Mr. Clay's Speech

Lexington', Kr., .Vov. 13, 1847. The announcement (hat Henry Clay would this day address bis felluw citizens on the Mexican war, íts cause, objects, prosecution and probable termination, drow togetl;era vast concouise ofpeopie of the surrounding counties, allhaughthe atmosphere was winlry and the morning had been rainy and cheerless. At 11 o'clock, A, M., [the Ijour nppointed,] Mr. Clay made bis appearancc, and was greet. ed wilh enthusias'.ic shouls f rom the assembled thousands. Gen. Leslie Combs cnlled the meeting to order, and hoped that perfect siíence might be observeJ, as it was probably the last time that the illustrious friend now before ihem would ever address n pop. ular assemblage. He had resolved to do it on this occasion from a Ivgh sense of duty to himself and his country. The momontous question now presented to the American People of the Annexation by conquest or purchase, of on immense foreign territory, inhabited by milliona of people, of diversa races and colors, who are necessarily to be placed on an equalIty with our oivn free white population, presents a crisis which permitted no man who loved his country to keep silenre. - Honry Clay would have been unvvonhy of his past history had he allowed any selfish considerationa to patay his tongue -most unworthy of the honest fame of liim who 'would rather be right than be President.' Gen. C. closed his brief observation bv moving the appointment of Hon. George Roberlson as President of the meeting, with a strong array of Vice President nnd Secretaries, [whose names will be given hrreafter.] Mr. Clay then carne forward amid the cheers of the assemblage, and, silence beingat engih rottored, proceeded to read the following resolutions, n wliich hs had embodied the sentiments whicli he proposed to Ilústrate and eníbrco in his speeoh : 1. Resolved, As the opinión of this meeting, that the primary cause of tho present unhappy war, oxisting between Ihe United States of America and the U. S. of the Republic of Mexico, was the Annexation of Texas to the formtr, and he inmediato occasion of hostüities beween the two repubücs aroso out of the ! order of the President of the United States for the removal of the Army under the commnnd of Gen. Taylor, from ils position nt Corpus Christi to a point spposito Matamoros, on the east bnnk of the RioBravo, within the territory claimed by both Republics, but thnn under jurisdiction of Mexico and inbabited by its citizens- hal the order of he President for the removal of the Army to that point was improvident and unconstilutional, it being without the concurrence of Congres!, or even consuhation vith it, although it was in session ; but that Congress having by its subsequent acf recognized the war thus brought into existence without its previous nuthority or consent, the prosecution of it becarne thereby nalionul. 2. Resolved, That in the absence of any formal and public declaraiion by Congressoftheobjects for which the war oaght to be prosecuted, the President of the United States, as Chief Magistrate, as Comnrander-in-chief of ihe Army and Navy of the United States, is left to the guidance of hisown judgement to prosecute it for such purposes and objects as he may deem the honor and interest of the nation to require. 3. Resolved, That by ths Constitution of tho United Slates, Congress - being 'mvested with power lo declare war and grant letters of marque and reprisals, to make rules concerning captures by land and water, to raiseand support armies, to provide and maintain a navy, and to make rules for the Government of the and and naval forces- has the fullest and most complete war-maJcing power of the people of the United Sialcs, and, so possessing it, has a right to determise upon the motives, causes and o!jectsofa war, when once commenced, or at any time during the progress of its existei.cc. 4. Resolved, As the farther' opinión of the meeting, that it is tho dutyofConjress to declare, by some authentic act, or what purpose and object the existing ar oughtto be farther prosecuted, - that is the duly of !be President ia his oilial capacities to conform to such a dec■rtetioo of Congress ; and if after that eclaralion the President should decline r refuse to endeavor by all the means, vil, diplomatic and military, in his powr to execute the announced will of Con;ress, and, in defiance of its authority. hould continue lo prosecute the war for nirposes and objects other thnn those deared by that body, it would become the glit and duty of Congress o adopt the most eíñcacious measures to arrest the farther progress of the war, taking care to malte ampie provisions for the honor, the safety and security ofour'armics in Mexico in every contingency ; and if Mexico shoulcí decline or refuse to conc'.ude a íreaty with us, stipulating for the purposes and objects so declared by Congress, it would be the duty of the Government to prosecute the war with the utmost vigor, untü tliey were attained by a Treaty of Peace. 