Mr. Clay's Lexington Speech

We give cutiré so mueh of tliis speech as discusses the projocied conques! of i Mexico, and Mr. Clny's views on Slavery. Shall this war be pvosecuted for the purpnse ofconquTing nndnnnexing ! ící, in all its boundless extent, lo tl. e U. States. 1 wil! not attribute to the President of the States nny sucli design; but 1 confessthnt I have hee i shock ed and alarmfd by roanifestations of it in various qimter-i. Of all tlie d.-ingprs and misf ritmes whi.-h couKI bfifa'l i his nntion, I shojild regard that of its becnming a ! like avd conqueiing power the most direttil Jind latal. History teaclies the raurnftt] tale of conquering nations and conqueren. The iliree most ealebraled conqueiers, in the civilizeJ w.wld, were Alexander, Ceesar, and Napoleon. The firs', after overruning a Inrge portïan of Asin, and sirhing and lamentiiig ihni there Were ii' more wurlds to sub.iue, met a preimiure and ignoble death. Hislieutnants quarrled and war red with each other, as !o the spoils of his vies r'es.nnH finally l"st them all. Caisar, afler 1 qnering Giul, retnrned wilh his j nni legions to Rome, passed tlie Rubicon, i and won tlie ha!; Ie of Pharsndiá.trnmpled i uoon the liberties of his country, and 1 pired by the patriot hand ofBrutus. But Romo ceiseJ to he (Vee. War and 1 quest had enervaied and corrupted the massps. The spirit of irtw liberly was ptinguislipH, and a lonj line of emper. ors succpeded, some of whmn werp the ipost excrenble monster ih1 evpr exisied in h'imin form. AnJ ihnt an pxtiuordinary man, perhaps, in nll history, aiter subjec'ing all continental Europe, occupying al most all its repitáis, spriouslv tlueatening, according to M. Th'"irs, priud Albion it-ielf,& dt-cking the hpads of various members of his fimily, with crowns torn from the heada of other j archs, üved to behold his on dear Fnmre tsel f in ihe insse.-sJon o;" his enf. mes, and was made himsell' a wretchsd naptive, an I far removed from country, ñriilv, an I frif-nds, breathed I is last on the listant rnd inbosiiiahle ruck cif St. Helena. The Alps ani the ' Rhine had bepti clnimei as the natural bouiidn-e.s qf Franc, uut even tbrse could not he seured in the tieaty to which she was reduced to submit. Do you believe tlm the people of Macedonia, of (Jicpcp, of Rome, orof France, were henefitpd, individuaüy or collectiveïy.'by !he triumphs of their great caplnimi Their sad lot was immense sacrifice of life, heavy and 'fáírñOtlWit 'mrr'r nr, in-f i'ir ultimáis loss of liberty itself. That the power of the United States incompetent to the conquest of Mexico, is quite probable. But it could not be achJeveJ wiihout fnghtful carnage,dreadful pacrlficeof human life, nnd tlie crea tion of an rnormous natioml deht; nor could it be completely effected, in nll probability, until afiertlie lase ofmany jears. It would he necessary to occupy all its strong-holds, to d'sarm its inhabitants, and to keep them in constant fear and subjection. To consúmale the work. I presume that standing armies, not less than a hundrei thonsand men, would be necessnry, to he keii', [,'erliaps aKvays, in the bosorn of ihcir country. These standing arnres reveling in a foreign land, and scrusion ?d to trample upon the liberiies of a foreign people, at some distant day, might he fit and ready instrurnents, under the lead of some daring and unprincip'ed chieftain, to re'urn to their country and prostrate the public liberty. Supposing the conques! to be :it once made, whal is to be done with it? Is it to be governed like Ruman Provinoes, by Procónsul? VVould it be compatible with the genius, charactcr, and f-afety of onrfïee nsiitutions, to keep such a great country as Mexico, wiih a population of not less tlian nine millions, in a state of constant military subjection? Shall it be anne.xed to the United States? Does any considérate man beJieve thnt two such immense countiies, with territories of nearly equU extent, witli populitions so incmgruou, so different in raci?, in lmguage, in religión, in laws, cml.i be Mendid togeiher in one harfnoiiioU9 ma-i.s, and hajipily governnl by one cummon aulhorüy! Murrnurs, discontent, insurrection, and rebelüon, would inevitably ensue, until :ia incompatible pnrts were broken asunder, ond pos-ibly, ín the