The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-06
AMERICAN RIGHTS.
Henry Clay Served Greatly IN Arous.
Ing the People 10 Preparedness.

70 III EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: In
these days when our nation is wrestling
with the question OF adequate defence
as a preparation against possible dan
ger from without and the newspapers
are telling US of the ~Streugth developed
a. u Presidential candidate by a man
whose support comes to him because OF
his opposition TO such preparedness. II
i worth the while Of Americans whose
votes will elect the next President to
refresh their memories with the politi.
cal history OF what We know ~ the war
of isi2.
Those who do - will read of the utter
contempt, with which the United states
was treated in the years just preceding
that war by almost all the rest of the
world "insulted and outraged and
spoliated upon by almost All Europe.
as one Of the statesmen ~ the day put
It. by Great Britain. by France, Spain,
Denmark. Naples and. To- cap tn" climax,
10y the little contemplate Power of
.Alg'ers.' You can read of the unpte-
p~aredness Of our country to resent these
insults and Of opposition To their re.
sentiment by some of the most prominent
Americans of the day. with Josiah
Quincy declaring In Congress that III AN
army were put into the field strong
enough to accomplish the conquest Of
Canada IL would also he strong enough
e. ~cndanger the liberties Of the Ameri-
can people mo-, AN unfamiliar echo Of
some voices Of to-day. You can read II
the results of our unprepareuncss III tnr
{, fcat OF WiuChcstcr. the retreat Of
Harrison, tho blockade of the atlantic
coast. the capture OF Washington and
tho burning Of the Capitol ,ufsct later
only by the brilliant work Of the ntvyb
and OF parts of New ENGLAND almost IN
rebellion In their opposition 10 a Nlsor-
Gus defence Of American right.
And all through those days YOU can
read Of one clarion No.," INSISTING on
thc defence Of those rights at any cost.
American rights and tho national honor
I" ne upheld no matter what their de-
fence Required. That was the Nnir" OF
licu.y clay. Listen To his defence of
ties" rights In his reply TO Josiah
quincy:
n there no any description ot rights.
which. more than any other. should unite
all parties In all quarters Of the Union,
II is unquestionahly the rights Of the per
son No matter what his vocation.
whether he seeks subsistence amid the
dangers of the sea. or draws Il from the
bowels ~ the earth. or from the humhiost
occupations OF mechanic iife. wherever the
sacred lights Of an American freeman ar.
assailed. all hearts ought to unite and
every arm he braced to ,indicate his
cause.
Clay's voice IN the negotiations with
the British ouvovs AT tihcut WAS quite
AK clear rs II had been IN Congress. t.X-
asperatcd by the British demands and
What he considered IN. pucrility of
their concessions. he favored q continual
ton of The armed conflict, declaring that
three years more Of war would make
vs. a Warlke PEOPLE. aud then We would
come out Of the var with honor. In
the end he gave his signature unwill-
In.ly to the unsatisfactory treaty OF
peace. But the fact that the Young ma
ton had shown itsclf read, "a attempt
Tn" defence Of its honor was not, lost
upon the rest of the world. ard a year
later clay was able 10 present this view
Of what had been accomplished
what have We gained by the war Lot
any man look AZ The degraded condition
~ this country hefore.tEH var. the scnrn
Of III" Gnivefse. tho contempt 90 ourselves.
and tel me y No have gained nothing by
,ho war. what = our situation now -,
R"spcctabiiity and character abroad. secur.
ny and conhd. nee a, home.
AN this" SAYS carl Schurz in his
biography. was true"
What might We have been to-day II
Josiah Quincy had been accepted as the
national lcldcr. instead OF Horny Clayc
" y. l..
l~iACkENsACk. y. j.. MAY ;.