5. Resolved, That we view wiih serious alarm, and are utterly opposed to any purpose hke the annexation of Mexico to the United States in nny mode, and espe cially by conquest ; that we believe the two nations could not be happiiy governed by one common authority, owing to their gieat difference of race, law, language and religión, and Ihe vast extent of their respective temtories and Jarge amount of respective populations, ihat such a unión agninst the consent of ilie exa?perated Mexican people, could j only be cffecled and preserved bv large Standing Armies, the constant application of military force - in other words, by despotic svvay e.xercised over the Mexican people in the first instance, but which, there would be just cause to apprehend, mighi, in procesa of time, be extended óver the people of the United States ; that we deprécate, tlierefore-, such a unión as wholly incompatible witii the genius of our government and with the character ofourfree and liberal institutions j and we an-xiously hope that each naiion may bo left in the undisturbed possession of its own laws, language, cherished religión and territory, to pursus its own happiness iccording to what it may deem best for itself. Oth. Resolved, That considering the series of splendid and brillimt victorie achieved by our brave armies and ihe gallnnt commanders during tho war wit Mexico, unattended by a single reverse tho United States without any danger o their honor sufTering ;he süghtett taniish can practice the viriue of moderation nnd magnanimity toword their discomfited fors: and say, We have no desre for the dismemberment of the Republic of Mexico, but wish only a just and proper adjustment of :he limits of Te.xna. 7th. Resolved, Thnt wo do positlvelv and emphaticnlly disclaim and disavow any wish or desire onour part toacquirtany foreign terrirorv wlmtever for ihe purpose of propagating Slavery, or oí introducing Slavery from the United States into any sueh foreign territory. Sth. Resolved, That we invite our fellow citizens ofthe United States who are unxiousfor the restoration ofthe blessings ofPeace, or desirous, if ilie existing VV;ir shall continue to be prosecuted, that ils purpose nncl object shall be defined and known- who are anxious lo avert the present and future perils and dangers with which it may bo fraught - and who are also anxious to produce contentment and atisfnetion at home, and to elevnte the Nationa! ch.nracter abroad - to assemlile ogether in their respective communite and e.vpress their views, feeling and opinons on the subject. [The following sketch does no sort of justiceío Mr. Clay, because, nt his own jearnest request, our reporter and all others desisted from tbeir purpose of rpportinghis spnech, Mr. C. choosingto write it out him&elfand tbus avoid all chance of misapprehension or mis-statemenf. The [true Speech is thereíbre yet to be received ; and the following hasty notes from the Reporter'smemory, are only intended tosatisfy the publics expectation until the Speech itselfshall cometo hand. Ed.] Mr. Clay then spoks. He commeti ced by statiug liis opposition to having' his remarks reported until they had un-' dergone his own supervisión, as the subject upon which he was about to speak was one upon which he wished not lo be misrepresented. He then proceeded to compare the gloomy state of the weather '■ to the present condition of the counlrv. - We were now, he said, engaged in a! bloody war, that most deolaiing of terors, '.vlilcli vvftcn nssèrtatcd with I lenco and Famine, was placed in the foremost rank of human evils, Many personshad compared t!ie opponents of the present war wiih ournext neighbors to those who had opposed the war of 1812 with Great Britain. He denied ihat snch a comparison was just. In 1912 tl,e war was oneof defence on our part fiom the aggressicns of Englancl. it was a war whose objecls were most emphaticnüy and truly summed up n these words, Free Trnde and Sailar's Rtghig. We sought to defendoursailors from being dragged from our ship3, and being compelled to fight ngainn a couniry with which we were in amiiV ; we sought to preserve! our riglitsuponthe high seas, and not tol allow Great Britain to sweep us oñ". - That was a war of the people. They willed it,and ihey ere ía favor of ts being cairied on. He spoke from actual knowledge whcn he statcd that Mr. Madison was peasonally opposed to the war. How coii)d the present war contrast whhthat? what object wás t decïarcd ? It wascreateJ by the act of Mr. Polk, ratified t is true, by the act of Cor.gr f-ss. It was created in consequence of the order of the PresMent to Gen. Taylor to march upon the Rio Bravo to a point oppoüile Matamoros. The President acted thus while Congrefswas in session, without consulting that body. VVhen, however, 3upphes were denyinded for our Army, and lts dangerous condifion siated, Congreso voted for tbem. Whigs and all voted them supplies. In ibis act {bey did as he would have done; they toted the necessary suppiirs. But they wsre wrong to vote beyond tliaf; and never, s help him God! would he have done so. They were wrong1 in voting for what they knew 'o bs a lie, that the war ex isted by the act of Mexico. So grea: w;is bis regard for truih that sooner than subscribe to each a falsehoocf, he woulri hnve laid down life itself. They hari been warned when the annexaiion o; Texas was first moved, that if ihey took Texas they would have totake war alsD. Thé assertion was hooted at. No sucli föars