frighiful strugg'e, our present glunous Uflion itself, would lie dissprved or dissolved. We oughl not to forget the waming vtiice of all history whioli tea-lips tne dilBcnlty ofcomfa ning and consoliditing togelhor conquering and conquered nations. Ader ihe lapse of eight huüdred yra-s. durir.g which the Moors held their conquest of Spain, the indnjrrtaUe courage, perseveran and obstinncy ofihe Span is h roce Gnally triiini)hed, and the Aliican in'radera from the Penin-ula. And even wilhin ilii' own lime ihe colossal owei of Napoleon, wlien nl its lolliesi i.eighi, was incompetent to gubdueand subjuga'.e the prúúd Canlllüin. And lieie in oui own neighborhood, Lower Conada which f on huJiftJ hga, ait'r tim conclusión of ihe seven years wnr, wns ceded by Franca t Great Britain, remains ti foreign land in llic nvdst ofthe British provinces, foreign in feelingnnd lUtaclimeut, and foreign in laws, langunge, and religión. And wliá' has ben j the fací with poor, gnlliini, genareus an.t opprpsspd Ireland? Ceoturie ha ve j sed nway since t ' ie overboaring Saxon overean anH sulmignted, limeraM 1-W - Rivers of 1 ris'i blnod have ffowed during tho l;ns; and arduoiis c n(u-sl. IDS'ir-j rection and rebMüen Iki ve lic.n í!io j der of ilioday, awl yei ni tij t..s time, : Irclaud rcmnins alien il) feoling, fleotion ord sympmhy, towards tli pnwcr wliich ha.-; so l;ng borne l.er d wn. Every Irisliman hater, tíl a morl.-il haíred, his Saxon opiressor. Allhough ihere ruegreat larritoria! dif. ferences between the c nditixn ofling-j land nnil Ireland, n. co:n[ ared to t!ie Uni'ecl States nnd México; therearsone poinls ofstriking n Sfinlilonce liet woen them. Both ihe Irish n ixi the Mexic.ms are probabty "f the snii;e Celliu race - Both the Piigi--li and ihe Americans aro ortho same Saxton oi-'gin. The Cailm-j !c religión predominutes in botli the former, tha ProteUant a.nong both thfi !a'.tpr. RoÜgioii has been the fru'iful cause o f disiaiisfaction and discoiitent between the Iris! nnd the Englss!) naiions. Ís there reason lo apprehond that it would beccme so between ihe prople of tlie United States and th)80 of México, f they were uüited togeihei ? Whv shnu'd we teek lo interfere wilh them, Q their mode of wor.-liip of a common Savor? - W.e boüeve ihat they are wrong, especííflly in the exclusive clarar'er nf tbeir lath, nnri that we righl. They ihiiik that they n i e right and tve wrong. Wlmt otlier rule can ihere be then, but lo leave the fullowers of eaoll rel:gion io their own solrmn conviction o" conscientinus duty towards God? Who, but the g.-e'U Arbiier of the Universe, can juego in such b rjuestioi)? For my on [art, I .sincerily belipvennd hopp,lhat those who helong to a!l Ihe departments of the grpat church of Christ, if, in truth and ourily. they c(nform to the doctrines which ihey profesa, wil! uhimaiely secre an abode in this rrgion of bli&, which nll aim finnüv tó reaoh. I think thnt thíre i no potenta:e in Earoip, wlmtevér bis religión mny be, more enlightened, or nt this momPti: .o inleresling, as í !e liberal liead of tha Pup-il See. 3ut I suppose it lo be impasible thai those who ftivor, if there be any who favor i!ie nnexation of Mexico to the Uniled Sta'es, can ihink iliat it ought lo be prepetrated by militry a'.vay. Ceitainly ro votary of human liberty could deem it right that a violaíinn should he perpetra' ed of the grenl principies ofour revoluiion, according lo which, laws ouhht not to be enacted and laxes onght not to be levied, without representotion on th part of those who are to obey the one and pay the other. Then, Mexico is to participnte in our councils andequ-jlly share in our If gislntion and government. But suppose she would not vohintarily choose represeutativesto our National Congress, isoursoldiery to follow the electors to the bnllot box, and by forcé compel tliem, nt the point of thfl bayonet, to deposito iheir billois ? And how are the nine mislions of Mexican people lo he represented in the Congress of the United Stntes of America and the Congress of the United Status ofthe Republic of Mexico combined? Is everv Mexican, without regard to color or caste, per capitum, !o exercise the elective franchise f How is the qu ta of representntion between the two Republics tobe fixed Where