the writings-2- 第27部分

whole　difficulty；　each　had　a　constituency　to　meet　and　to　answer

to。　　Mr。　Clay；　though　worn　down　and　exhausted；　was　appealed　to　by

members　to　renew　his　efforts　at　compromise。　　He　did　so；　and　by

some　judicious　modifications　of　his　plan；　coupled　with　laborious

efforts　with　individual　members　and　his　own　overmastering

eloquence　upon　that　floor；　he　finally　secured　the　admission　of

the　State。　　Brightly　and　captivating　as　it　had　previously　shown；

it　was　now　perceived　that　his　great　eloquence　was　a　mere

embellishment；　or　at　most　but　a　helping　hand　to　his　inventive

genius　and　his　devotion　to　his　country　in　the　day　of　her　extreme

peril。



After　the　settlement　of　the　Missouri　question；　although　a　portion

of　the　American　people　have　differed　with　Mr。　Clay；　and　a

majority　even　appear　generally　to　have　been　opposed　to　him　on

questions　of　ordinary　administration；　he　seems　constantly　to　have

been　regarded　by　all　as　the　man　for　the　crisis。　　Accordingly；　in

the　days　of　nullification；　and　more　recently　in　the　reappearance

of　the　slavery　question　connected　with　our　territory　newly

acquired　of　Mexico；　the　task　of　devising　a　mode　of　adjustment

seems　to　have　been　cast　upon　Mr。　Clay　by　common　consentand　his

performance　of　the　task　in　each　case　was　little　else　than　a

literal　fulfilment　of　the　public　expectation。



Mr。　Clay's　efforts　in　behalf　of　the　South　Americans；　and

afterward　in　behalf　of　the　Greeks；　in　the　times　of　their

respective　struggles　for　civil　liberty；　are　among　the　finest　on

record；　upon　the　noblest　of　all　themes；　and　bear　ample

corroboration　of　what　I　have　said　was　his　ruling　passiona　love

of　liberty　and　right；　unselfishly；　and　for　their　own　sakes。



Having　been　led　to　allude　to　domestic　slavery　so　frequently

already；　I　am　unwilling　to　close　without　referring　more

particularly　to　Mr。　Clay's　views　and　conduct　in　regard　to　it。　　He

ever　was　on　principle　and　in　feeling　opposed　to　slavery。　　The

very　earliest；　and　one　of　the　latest；　public　efforts　of　his　life；

separated　by　a　period　of　more　than　fifty　years；　were　both　made　in

favor　of　gradual　emancipation。　　He　did　not　perceive　that　on　a

question　of　human　right　the　negroes　were　to　be　excepted　from　the

human　race。　　And　yet　Mr。　Clay　was　the　owner　of　slaves。　　Cast　into

life　when　slavery　was　already　widely　spread　and　deeply　seated；　he

did　not　perceive；　as　I　think　no　wise　man　has　perceived；　how　it

could　be　at　once　eradicated　without　producing　a　greater　evil　even

to　the　cause　of　human　liberty　itself。　　His　feeling　and　his

judgment；　therefore；　ever　led　him　to　oppose　both　extremes　of

opinion　on　the　subject。　　Those　who　would　shiver　into　fragments

the　Union　of　these　States；　tear　to　tatters　its　now　venerated

Constitution；　and　even　burn　the　last　copy　of　the　Bible；　rather

than　slavery　should　continue　a　single　hour；　together　with　all

their　more　halting　sympathizers；　have　received；　and　are

receiving；　their　just　execration；　and　the　name　and　opinions　and

influence　of　Mr。　Clay　are　fully　and；　as　I　trust；　effectually　and

enduringly　arrayed　against　them。　　But　I　would　also；　if　I　could；

array　his　name；　opinions；　and　influence　against　the　opposite

extremeagainst　a　few　but　an　increasing　number　of　men　who；　for

the　sake　of　perpetuating　slavery；　are　beginning　to　assail　and　to

ridicule　the　white　man's　charter　of　freedom；　the　declaration　that

〃all　men　are　created　free　and　equal。〃　So　far　as　I　have　learned；

the　first　American　of　any　note　to　do　or　attempt　this　was　the　late

John　C。　　Calhoun；　and　if　I　mistake　not；　it　soon　after　found　its

way　into　some　of　the　messages　of　the　Governor　of　South　Carolina。

We；　however；　look　for　and　are　not　much　shocked　by　political

eccentricities　and　heresies　in　South　Carolina。　　But　only　last

year　I　saw　with　astonishment　what　purported　to　be　a　letter　of　a

very　distinguished　and　influential　clergyman　of　Virginia；　copied；

with　apparent　approbation；　into　a　St。　　Louis　newspaper；

containing　the　following　to　me　very　unsatisfactory　language：



〃I　am　fully　aware　that　there　is　a　text　in　some　Bibles　that　is　not

in　mine。　　Professional　abolitionists　have　made　more　use　of　it

than　of　any　passage　in　the　Bible。　　It　came；　however；　as　I　trace

it；　from　Saint　Voltaire；　and　was　baptized　by　Thomas　Jefferson；

and　since　almost　universally　regarded　as　canonical　authority‘All

men　are　born　free　and　equal。'



