Selections: Mr. Clay's Sympathy With Labor

Much is made by the Whig sycophants. of Mr. Clay's connection with, and supposed sympalhy for labor. "Tho raillboy of theSlashes," is pictured on many a banner and placard. Mr. Clay was born, April 12, 1777, in a part of Virginia called the "Slashes of Hanover," and his father died in 1781, and he lived, itiVsaid, in povërty, untir the age of 15, when he was employed as a clerk in the Chancery office at Richmond. In the life of Hcnry Clay just published by Olíver OldschpoJ, after dweiling on his public stations and avchievements, it is said: "Yet do we love far more to dweil upon the orphan boy, following the plough in theSlashes of Hanover, and occasionally trudginghisway,with a grist ofcorn, to a distant mili, to provide bread for a widowed mother and younger brothefs and sisters." Now it must be confessed tliat it is'vei-y unphilosophical to argüe that a man is to be relied on as havingsympathies with the people, just becauge he was poor in his youth. Who does not know that the two Scotts, Lord Eldon, and Lord Stowell, were poor boys, and yet in manhood became the main pillars of aristocracy in England, and distinguished Tor their hard heartedness in regard to the rightsandim provement of the tnass of the people?- The old proverb about setting a beggar on horseback, expresses the judgment passed by the common sense of mankind on this point. Bqt in the same work, a further appeal is made to the sympathies of the laborer, on the ground that Mr. Clay is a man who delights to till the soil," and whose character has been subject to the "purifying iniïuence" there is :in thecuiuvation ot the soü" which "asseldora fails to reach the heart as it does to invigorate the frame of man." And it is said of him that !he delights in ogriculture, and is, qtie most practical, industnous, methodical, and successful farmers in. the wholc Western country. Now, what impression does this carry to our Northern farmers, but tnat Mr. Clay is a plain working man, like one' of our farmers, In Pennsylvania or Vermont? He is called. "The Farmer of Ashland," to raake,it appear that he sympatliizes wilh labor. Is it so? Tlicre are two points on which you can easily test the real extentof a man'ssympathies with labor - his sensc of justide with regard to the wages of labor, and his sentiments with regard to the intrinsic dignity of labor itself. Mr. Clay's sense of justic.e in regard to the wages of labor is so utterly hollow, that he does not think himself required to pay his laborersany wages at all. Men have toiled his fields from youth to oíd age, to whom he has never paid the first red cent of wages. He thinks the poor are bound to labor for the rich for nothing, and when Mr. Mendenhall rcmonstrated with him, he told him to go home and mind his business - 'My laves are fat and sleek." Milton Clark, who was his neighbor in Kentucky, aflirms that Mr. Clay has never even paid his washenvoman, the mother of his favorito Hack Charley. Think of a man almost sëventy year's of age, who has never yet paid for washing his shirts and collars! Mr. Clay's real sentimenis with regard to the inherent dignity of bbor itself,are not to bc learned irom a few cant phrasesabout "the mill-boy of the Slashes." Thare was a time when he spoke out, under the impulse of strong excitement, and gave utterance to the whole feelings of his soul. It was in the first debate on the Missouri Bill, Feb. 15, 1819, in Committee of the Whole, where he used these words: "If gentlemen willnot allowuslo have black slaves, they must let u have white pnesj for we cannot cut our firewood, AND BLACK OUK SHOES, AND HAVE OCFR WIVES AND DAUGHTERS WORK IN THE KITCHEN." I have not been able to find ony re.port of this speech; but in regard to the debate, I find it commenced on Saturday, Feb. 13. . The National ïntelligencer of Monday 15, is torn out of the files in the library of Congress. The ïntelligencer of Tuesday 16th, gives Monday's proceedings. It was on a motion by Mr. Tallmadge, of N. Y., to amend the bill authorizing the people of Missouri to form a Constitution. Mr. T. moved a proviso, "that the furtlier introduction