Year: 1859

Henry Clay.


The name of the Great Commoner
still exerts a talismanic effect upon the
hearts of the American people, Those who
opposed the views which an early political
alliance with New England selfish interests
compelled him to take, have forgotten the
asperities of the past. and for many years,
they have rivalled even his special friends
in tributes of commentator to his talents,
his patriotism, and his moral integrity
Precisely thus have Time and History vim
dcated the memory of the immortal JACK
son. No man was followed in life with
more bitterness Of personal and political OPP
postion-no name, to-day, commands a
larger share of the heartfelt worship of the
people than the 6edu ideal of valor, the
synonym of statesmanlike independence,
ANDREW JACKSON.


These men "sleep their last Sleep" and,
whether right or wrong, it is indisputable
that the latter fixed upon the institutions
of his country the impress of his party and
its ideas, while the former sank into tine
grave disappointed in his poiiticui plans,
tiwartel in personal ambition, and rejected
lin lS4s) by the party which had protested
itself ready to follow his star till it sat-
The substitution of Taylor for Henry Clay,
in the race of As, was caused by the pre-
ponderating weight of New England fanat-
icism which had crawled into the Whig or
ganization, and no man knew it better than
Mr.. Clay himself His afiiiation with Mas
sachusetts ceased from that moment, and
be was active till his death in endeavoring
to allay the sectional irritation which he saw
approaching in the future How well he
played his part as Pacificator is recorded
in the Compromise of 1850, a work hallow-
ed by the labor and concessions of such RI
walls and opponents as Webster, Cass and
CLAY. Where he would have been to-
day, if permitted to address his country
men from the grave, may be learned by
reading the following extract of a speech
made by him at Frankfort, Ky, on the 25th
November, lS5O-When men tell us that
they cannot vote with Democrats for Union,
because they We're once Wings and sup
ported Mr. Clay, we ask them to read the
views Of their great Chief, and then ask
themselves if the indulgence of mere obsti-
macy against the Democratic organization Is
worth the sacrifice of this glorious confede-
racy of States. Mr.. Clay expressly says


in his prophetic reference to the organiza-
ton of Union Party" Il announce
myself Il member of that party-whatever
may be its component elements -


Republican Whig of 1859! Are you
called upon to bear a flag in opposition to
the Democracy when HENRY CLAY him
self has told you that He would, (under
the circumstances now before us) cease to
be a Whig?' Read this paragraph careful
ly over and decide where you are politically
at home: 4"


"1f the agitation in regard to the FUGT-
TIVE SLAVE LAW should continue and
increase, and become alarming, it will tend
to the formation of two new parties, ONE
FOR THE UNION, AND THE OTHER
AGAINST THE UNION. Present parties
have been formed by the DIVISION of opin-
ms as regards systems of national policy !;
and as to finance, free trade, or protection,
the improvement of rivers and harbors, the
distribution of the proceeds of public lands.
etc, but these systems of policy, springing
out of the administration of the govern
ment of the Union, lose all their interest
and importance if that Union is to be dis,
solved. They sink into utter insgnificance
before the all important, persuasive and par
amount interest of the Union itself; AND
THE PLATFORM OF THAT UNION
PARTY WILL BE THE UNION, THE
CONSTITUTION, AND THE ENFORCE
MENT OF IT'S LAWS-and if it should
be necessary to form such party, and it
should be accordingly formed, | AN
NOUNCE MYSELF AS A MEMBER OF
THAT PARTY-whatever may be its com
ponent elements. Igo further. have had
great hope and confidence in the principles
of the Wing party, as being most likely to
conduce to the honor, the prosperity and
the glory of my country; but if it is to be
merged into a contemplate Abolition party,
and if Aboltionism is to be engrafted on
the Wing creed, FROM THAT MOMENT
| RENOUNCE THE PARTY AND CEASE
TO BE A WHIG"