is the seat of in-in gnvernment tu be established 1 And who can foresee or foreiell, if Mexico, voluntnrily or by forcé, were lo sliare in the common government whot would be the consequences lo her or to us ? UnprepareH, as I fear her population yet is, fur the enjoyments of seliT-governmert,nr oí hábil?, custoins, langtiage, laws and religión, so totally different from our own, we should present the levolüng spei;tacle of a confuseJ, distracted, and motly governmen!. We shoutd liave a Alexican partv, r Pacific Ocean party, in nddi'ion to the other partios which now exi.t, or wilh which we are threaiened, each striving to exccute its own peculiar views and purpo.-es, atid reproacliicg the others with tliwarting and disappointing them. - The Mexican represpnttion iu Cong-ess would probably l'orm n separate and impenetrable corps ; always ready to ihrow itsplf nto thf so;i!e of any olher party, to advnnce and promo'.e Mexican interests. Such a state of things could nol long endure. Tliose, wiiom God and geography have pronounced should live asunrier, C'iuld never be permanently and harmoniously ut.ited together. We rio not want for our own hnppiness or greatness, the nddilion of Mexico to tlieexisting Union of our Stales. If our pi)iiilation was too detis e for our territorv, and there wag a difliculty in obtaining honoiably the means of subsisleiice, there might be soma excuse for an atlempt to enlarge oor dominions. Bul vr have no such npolngy. We have nlréWv, in our glorioiis country, n vastand olinosl boundless territory. Beginning at the ncnli, in the frozeo egiona of tho Brí'tsbPj'O' vincps, it strotclips thousntids of miles aloi g the coasl f the Atlantic Ocean and ihe Mexican Gulf, untiï it nlmost reaches ilie Trnpics. It extends to the Pacific Ocean, burdp.rs oh tlie gre'iï iulaiiti seas, the Lake-, wnieh sepílate us' froni the po.sessions of Grat Britnin, nnd it puibraccs thp grcat filher of river?, froni its upriei mos! s'invcs l llie Bnlize, and the smII longer Missouri, fio:ii its iixiuth to ihr goigps ol' the Rock v mountains. It comprehends the greatust vnriety uf the richest sous ; capnble of nlma-t all the producti'ius of the eartli, excejit ton anij coffi-e, and llie Siiccs, and ! ncludes ev ry varirty of c'nnat", which llie hrart cuul i wish or de.-iirp. We h.-ive more than ten ihousnni mil ons of ace nf wa.-te and unseltled tand', cniiug'i for ihe subi-tcuce of ten or twelva t mes our pros nt populatiun. O igiit wc nol t be satsfi;d wilh nucn a country ? Oiight we nut to he piofout.d y tlia k ui i 'o the giver ol a'l g o I tilinga 0r suoli a vast end benut. ful latid ? Ij it nit llie heiglit of ingratitule t'i II i in, lp se k by war and conqu-al, indulging in aspirii of rapacjtv, 10 acqirre otlier lnids, the homes and bobitalions of a largo portiun vt His commoi) children 1 lf we pursue ths object of such aconquest besides moitgaging the revenue and resources of thi country for ages to cnni", in the form of au oncrous Nationa' debt, we sliould have rre.'itly to augment thot debt by an as aumptinrj ofthfi sixty or seventy millions of the Nalional ebt of Mexico. For I take t that nothing is more certain thau that if we ob ain voluntiri.ily or by conques!, a Forpign Nnüon, we acquire il w ith all the inc im'r.inces altaclied to it. In my humble oninion, we rre nnw bound in honor and m rali;y U pay the ■ist debt of Teas. And we shoulJ be equally bound, by the same obügations, to pay llie debt of Mexico, if il vere annexcd to the U. States. Of all the possessions which apperlain to man in vs coüecüve or individual condilion,none should be preserved ind cherihed, with more seduloas and unremiiting care, than that of an unsu!]ieci charncter. It is mossble to estimate it too highly, in society, when attnehed to an individual, nor can t be exag.ger.itrd or too greatly magnified in a nation. - Those who lose or are indiflerent to it, bficome just objects cl scorn and contempt. (fnll ihe abominable tiansactions which sully the passages of '.story, none exceed in enormity that of the dismernbermem and partitior. of Poland, by the ihree great Continent-il Powers of Russia. Austria :ind Prusift- Ages nny pnss away and centjrie-i rol! round, hut as long a human, records endure, a!l mankind will unitR iri execrating llie rapacious amt detestable deed. That was ac.3im;)!is!ie i by ovprwhelm'ng force, nnd the nnfortunate exisienoe of fatal distensión in thr bosom of Polnnd. Let us avoid nffixing to our mme and national character a similar, f not worse stigma. 