of slavery or involuntary servif.ude ie proJiilited. except for the punishment of crimes whereof of the party shaíl have been fully convicted." Carried, 79 to 67." The ïntelligencer says,. "the result of the motion appearsto have been wholly un.expected. The.advocatesofrestriction were Taylor, Mills, Livermore and Fuller: 'thé opponents, Barbour, Pindell, Clay and Holmes. In the House, Feb. 1G, therestriction passed, 87 to 76." Extract frorn a speech of Mr. Taylor, of New York, Feb. 15, 1819, on the Missouri Bill. National ïntelligencer. March 2Öth, 1819:"Y ou cannot degrade it [labor] more effectually than by establishing a system whereby it shall be performed principal ly by slaves. The business in which they are generally engaged, be it what it may, soon becomesdebased in public estimation. ít is considered low and unfit for freemen. I cannot better illustrate this truth than by referring to a remark of the honorable gentleman from Kentucky,(Mr.Clay.) I have often admired the liberality of híssentiments. Píe is governed by no vulgar prejudices, yet with what abhqrrence did he speak of the performance by our tcives and dauglders, of those domestic offices which he was pleased to cali servilel What comparrison did he make between the "black slaves" of Kentucky, and the "white slaves" of the North; and how instantly did he strike the balance in favor of the former? If such opinions and expressions; even by the ardor of debate, can fall from that honorable gentleman, what ideas do you suppose are entertained of laboring men by the major ity of slaveholders." Thiscerlainly leaves no room for doubt or cavil, as the fact of his having mado such a speech. And there is no record or pretence that he ever explained or qualifiedit. There.it stands to this day. But we find further proof. The next session, the subject carne up again, and in the National Intelligencer, of July 1. 1820, we find the following extract: Speech of Mr. Rich, of Vermont, Feb. 17,1820. " jl ''I have by the successful influence of my example, taught my sons to cultívate theearth. while my daughters have been mstructed in the manufacture of clothing for themselves and . brothers, extending even to those I have now the honor to wear, and in the useful labors of the kitchr en," In a note it was.said, . "When.this subject was under consideration at the last session, the honorable Speaker. [Clay] remarked to. the followins effect:- "If, gentlemen will not allow u's lo Jiave black slaves, iliey mvjst let ui have while ones; for we cannot cut our firejvood, AXD BLACK OVR SHOES, ANJD. HAVE OUR WJVES AND DAÜGHTERS WORK IN THEKITCHEN." Here we solve the riddle in Mr. Clay's history, vet unexplained by his biographers, hovv Mr. Cía}'', who when a young man, was so zealous for the aboliton of slavcry in Kentucky, should,when old,exert all his influence to defeat a convention to correct the monstrousabsurditiesof the .State Constitution, for fear they might in some way touch the subject of slavery, and cither fake measures to bring itto a termination, or to curtail the exclusive political j)ower held by slaveholders inthe State government. It is the contrast between the poor unsophisticated young lawyer, and the rich planter and aspiring statesman; bel ween Scott, the shepherd's boy, and Lord Eldon, the Tory and High Church Lord Chancellor oí' England. The' sympaihies of the "mill-boy of the Slashes," are lost in the pride of the owner of three score slaves; and he who once bathed in the little creek while his horses werè unharnessed from the plough, now turns up his lofty nosc and exclaims,"WE CANNOT CUT OUR FIREWOOD, AND BLACK OUR SHOES. AND HAVE OUR WIVES AND DAUGHTERS WORK IN THE KITCHEN." Let every farmer and farmer-s son, and farmer's wife and farmer's daughter, in Massachusetts, cut froni some newspaper, the portrait and name of Henry C]ay,and paste them up in the kitchen, and every mechanic in the shop, with these words as the motto underneath - "If the gentleman WILL NOT ALLOW US TO HAVEBLACK SLA VES THE Y MUST LET US HAVE WHITE ONESjFOR WE CANNOT CUT OUR FIREWOOD AND BLACK OUR SHOES, AND HAVE OUR WIVES AND DAUGHTERS WORK IN THE KITCHEN."