to me ten hundred times over.
TCheers, and cries of. "good."l Don't I'M
derstand me that feel above an honorable
office; simply feel that no honest man can
accept an Office under such a corrupt ad
ministration without FORGETTING his self-re
spect. Applause.
The Statesman says that the cOlored PEG.
pie don't know Cash Clay They ought to
know me, and they do know me better than
anybody else. Why when | was in Mexico
| cot into little trouble out there, and went
to this white man and that white man, and
asked them to do favor for me, but they
wouldn't. Then / met black man, and
asked him if he would do it. He replied,
"Ain't you Massa Cassius Clay p YES"
said /, and he did what l wanted, and what
even my own color refused to do for me.
Does that look as if the cOlOred men knew
met / want to read you letter from a
cOlOred man way down here in Bloomfield
I'll find it in q minute; for if | amt as swift
on foot as l used to be, you'll find
me just as sure. Mr.. Clay here
read a somewhat lengthy letter, very
complimentary to him, pledging the colOred
vote for Greeley, and abusing Grant, etc,
after which he prOceeded.l Now you hear
what a colored man writes to me, and he
does it in spite of the lies that are told on
me- Why, in my own neighborhOOd in
Madison county, they made the c0iOred peO-
pie believe that l and Horace Greeley both
had been always against them. But told
them better, and now they are all for Horace
Greeley-iust as | am-and | have got his
statue in my house, for when | was mObbed
and threatened here, he stood by me, he
alone defended me, and l loved him for it,
so | got his statue, and keep it yet. Can
any of their tricks make me forget him If
they 60 to PLAYING off any on me, I'll soon
find it out and blow it up.
Now, this explanation is necessary in Or
der that you might trust me, and if there is
any man south of Mason and DixOn's line
whom you can trust, | am that man. There
are those who warn you not to trust me-
But when I was spending for you my
strength and the energy of my youth, when
life is beautiful and desirable, where were
they What then were they doing to Sc
80. E-aaln r.. ? M If 1ha-n lara