need be entertí ined. Itwassnid tliat the bouidaries could all be amicablv senled. VVhat, liowever, was the fact ? Was not the present war a cor.sequencf of a boundary disputed. At the very tune when ourarmy was ordered to niarch on Matamoros lo take possession of the disputed ternto y, Mr. Slidell was on hi;vvay to the cily of Mexico to enter in'o negotaüons for ihe fettlenient of the same disputed question. Why not wait until Mr. Slidell's mission had been fulfilled 1 It had ben stated over nnd over apiin ilmt the whigs were enemies of the country tbf speaking agnin.st the war- that they deserted her. Was .this the case? Havenot the whigs been as prominent in fightingon bloody fields of Mexico os iheir opponent?? Have they not spilied ihelr blood as fteely? War now exists; but we have made no declaration of tne objectsofthat war. It therefore behooves Congress to declare what. a-re the objects nnd upon what terms the.war with Mexico wiH cease. In Monarchies the warmaking power s vested in the King; in bis country it r. sts with the peo-le hrough their Repiesentnlives in Congress. Tn3 is distinctly avowed in the Constitution. It is Irue, the President has the power of making Trcnties, but they are all bosed upon ihe acts or resolutions of Congress. He referred lo eertain resolutions of Congress regarding Reciprocity in trade, and upon xvhich ten a dozen treaties have aince been fuunded. If, the re fo re, on such comparalively unimprtant subjecis as Trada nd Commerce, the President takes his istruotions f rom the Peoplo represented n Congress, how much stronger is the rgnment jvjien applied to prolongalion f ar? IfCongress remain silent, will ie President, when war sonre declared, iy vvhat nre its objects and when il shall o,o? Then ii.ay you cal] the President )y what name you p!ea?e, !;e is in efiect sppwerful as a Cssar, nn Ëniperor, King. You give to one mnn a power that the Constitution never conteinplated. Mr. Clny continued to dilate at consideiablelengthupon lliis tnpc, expressing hisconviclion that Congress ahould declai-eat coming Session what are the objects of ihe W and what shouM bé the cohditions of Pence. Il the Prosident then remairi opposed to a Ireaty upon the Ier ros prescribed, there was a way in which even lie could be reached and made lo fee] thal Ihe Peo-ile's will governed - he meant by Impeachment. Mr. Clay said he was oppostd enlirely to the anne.valion of Mexican territory. One-half already of our own territory was unoccupied. Willions of acres of ands were in llie market. We did not wan I more, although some are desirous of extendinng our llmits frorn the Atlantic nthiPaJk, ■ tongFess íjecided-ihaj it would be?ati,ficd wiíh certain limits, establishi.ig what they cbnsider the proper bnundariesof Texas, he did not beíievo the President would refuse to accedo to t'ieir wishe. He [Mr. P] wns already half tired of the War, and would doublless be glad enough to adopt any plan by which peace would be resíored. Asto any difHculty which would occur in Rfttling aboundary line, lie would be wilüng (o undertake in sixty hours to secure its adjustment. Thé tiuth was, Mr. Polk imagined, when Matamoros fel!, the Mexicans would succumb. Such has !;een the especiation afterevery baüle ; but now, even when we are in the Halls of the Montezumas, our object is as far f rom atlainment as ever. He referred lo the Soani.-h character as evinoed in their sli-.iggles for eight hundred years wiih the Moors in Spain. He spoko of the nbsurdity ofaskingindemnity for our losses of a prople who had nothingto give us. Afl to tion, he consfde.-pcí it would be a little short of madness to introduce Eightor Nir.e MilRons of people, speaking a difierec' lnngusge and professing a different religión, nmnng us to assist in governing our Repnbic. Suppose, said he, they woulJ not chonte to send delégate, can weappointthem? Wouid that be cnrrying out the principies of our Con■stitution, which declares that every citizen shall havo a voícr in the government vh ch lis is required to support nnd obey 1 Mr. (Jlay decared liimtelf 'alronsly opposed to the Exlenstun oj Slavery. He deplored Lts existence, but [derelhe Telegrolihic report is unir.telligible We undersland its purport lo be that Mr. C. considered ihe nct ff ihe Constitutional existence of slavery one whfch could not be clenied nor ovírlooked, nor eoüld its immediate extinction be e.xppctpd. Nor tnust we &h ut our oyes to thp fact that, in the actual Oondition of fhings, exoiting controversia, crilculaüí.l to ohoke t!:ppilbrs of the Union, must be exprc ed lo spring out of nny nc'dition of ierr tery to this Repnblic. The re, o t continúes:] He considered the refusal to annex farther lem'tory tho test nrieans of evading the diffictilties nnd avoiding the dngers liatsurround this important nnderitieal subject. Mr. Clay spokfi two and a lialf hours, and the fbrrgoing is bul n meagre sketch 'rom me mor y of ihe most importont loints in his speech. He adhered closey throoghout to the principies et forlh n his Resolutions alrendy givpn, whicli may be rogardwí as un authentie sum.
many of bis views and positicna. When he had concluded the Resolutions ere submitted to the meeting, and adopled with enthusiabüc unanimity.