Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-09-23
Ye1istellamepns &eading.
HENRY CLAY ON ABOLITION.


HENRY CLAY ON ABOLITION.
In the autumn of 1S43, Mr.. Clay being on
visit to the State of Indiana, the occasion OF
his meeting large concourse of people at
Richmond, in Wayne county, of that State,
was seized upon for the purpose of presenting
him with petition signed by many of his po'
litical opponents, praying him to emanclpate
his slaves in Kentucky. AS the occurrence
forms an interesting episode in the history OF
our national politics, Mr.. Clay's good-natured
but sarcastic reply to the petitioners is worthy
of perusal even at the present time. Mr.
Clay replied to Mr.. Mendenhall, who had been
selected to present him with the petition, in
the following words:
7 hope that Mr.. Mendenhall may be treated
with the greatest forbearance and respect.
assure my fellow-citizens here collected, thai
the presentation of the petition has not occa
stoned the slightest pain, nor excited one soil
tary disagreeable emotion. If it were to be
presented to me, I prefer that it should be
done in the face of this vast assemblage.
think can give it tsuch an answer as becomes
me and the subject of which it treats. Al
all events, | entreat and beseech my fellow
citizens, for their sake, for my country's sake
for my sake, to offer no disrespect, no lndlgnl
ty, no violence, in word or deed, to Mr. Men
denhall.
Twill now, sir, make to you and to this Pc
tition such response as becomes me. Allow
me to say that I think you have not conform
ed to the independent character of an Amer
lean citizen in presenting petition to me.
am, like yourself, but private citizen. A pc
tition, as the term implies, generally proceeds
from an inferior in power or station to su'
perior but between US there is entire equall'
ty. And what are the circumstances under
which you have chosen to offer it2 am 9
total stranger, passing through your State, on
nv way to its capital, in consequence of an
invitation with which have been honored te
visit it, to exchange friendly salutations with
such of my fellow citizens of Indiana as think
proper to meet me, and to accept their hospl
tality. Anxious as l am to see them, and tc
view parts of this State which / had never
seen, came here with hesitation and reluc'
tance, because apprehended that the motives
of my Journey mi ght be misconceived and
perverted. But when the fulfilnent of an old
promise to visit indianapolis was insisted upon
T yielded to the solicitations of friends, and
have presented myself among you.
Such is the occasion which has been delib
erately selected for rendering this petition tc
me. l am advanced in years, and neither
myself nor the place of my residence is alto
gether unknown to the world. You might al
any time within these last twenty-five or thir
ty years, have presented your petition to me
at Ashland. If you had gone there for that
purpose, you should have been received and
treated with perfect respect and liberal hos
pitality. ..
Now, Mr.. Mendenhall, let US reverse condi
tions, and suppose that you had been invited
to Kentucky, to partake of its hospitality
and that, previous to your arrival, had EN-
ployed such means as understand have been
used to get up this petition, to obtain the sig
natures of citizens of that State to petition
to present to you to relinquish your farm OF
other property, what would you have thought
of such proceeding? Would you have
deemed it courteous and according to the rites
of hospitality
know we'll, that you and those who think
with you, controvert the legitimacy of slavery
and deny the right of property in slaves. Bu
the law of my State and other States has 9th
erwise ordained The law may be wrong ir
your opinion, and ought to be repealed; bu
then you and your associates are not the law
makers for US, and unless you can show some
authority to nullify our laws, we must contn
ue to respect them Until the law is repealed
we must be excused for asserting the rights
az, the property in slaves-which it sanctions
authorizes and vindicates.
And who are the petitioners whose organ
you assume to be? I have no doubt that
many of them are worthy, amiable, and hu
name persons, who, by erroneous misrepresen
tations, have been induced, inconsiderately, tt
affix their signatures to this petition, and tina
they will deeply regret it. Others, and not q
few, l am told, are free blacks, men, womer
and children, who have been artfully deceived
and imposed upon. A very large portion,
have been credibly informed, are the politica
opponents of the party to which | belong
Democrats, as they most undeservedly call
themselves, who have eagerly seized this op
portunity to wound, as they imagine, my feel
ings, and to aid the cause to which they are
attached. In other quarters of the union
Democrats claim to be the exclusive cham
pions of southern interests, the only safe de-
tenders of the rights in slave property, and
unjustly accuse US Wings with abolition de
signs wholly incompatible with its security
What ought these distant democrats to think
of the course of their friends here, who have
united in this petition?
And what is the foundation of this appea
to me in Indiana, to liberate the slaves under
my care, in Kentucky2 1t is a general decla
ton in the act announcing to the world the
independence of the thirteen American colo
MES, that all men are created equal. Now, a:
an abstract principle there is no doubt of the
truth of that declaration; and it is desirable
in the original construction of society, and III
organized societies, to keep it in view as 6
great fundamental principle. But, then,
apprehend that in no society that ever die
exist, or ever shall be formed, was or can the
equality asserted among the members of the
human race, be practically enforced and car
ried out There are portions Of it, large por
tions, women, minors, insane, culprits tran
sient sojourners, that will always probably re
main subject to the government Of another
portion Of the government.
That declaration, whatever may be the ex
tent of its import, was made by the delega
tions of the thirteen States. In most of them
slavery existed, and had long existed, anc
was established by law. 1t was introduced
and forced upon the colonies by the para
mount law of England Do you believe that
in making that declaration, the States tina
concurred in it intended that it should he tor
tured into virtual emeanci patton of all the
slaves within their respective limits? Woulc
Virginia and the southern States have evel
united in q declaration which was to be in