1 am afrnid thal we rio not now stnnd well in the opinión ofcliristendom. Repudiations hnsbrought upnn us much reproach. A'l the nations. I aoprehend, look upon us, as being actuated hy a spirit of rapa city, and an inordinnte de?ire íbr territorial aggranlizemem. Let us nt forfeit altogether their good opinions. Let us commnnd their applause by a noble exercise of furbeatance and j'istice. In the elevated stations which we hold, we can fafely afford to pra'Uice the God-like virtue of moderalion and magnanimity. The long series of g'orious triumphs, achieved by o'ir gnll.int commanders and their brare armies, unatlended by a single reverse, jusiify us, without the least danger of larnishing llie national honor, in estedly holding out the olive branch of peace. We do not want the minrs, the mounmins, tlie morasses, and the sterile lands of Mexico. To her the loss of tliem would be humiliating, and a perpetual source of rpgrct and mortification. To us they miglit prove a fata] acqui.sition, producing dislraí tion, dissension, división and pnssibly disunion. Let, Iherefore, the inicgriiy of the national evislence and naiionnl teriitory of Mexico remain undisturbed. For one, I der;re to see no part of her terrtoay toin from her by war. Sotne of our people have plncerl their bearls upon the acquisition of the Bay of San Francisco in Upper California. To u-j, n gre.it maraiime power, il rnight be "f ndvantage hereafier in respect to our commercial and navigaiing interest. To Mexico, w'nich can never bea great mnrntime power, il can never be of miich advantagfi. If we can obtain it by faii purchase with a just equivalent, I should be happy to st-e it acquireJ. As, whenever the war ceases, .Mexico otighl to be required to pay Ihe debt due our citizens, pethnps nn equivalent for that Bay may be found in thntdebt, our govcrnment ossuming to pay our citizens whatever portion of it may be nppliect to that object. - But it should form no motive in the prosecution of the war, which I would not continue for a solitary hour for the sake of thal harbor. But what, it ivill be nsked, shall we mnke penen witlioút nny indemnity for the expensesof the war ? If the publishrci (3 curnpnfs i'.' relötior. te the -:e nojo thtions between Mr. Trit nnd ihe Mexican commissioners be true, and I havo not sren them any wherc conlradicled, the Executive properly waived any demand of indemnity for the expenses of the wnr. And the rnpture of that rirgotintion was produced by our government insisting iijion a cession from Mexico, of the mnstly birren land between 'he Neucisnnd the Rio Bravo nnd New Mexico, wbich Mexico refnsed lo innke. So that we are now fighiing, if not for the conquc.it of all Mexico, as in'imated in somo quarlers, for that narroiv strip and for [hal barren Provinco of New Mexico, wit h I tb few mise:ab!e mines. We hought all the Province of Louisinnn for fificen millions of dollars, nnd it is, in my opin- ion, worih more ;han all Mexico togethcr. Wn bought Florida for five millions of dollars, and a hard bargiin it was, sinre, besides thftt suin, we gave up '.he boundnry of (he Rio Bravo, to which I think wn are entitled, as the Western limit of the Piovince of Louisiana, and were restricted to tint of the Sabine. And we are mw, if not sfeking the conquest of all Mexico, tr continue this war indefinitely for the inconsiderable objccts o[ w!,ich 1 have just referreJ. Bui, it will lie repea'ed, nrewe to have no indeninily for the exppnseof this war? Mexico is uttfily unable lo m?ike us nnv pcuniary indemniiy, if ;he jusiice of the war on our part entitlrd us to demnnd it. Her country has been laid waste, her : tiesburned or occuniel hy our lroops,her uieans so exhausted lhat she is unuble to pay even her own nrmies. And every day's prosecuiion of the war, whilst it ould nugnif nt the nmounl of our indemnitv, would lessen the al)ilily of Mexico to pny it. We hnve seen, therefore,that there is annther f irra in which we are to demand indemnity. It is to be territorial