| 545 and driving the merry steeds of beatitude, without reigns or bridle, that I cannot help exclaiming; O frail man; what have you done that will exalt you? Can anything be drawn from your life, character or conduct that is worthy of being held up to the gaze of this nation as a model of virtue, charity and wisdom? Are you not a lottery picture, with more than two blanks to a prize? Leaving many things prior to your Ghent treaty, let the world look at that, and see where is the wisdom, honor and patriotism which ought to have characterized the plenipotentiary of the only free nation upon the earth? A quarter of a century's negociation [negotiation] to obtain our rights on the north eastern boundary, and the motly [motley] manner in which Oregon tries to shine as American territory, coupled with your presidential race, and come-by-chance secretary ship, in 1825, all go to convince the friends of freedom, the golden patriots of Jeffersonian democracy, free trade and sailor's rights, and the protectors of person and property, that an honorable war is better than a dishonorable peace.
But had you really wanted to have exhibited the wisdom, clemency, benevolence and dignity of a great man in this boasted Republic, when fifteen thousand free citizens were exiled from their own homes, lands and property, in the wonderful patriotic State of Missouri, and you then upon your oath and honor, occupying the exalted station of a senator of Congress from the noble hearted State of Kentucky; why did you not show the world your loyalty to law and order, by using all honorable means to restore the innocent to their rights and property? Why, sir, the more we search into your character and conduct, the more we must exclaim from holy writ, the tree is known by its fruit.
Again, this is not all; rather than show yourself an honest man, by guaranteeing to the people what you will do in case you should be elected president; "you can enter into no engagement, make no promises, and give no pledges" as to what you will do. Well, it may be that some hot headed partisan would take such nothingarianism upon trust, but sensible men and even ladies would think themselves insulted by such an invasion of coming events! If a tempest is expected, why not prepare to meet it; and in the language of the poet, exclaim:-
"Then let the trial come; and witness thou,
If terror be upon me; if I shrink
Or falter in my strength to meet the storm,
When hardest it beset me?"
True greatness never wavers, but when the Missouri compromise was entered into by you, for the benefit of slavery, there was a mighty shrinkage of western honor; and from that day, Sir, the sterling Yankee, the struggling abolitionist, and the staunch Democrat, with a large number of liberal minded Whigs, have marked you as a black-leg in politics, begging for a chance to shuffle yourself into the Presidential chair, where you might deal out the destinies of our beloved country for a game of brag, that would end in "Hark from the tombs a doleful sound." Start not at this picture; for your "whole life, character and conduct" have been spotted with deeds that causes a blush upon the face of a virtuous patriot; so you must be contented in your lot, while crime cowardice, cupidity or low cunnuing [cunning] have landed you down from the high tower of a statesman, to the black hole of a statesman, to the black hole of a gambler. A man that accepts a challenge or fights a duel, is nothing more or less than a murderer, for holy writ declares that "whoso sheds a man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed;" and when in the renowned city of Washington, the notorious Henry Clay dropped from the summit of a senator to the sink of a scoundrel, to shoot at that chalk line of a Randolph, he not only disgraced his own fame, family and friends, but he polluted the sanctum sanctorum of American glory; and the kingly blackguards throughout the whole world, are pointing the finger of scorn at the boasted "asylum of the oppressed," and hissing at American statesmen, as gentlemen vagabonds and murderers, holding the olive branch of peace in one hand, and a pistol for death in the other! Well might the Savior rebuke the heads of this nation with, wo unto you scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites, for the United States government, and Congress, with a few honorable exceptions, have gone the way of Cain and must perish in their gainsayings, like Korah and his wicked host. And honest men of every clime, and the innocent poor and oppressed, as well as heathens, pagans, and Indians, every where; who could but hope that the tree of liberty would yield some precious fruit for the hungry human race, and shed some balmy leaves for the healing of nations, have long since given up all hopes of equal rights, of justice and judgement [judgment], and of truth and virtue, when such polluted vain, heaven daring, bogus patriots, are forced or flung into the front rank of government, to guide the destinies of millions. Crape the heavens with weeds of wo, gird the earth with sackcloth, and let hell mutter one melody in commemoration of fallen splendor! for the glory of America has departed, and God will get a flaming sword to guard the tree of liberty, while such mint-tithing Herods as Van Buren, Boggs, Benton, Calhoun and Clay are thrust out of the realms of virtue
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