Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB
[graphic][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small]
[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]
[ocr errors]
[blocks in formation]

THE imposing and impressive re-appearance, quite recently, of such a man as HENRY CLAY on the political scenehis stepping forward as a volunteer from private life, again to raise his eloquent voice in behalf of the true interests of his country, which he looks upon as in great jeopardy by reason of the Mexican war, and its apparent aim of boundless conquest and comprehensive annexation; such an apparition, at any moment fitted to arrest the attention and command the interest of all his countrymen, derives special weight and gravity from the circamstances in which it is presented, and the motives that may be assigned for it.

When it was announced, only a week in advance, that upon a subsequent day Henry Clay would address his fellow citizens of Lexington-all who might desire to attend-on the subject of the Mexican war, so great was the anxiety exhibited in all quarters to hear what this eminent citizen might say on this engrossing topic, that the more enterprising portion of the New-York city press immediately took measures to relieve this anxiety, by organizing, through the almost marvelous agency of the Magnetic Telegraph, which now extends to Cincinnati, the transmission, by express, of the reported proceedings of the day. What was undertaken in so liberal a spirit, was accomplished with surprising and most gratifying success. It is not, indeed, unworthy of the dignity of this great incident in our political annals, to

pause for a moment upon the details of this unprecedented transmission of intelligence from the interior heart of our vast country to its sea-washed circumference, in a space of time, and with a detail and accuracy, which seem to leave nothing to be supplied.

On Saturday, 13th October, at 12 M., Mr. Clay met an immense concourse of his fellow-citizens in Lexington, Kentucky, and after presenting a series of resolutions, which we shall presently reproduce, addressed them for about two hours, in an earnest, frank and eloquent illustration of the views imbodied in his resolutions.

At 2 P. M., then, on the afternoon of the 13th, (at the earliest,) the courier who was to convey the reported proceedings to Cincinnati-a distance of 84 miles-left Lexington, and through a storm of rain, and roads much cut up, reached Cincinnati in five hours. There they were taken up by the Magnetic Telegraph, and sent forward with the speed, and it may also be said, literally "on the wings of the lightning," to Pittsburgh, from which station they were reported to Philadelphia, and from the Philadelphia station to this city, so as to be ready for the press on Sunday afternoon. That is, in 24 hours from the time when Mr. Clay began to speak at Lexington, his resolutions and remarks were received by the press in New-York, distant about one thousand miles from the spot where the proceedings took

place! We might well pause awhile to moralize on such a result, but that we are circumscribed both as to space and time, in imbodying for the eyes of the readers of the Review, the principal occurrences of that day, and the reflections that they so forcibly and naturally suggest. But we could not forego the satisfaction, almost indeed a duty, of putting upon record in connection with this meeting, which is an epoch in our politics, the extraordinary success of the first attempt to throw simultaneously before the public mind of New-York and of Lexington the details of an event which both were on the stretch to obtain. Mr. Clay, when he appeared upon the stand, was received with tumultuous and long-continued acclamation. He stood for a while, erect and silent, gathering himself up, as it were, and concentrating his force for a great occasion. His first utterance was to ask, that-in justice to him as an old public servant who desired to be always right, and valued right more than power, or place-the words he was about to utter might not be reported, lest they should be reported inaccurately, He desired not to shun-he never had shunned the responsibility of what he said or did; but on topics so deeply interesting as those he was about to treat, and in relation to which misapprehension was so easy and might be so injurious, he confessed his anxiety to stand before his country only in the exact light of truth. He promised to give to the public press without reservation, and accurately, a full copy of what he meant to say; but he was most solicitous that what he did say should not in any other manner be published. Hence no report was attempted of the speech, which occupied, as has already been said, two hours; for a hasty letter writer's sketch, purporting to give its points. is too bald and barren to afford any conception of the great argument, and should, indeed, in compliance with so reasonable a request as that of Mr. Clay, have been withheld altogether. In regard to the resolutions, the case is different. In respect to these there could be no mistake, for they could be copied word for word from the original, and then be transmitted, with the unerring certainty of machines which cannot make a mistake, to the most distant points. Hence we propose to reproduce in these columns the resolutions only; and in the remarks we shall annex, shall in like manner confine ourselves to them,

and make no reference whatever to what purports to be a sketch of the points made by Mr. Clay in his speech. Here are

The Resolutions as offered by Mr. Clay at a Public Meeting in Lexington, Kentucky, on the 13th November, and unanimously adopted by the Meeting:

"1st. Resolved, as the opinion of this meeting, That the primary cause of the present unhappy war existing between United States of the Republic of Mexicro the United States of America and the

was the annexation of Texas to the for mer; and the immediate occasion of hostilities between the two Republics arose out of the order of the President of the United States for the removal of the army under the command of General Taylor from its position at Corpus Christi, to a point opposite Matamoras, on the east bank of the Rio Grande, within the territory claimed by both Republics, but then under jurisdiction of Mexico, and inhabited by its citizens; that the order of the President for the removal of the Army to that point was improvident and unconsti tutional, it being without the concurrence of Congress, or even consultation with it, although it was in session; but that Congress having by its subsequent acts recog nized the war, thus brought into existence without its previous authorityor consent, the prosecution of it became thereby national of any formal and public declaration by "2d. Resolved, That in the absence Congress of the objects for which the War ought to be prosecuted, the President of the United States, as Chief Magistrate, and as Commander-in-chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, is left to the guidance of his own judgment to presecute it, for such purposes and objects as he may deem the honor and interest of the Nation to require.

tution of the United States, Congress "3d. Resolved, That, by the Constibeing invested with power to declare war and grant letters of marque and reprisai, to make rules concerning captures by land and water, to raise and support armies, to provide and maintain a navy, and to make rnles for the government of the land and naval forces, has the fullest and most complete war-making power on the part of the people of the United States, and so possessing it, has a right to determine upon the motives, causes and objects of the war when once commenced or at any time during the progress of its existence.

of this meeting, That it is the duty of 4th. Resolved, in the farther opinion Congress to declare, by some authentac act, for what purposes and objects the ex

« ZurückWeiter »