〃This　is　a　genuine　coin　in　the　political　currency　of　our

generation。　　I　am　sorry　to　say　that　I　have　never　seen　two　men　of

whom　it　is　true。　　But　I　must　admit　I　never　saw　the　Siamese　Twins；

and　therefore　will　not　dogmatically　say　that　no　man　ever　saw　a

proof　of　this　sage　aphorism。〃



This　sounds　strangely　in　republican　America。　　The　like　was　not

heard　in　the　fresher　days　of　the　republic。　　Let　us　contrast　with

it　the　language　of　that　truly　national　man　whose　life　and　death

we　now　commemorate　and　lament：　I　quote　from　a　speech　of　Mr。　Clay

delivered　before　the　American　Colonization　Society　in　1827：



〃　We　are　reproached　with　doing　mischief　by　the　agitation　of　this

question。　　The　society　goes　into　no　household　to　disturb　its

domestic　tranquillity。　　It　addresses　itself　to　no　slaves　to

weaken　their　obligations　of　obedience。　　It　seeks　to　affect　no

man's　property。　　It　neither　has　the　power　nor　the　will　to　affect

the　property　of　any　one　contrary　to　his　consent。　　The　execution

of　its　scheme　would　augment　instead　of　diminishing　the　value　of

property　left　behind。　　The　society；　composed　of　free　men；

conceals　itself　only　with　the　free。　　Collateral　consequences　we

are　not　responsible　for。　　It　is　not　this　society　which　has

produced　the　great　moral　revolution　which　the　age　exhibits。　　What

would　they　who　thus　reproach　us　have　done？　　　If　they　would

repress　all　tendencies　toward　liberty　and　ultimate　emancipation；

they　must　do　more　than　put　down　the　benevolent　efforts　of　this

society。　　They　must　go　back　to　the　era　of　our　liberty　and

independence；　and　muzzle　the　cannon　which　thunders　its　annual

joyous　return。　　They　must　renew　the　slave　trade；　with　all　its

train　of　atrocities。　　They　must　suppress　the　workings　of　British

philanthropy；　seeking　to　meliorate　the　condition　of　the

unfortunate　West　Indian　slave。　　They　must　arrest　the　career　of

South　American　deliverance　from　thraldom。　　They　must　blow　out　the

moral　lights　around　us　and　extinguish　that　greatest　torch　of　all

which　America　presents　to　a　benighted　worldpointing　the　way　to

their　rights；　their　liberties；　and　their　happiness。　　And　when

they　have　achieved　all　those　purposes　their　work　will　be　yet

incomplete。　　They　must　penetrate　the　human　soul；　and　eradicate

the　light　of　reason　and　the　love　of　liberty。　　Then；　and　not　till

then；　when　universal　darkness　and　despair　prevail；　can　you

perpetuate　slavery　and　repress　all　sympathy　and　all　humane　and

benevolent　efforts　among　free　men　in　behalf　of　the　unhappy

portion　of　our　race　doomed　to　bondage。〃



The　American　Colonization　Society　was　organized　in　1816。　　Mr。

Clay；　though　not　its　projector；　was　one　of　its　earliest　members；

and　he　died；　as　for　many　preceding　years　he　had　been；　its

president。　　It　was　one　of　the　most　cherished　objects　of　his

