The herald., 1896-06-07
M'KINLEY AND CLAY

of the day, DeIOre tne meeting VI Tic
convention, and that there are no pre-
cedents for such action on his part, be-
comes more absurd the further one
recalls political history. We have pre-
viously shown how in 1892 Grover Cleve-
land declared himself emphatically
against free coinage before the Demo
cratic convention; how in 1876 Gen. H. B
HAYES was presented to the Republican
convention by the Republicans of Ohio
ON platform which pronounced ex.
plicitly for gold as the true standard OF
values" and wrote letter in when ne
defined his position as "decldedly
against yielding a hairs breadth TO
the imitation sentiment, which was then
very strong; and how in 1860 Abraham
Lincoln came East, few weeks before
the Republican convention, to make
plain his attitude on the slavery ques-
tion, and to enter his protest against
yielding to any of the ''sophistical con-
trivances'' then favored by so many
weak -kneed members of the party, who
were "groping for some middle-ground
between the right and the wrong"
There is a still earlier case. which
should be placed beside these of Cleve-
land, Hayes and Lincoln, where
statesman did not hesitate to declare his
position before the assembling of the
convention which he expected to nom
mate him for the presidency. The Wing
convention of 1914 was to meet in Balti
more on the 1st of May, 1874. During
the winter and early spring the question
of the annexation of Texas, in the inter-
est of the Shareholders, came to the
front as the chief issue in our politics.
The people wanted to know how aspir-
ants for the presidency stood on this
question. Mr.. Clay, who had been on a
tour of the South, arrived at Raleigh,
N. c., on the 18th of April, the same
day that the treaty of annexation was
signed by Calhoun as secretary of state
wrote public letter to the editor of the
National Intelligencer, which came to
be known as "the Raleigh letter.
Beginning by review of his connec-
tion with the Texas question in the past,
he said that he had believed and con-
tended that the United States had ac-
quired title to Texas by the Louisiana
purchase, but that title had been formally
relinquiShed to Spain by the treaty of
1919, when Texas had been sacrificed for
Florida. Having thus fairly alenated
our title to Texas by solemn national
compacts," it was as perfectly idle and
ridiculous, if not dishonorable, to talk
of resuming our title to Texas" as it
would be for Spain to talk of resuming
her title to Florida, or France to Louis
lana. Under the administration of John
Quincy Adams he (Clay) had attempted
to repurchase Texas from Mexico, but
without success. The extent to which
the revolt in Texas had been aided by
citizens of the United States had laid us
open to the imputation of selfish de-
signs. Our recognition of the independ-
ence of Texas had not impaired the
rights of Mexico and if Mexico still per-
severed in asserting her rights in Texas
by force of arms. we should, in acquir-
ing Texas, also acquire the war with
Mexico. and he would not plunge the
country into war for the acquisition of
Texas.
Mr.. Clay also found another objection
to the annexation of Texas in the de-
cided opposition it met with in a large
part of the union, and he thought it
wise rather to harmonize the confeder-
acy as it existed than to introduce into
it new element of discord and distrac-
ton. Neither did he favor the acquisi-
ton Of new territory for the purpose OF
maintaining the balance of power be-
tween the two great sections OF the un-
ion. If Texas were acquired to strength
en- the south, Canada would be acquired
to strengthen the north, and finally the
weaker section would be the loser. II
British North America should separate
from England, the happiness of all par
ties would be best promoted by the eX-
istence of three separate and indepen-
dent epublicS-Canada, the United
States, and TeXas-natural allies. FL
nally, he considered the annexation of
Texas without the assent of Mexico as
measure compromising our national
character, involving the country certain
ly in war with Mexico. probably with
other powers, dangerous to the integrity
of the union, ana not called for by any
general expression of public opinion.
The Wings generally accepted Mr..
Clays position as satisfactory, and he
was nominated by acclamation without
a dissenting voice. The campaign open
ed most auspiciously for the Wings.
Polk the Democratic candidate, was
declared advocate of Texas annexation,
while Clays Raleigh letter. which was
universally accepted as his platform,
was winning over to his side anti-slaV-
cry Democrats in the north, particularly
in New York, which was expected to
prove, as it did, "the pivotal state" No
candid observer at the time doubted, no
student of that period looking back
now questions that if Clay had contin-
ued to stand where he declared himself
before the convention, as Lincoln con-
tinued to stand in 1860, Hayes in 1876,
and Cleveland in 1892, he would have
been elected.
But Clay made the fatal mistake of
"wobbling' after the canvass had
opened Some of the southern Wings
urged him to modify his position on the
Texas question, and two months after
his nomination upon the Raleigh letter,
he was persuaded to 'grope for some
middle ground between the right and
the wrong. ol lHt Isl VI ouiy ~
wrote a letter to Stephen F. Miller of
Tuscaloosa, Ala, in which he disclaimed
the idea that, when speaking in his Raj
eigh letter of a considerable and re-
spectacle portion of the confederacy"
against whose wishes Texas should not
be annexed, he had meant the aboli-
tionists LAS to the idea Of my court
ing the abolitionists," he said, 1t is
perfectly absurd No man in the United
States has been half as much abused by
them as 1 have been" personally,
he added, Il could have no objection to
the annexation of Texas; but / certain
ly should be unwilling to see the exist
ing Union dissolved or seriously Jeop-
ardized for the sake of acquiring Texas.
IF any one desires to know the leading
and paramount object of my public life,
the preservation of the Union will fur
nish him the key"
This was bad enough. but it did not
satisfy his southern friends. and he soon
complied with their demand that he
should go farther in his surrender Il
do not think it right" he wrote to Miller
on July 27, "to announce in advance
what will be the course of a future ad-
ministration in respect to a question
with a foreign power. I have, however,
no hesitation in saying that. far from
having any personal objection to the
annexation of Texas, l should be glad
to see it, without dishonor, without war,
with the common consent of the Union
and upon just and fair terms. I do not
think that the subject of slavery ought