inde-mniiy ! I hope, for refsons already stated, that fire Srand will not be bruught into our country. Among the resolutions which I is my intenlion to present for your consideration, at the conclusión of this addren, one proposes, ín your belialf and mine, to disavow, in the niost positive manner, any desire, on our part, to ncquire any foreign territory whatever. for the purpose of introducing slavery into it. I do nol know lhat anycitizenof the United States ntertains such a wish ; bui such a motive has beenofien impuiel to the slave states, and I therefore think it necessay to notice it on this occasion. My opinions on on the suliject of slavery are wcll known. They have ihe mrrit, f il be one, of consis'.ïncy, uniformity, and long duration. I have ever regarded Slavery as a grent evil,a wrong - tor ihe present, I fear, nn rremediitiiloWTong - to :ts ufijörtunale victims. I should rejoice, if not a single sl.ivc breathed the nir, or was within lh& imiis of our country. But herñ they ■iré, to be dealt with as we can, with dae consideration for all the circumstances afFeciing ihe security, safety nnd happiness of bolh racps. Every State has the supreme, uncontrolled nnd exclusive power to decido for itsf-lf hether s'avery shall cense or continue within il, without any exterior ntervention frum arty quarler. In states where the slaves ouinumhcr the whites, as is the cnse with severa], ihe blacks coulJ not be emancipaled nnd nvested with all the rights of freemen, vithout becoming the governing race in those state.s. Cülüsion and conflict between the two races wold be inevitablp, and afier shocking scen.es of rapir.e and carnage, the extinction of the blacks wo'd eertamly take place. In the State of Kentucky, near fifiy years ago, I thought ihe proporlion of slnves, in comparison wilh the whites, wasso inconsiderable, that we mightsafe!y ndopt a system of gradual emancipation, tliat would uliimately evadicate this evil in our State. That syslem was totally dilferen! f rom the nbolitkin of slnvery for which the pnrty of the Abolitionists of the present day contend. Whether ihey have intended t or not, il is my calm and delibérate belief, that tlipy have done incalculable mischicf to the cry cause which they have espouse !, to say nothing of the discord which has b en produced bet ween different parta of the Union. - Accordin_; to the sysiem we atifcinpted, near the close of the last century, ell .-laves in being were to remain as sueh, but, all who might be boni, suLsequent to a spccified day, were 10 become fiee at lhe ag', of 28, and during their service were to be taught to read, wriie and cypher. Thus, insiead of being throwu U)On tlie community, ignorant and unprepared, as would be the cise by irnmediate ernancipation, they would have enered upon the possession of their freedom, en pablo, in some degree, of enjoying it. Alter a hard strjgglp, the sys'em was defeated, and I regret it extremely, as if it had been adopted, our State ivould be now nearly lid of that repro:ich. Since that epoch, a scheme of unmixeó bcnevolence has sprung up, which, if it had existed at that time, would have obvinted one ofllie greatest objections, which was made to gradual emancipation, which was the contiiuiance of ihe emancipated slaves to aliide nmong us. The scheme i the American Colonizaiion Society. - About 28 years ago, a few individuals, fnysnlf a'nonj ibem. me 'ogp(hr in the city of Washington, and laid the foundation of that society, lt has gone on amidsl extraordinary difiïculties and tiitils, sustaining itself almost entírely, by spontanemis and volunlary contributions, frotu individual benevolence, without scnrceli nny aid from governmeni. Tl.e colon ie, plantee! uuder ils auspices, are now well oj-tablished communities, with churclies, schools, and oiher institutiuns, appertainng to the civilized siate. They have made succssful wnr in repelling attacks and invasión by their barbarous and 1 vage neighbors. They ha. 'e madetrea-j ties, nnuexed territories to their ; ions, and are biest with a free taiive government. I ïeccntly read ai mcssngi1, from one of their Uovernors to their legisl.