direct　care　and　consideration；　and　the　association　of　his　name

with　it　has　probably　been　its　very　greatest　collateral　support。

He　considered　it　no　demerit　in　the　society　that　it　tended　to

relieve　the　slave…holders　from　the　troublesome　presence　of　the

free　negroes；　but　this　was　far　from　being　its　whole　merit　in　his

estimation。　　In　the　same　speech　from　which　we　have　quoted　he

says：



〃　There　is　a　moral　fitness　in　the　idea　of　returning　to　Africa　her

children；　whose　ancestors　have　been　torn　from　her　by　the　ruthless

hand　of　fraud　and　violence。　　Transplanted　in　a　foreign　land；　they

will　carry　back　to　their　native　soil　the　rich　fruits　of　religion；

civilization；　law；　and　liberty。　　May　it　not　be　one　of　the　great

designs　of　the　Ruler　of　the　universe；　whose　ways　are　often

inscrutable　by　short…sighted　mortals；　thus　to　transform　an

original　crime　into　a　signal　blessing　to　that　most　unfortunate

portion　of　the　globe？〃



This　suggestion　of　the　possible　ultimate　redemption　of　the

African　race　and　African　continent　was　made　twenty…five　years

ago。　　Every　succeeding　year　has　added　strength　to　the　hope　of　its

realization。　　May　it　indeed　be　realized。　　Pharaoh's　country　was

cursed　with　plagues；　and　his　hosts　were　lost　in　the　Red　Sea；　for

striving　to　retain　a　captive　people　who　had　already　served　them

more　than　four　hundred　years。　　May　like　disasters　never　befall

us！　　If；　as　the　friends　of　colonization　hope；　the　present　and

coming　generations　of　our　countrymen　shall　by　any　means　succeed

in　freeing　our　land　from　the　dangerous　presence　of　slavery；　and

at　the　same　time　in　restoring　a　captive　people　to　their　long…lost

fatherland　with　bright　prospects　for　the　future；　and　this　too　so

gradually　that　neither　races　nor　individuals　shall　have　suffered

by　the　change；　it　will　indeed　be　a　glorious　consummation。　　And　if

to　such　a　consummation　the　efforts　of　Mr。　Clay　shall　have

contributed；　it　will　be　what　he　most　ardently　wished；　and　none　of

his　labors　will　have　been　more　valuable　to　his　country　and　his

kind。



But　Henry　Clay　is　dead。　　His　long　and　eventful　life　is　closed。

Our　country　is　prosperous　and　powerful；　but　could　it　have　been

quite　all　it　has　been；　and　is；　and　is　to　be；　without　Henry　Clay？

Such　a　man　the　times　have　demanded；　and　such　in　the　providence　of

God　was　given　us。　　But　he　is　gone。　　Let　us　strive　to　deserve；　as

far　as　mortals　may；　the　continued　care　of　Divine　Providence；

trusting　that　in　future　national　emergencies　He　will　not　fail　to

provide　us　the　instruments　of　safety　and　security。



NOTE。　　We　are　indebted　for　a　copy　of　this　speech　to　the　courtesy

of　Major　Wm。　　H。　　Bailhache；　formerly　one　of　the　proprietors　of

the　Illinois　State　Journal。









CHALLENGED　VOTERS



OPINION　ON　THE　ILLINOIS　ELECTION　LAW。



SPRINGFIELD；　November　1；　1852



A