The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-07-05
PoLITIcs OF FORMER DAYS.
Henry Clay on the Anti-SlaTery Struggle
---Gen. faylOr a a Whig Candidate.
AZ USFUBIsHED LETTER FROM THE GREAT
WIG STATESMAN.
Private and COnfdential.l

OF an answer to your friendly letter OF the
4th ult
1 am very thankful for the expires
sion of your desire that l may b
instrumental in the amicable adjust.
ment of the slave question. which has arisen
out of our acquisition of New Mexico and
California. If could have f0reseen that ]
could have accomplished such 4 most desiE-
able object, | would not have hesitated to
overcome ny repugnanee TO entering again
the public councils but did not see clear
ly how | could affect any good. I think
that the passions of both parties have great
ly magnified the importance of the question
in controversy. Whether slavery be pro
hibited or be allowed to be introduced, by
law, into these countries, IN point of fact,
no African slaves will be ever transported
there. The North, therefore, ought not to
indulge the apprehensions which il enter.
tains. nor ought the South to contend for
an Improbable privilege, which, if obtain
ed, it would never exercise.
Without expressing, at this time, any
opinion Of my own on the coDtroverred
estien, even if the South had the right on
81 ssie, ItasnA L ought to yield tne p0Int,
not only for the reason already stated, but
for other reasons. The South has had the
executive Government in its hands during
the most part of the time since the Consti-
tuition was adopted. Its public policy has
generally prevailed. The annexation of
Texas land the consequent war with Mexi-
co, were results of Southern eounsels.
The very exceptionable mode of that annex
alton was exclusively Southern. From the
commencement of the Government we had
prior to the last acquisition, obtained
Louisiana, Florida and Texas, and all these
with the exception of the least valuable oil
louisiana were theaters of slavery, and
augmenting the political power arising out
of the existence of slavery.
Whether the motive of increasing the
slave power did or did not enter into these
territorial acquisitions, they did in point OF
fact exercise it, and there was enough in
the appearance and effect Of the transactions
to give countenance to the Northern belief
that that motive did exercise an influence.
Large portions of the Northern population
also feel and believe that their manufacture
ing interests have been sacrificed by South
ern domination.
Taking all circumstances into view, and
especially seeing that the South would yield
no available privilege, l think, in a spirit
of harmony and union, that it ought mag
| unanimously to consent to the proposed in
| terdiction Of slavery in New Mexico and
California. If il continue to oppose it, ii
will, in my opinion, nevertheless finally pre-
vail and the conflict, exasperated by bitter
contention and mutual passions, will either
lead to dissolution of the Union or de-
prive it of that harmony which can alone
make the Union desirable 1t will lead to
the formation of a sectional and Northern
party, which will, sooner or later, take per
manent and exclusive possession Of the Gov
ernment. The South, impatient under
such a prescription, would ultimately be
tempted to break off from a Union in the
government of which it had no share.
| wish 1 could see more clearly than /
do how these disastrous conseq quences can
be aYerted. Parties are becoming more and
more pitted against each other. They will
hereafter be marked by greater violence
The Southern members of Congress, anxiou;
to retain and conciliate the good opinion oi
their constituents by contending for those
apparent rights, will not yield. They will
even, some of them, suppress their private
opinions that they ought to yield, in defer
ence to their constituents, or from desire
to preserve their popularity. lament thai
| can not see among them any who are dis
posed to rise to the magnitude of the occa
sion, to speak boldly and fearlessly the
truth to their constituents, and sacrificing
themselves, if necessary, to propose to save
the harmony, if not the existence of tht
| Union, by the surrender of an empty priyi
lege.
| In the mean time the North, stimulated
and encouraged by the advantages of tht
| position in the controversy which they oc
cupy, smarting under the conviction tha
| their interests have been sacrificed by anC
they made instruments in extending wha
| they denominate the slave power, anC
countenanced and sustained by th,
moral force derived from the course an6
the opinions of foreign nations, will perse
we're and never give up the contest.
1t seems to me that the only alternative;
are: First, a retrocession of New MexicC
and California, or, second, their continued
exemption from the presence of African
slavery.
But l have written much more than / in
tended when | began, on this subject, anC
| will proceed to the other topic of your lettel
| that relates to the Presidential election.
Although the proceedings of the Phila
delphia Convention were not such as to in
| spire me with any respect, and although
| regarded it as merely ratifying nomination
/ previously made virtually at Washing
ton by members of Congress, many of whom
came from States that will give no aid t.
the nomination. / resolved quietly to sub
nit to it, and make no opposition what
ever to it. I have CONFIRMED to this resOlu
| ton. l have given no encouragement ol
| countenance to any counter movements fol
myself or for others. | mean to give none
This, think, is as much as ought to be ex
pected of me.
| l see nothing in the attempt to cleo
| Gen. Taylor to animate my zeal or arouse
my patriotism. 1 regard it as one t,
construct mere personal party on the bash
of military popularity, without any known
| principles of administration. For a grea
part of my life have been opposed to tht
elevation of military men to the Presidency
| without knowledge or experience in eiTi
affairs. You and last year, in some cor
respondence on this subject which passeC
between US, entirely agreed You went q
far as to say that If Gen. Taylor were to b
the candidate, you would quit the field 0
politics. He is the merest military maj
ever offered to the American people for tha
Office. He never filled any civil station Il
his life, the greater part Of which has beer
spent in the camp. Gen jackson has file,
high civil stations, and the larger portion
of the life of Gen. Harrison had been passe.
| Gen. Taylor has, thinE, in his numel
Gus letters, shown much instability @
that you and have both seen evidence
Such 4 man, if elected, must inevitably fal
into the hands of Others, and who they vii
be know not. Judging from what knol
Of human nature, it Is to be feared tina
they will be those who faWn upon him an
fatter him most.
/ have been repeatedly asked, nay, in
portuned to voueh for him as a Wing bu
| could not say more for him than he hs
himself said, he has again and again repud
ated all obligations to support Whig meas
ures. If we're to induce any Wings I
support him. by my public acts, and his az
ministration should afterEaTd diszppoint u
should be Justly liable TO reproaches.
confess that have been surprised an
: mortified at the course Of some Of his leat
Wing measures as obsolete. They indieat
the class Of politicians 70 which they then
selves belong and they seem to regard I
an act Of presumption any approach {
Gen. Taylor to elicit from him his opinio
|. on grave public measures They profess (
see IN him the embodiment Of all that
/. wise, great snd good They compare hiI
to the immortal Washingfonl
can not vote for or support either Ca
or Van Buren, There Is q chance for 4 be
ter Administration under Gen. Taylor tha
either Of them would give Us, and ths
chance may determine me to vote for hin
But selfrespect, the consistency Of my cha
acter, and ny sense Of duty viii restrain 4
from fatr1r4sx any nk1x - NJ x,arfsanr ~,aw<