-iture, which in point of 1 silion, and in carefui nitention to the public affairs of iheir republic, would compare advantageously wiib the messages of the Govcrnors of our own state. I am not very superstitious, bilt I do solemnly believe ;hat ihose colonics are blessed wilh ihe siniles of Providcnce ; and if we may dare attempt penetroting the veil, by which He conceab his allwi.se tions from mortal eyrs, thrt he designs ', África shnü be the refuge and the home of the descendants of lts sons and diughters torn and drogged from their native land bv lawless violence. It is a phüanthropic and conso ing teflection t'iat the moral and plusical cond.tion of the African race in the Uniled State?, even in a stnte of slavery, is far bettpr than it would have been if their ancestors had r.ever been brought from their native land. And f it be the de. cree of the Great Ruler of the Universo ihat their descendants shall be made inslrumenls in Mis hands in the establishment of Civilizalion and Chrisiinn Religión throughout África, our regrets, on account of the original wroHg, wil] be greatly mitigated. It may be argued that, in admilting Ihe injusiice of slaverv, 1 admit the necessiiy of nn in.'tantaneous reparation of thnt jnjiKstice. Uniortunately, hnwever, it is not always safe, practicable or possible, in the great inovements of the States and public atTairs of nntions, to remedy or repair the infliclion of previous injustice. In the inceplion of it we may suppress and denounce it, hj' our most stren uous e.ertion. but after its consumation, there is often no oiher aliernotive left us but to deplore ils perpetration, and to acquiesce, as the only aherna'.ive, in its ex Menee, as a less evil than the frightftil consequences which mightensuo from the vnin endenvor to repair it. The evil of it was inflioled upon us by the parent! country of Great Britnin, agninst all the] entrcalies and remoqptrancos oftl.e colonies. And here it is amorgst and amidst us, and we must dispose of t as bost we can, under all circumstances which surround us. It coniinued by the importation of slnves from África, in spite of Colonial resistancc, for a penod of more tlian a cenlury nnd a half, and it may require an equal or longer lapse of time before our couivry is entirely rid of the evil. And in the meantimí1, moderation, prudence and discrotion nmong oursrlves, and the blessings of Providence, mny be all neccssary lo accomplish our ultimate deliverance (rom it. Exnmples of similar infiiction of j pn rtible national evil ond injustice miglit be multiplied to on indefinito extent. - The cae of the nnnexation of Texas, to the Uniied States, is a recent and au obvious one where, fit were wrong itcannot now be rp:iired. Texas is now an integral part of our union, wilh ils own voluntary consent. Manv of us opposed theannexation with honest zeil and most earnest exertions. But who vvould now think of perpetrating the folly of cas'ing Texas out of the confederacy nnd throwing her back upoii her ovvn ndependencc, or into the arms of Mexico ? Who would now seek to divorce her from this union' The Creeks and the Cherokee Indians were, by the most exceptionable means, driven from their country ; and iransported bevond ihe Miississipp iriver. Their lands have been fairly puchased and occupied by inhabitants of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, nnd Tennessee. Who would now conceive of the flagrant injastice of e.xpelling those nhabitnnts and restoring the Indian coi:ntrv to the Cherokee and the Creeks, under color of repairing original injustice ? During the wnr of our revolution, millions of paper mouey were issued by our nncestors, as the only currency with whieh thry could achieve our liberiies and independence. Thousands and hundreds of thousands of fiimilies were stnpped of their homes and their all and brouglit to ruin, by giving credit and confidence to thnt spurious currency. Stern necessiíy has prevented the reparation of that great national injustice. Sir Kübert Peel is said to possess an estáte valued at about ninely milüons of dollar.". His grandftither was in quite ordinary circumslances. His faiher was a cotton spinner, and uccumulated a porlion ofihis immense eslate, which the son has since increased by judicious invesiments. Only three generation3 have sufïïced to raise a comparatively obscii'e family to rnnk, opulence, and power.