Newspaper Page Text
The following political jeu (Vesprit is too j
good to be lost. The points and bearings j
urt so credent that further comment is un- j
necessary.
[Correspondence of the Boston Courier .]
ill'll., May 1, 184 1.
Sir- Our city is now in a state of high
excitement. There is anew maggot got
into the head of the enlightened public,
which has put th“ whole community into
an “awful wriggle.lnshort, we have a
scheme on foot tor iho annexation oj l’ig's
Misery to Hull.
Pig’s Misery, as you well know, is a lit
tle boggy, snaky, tadpoly lot of land, lying
between Old Spain and World's hind. It
affords a plentiful crop of mbschetoes, and
is the paradise of runaway pigs and dead
cats. Some of our principal men, who
have been speculating in salt grass and
eel pots, have trumped up a project to an
nex this “fine territory” to the ancient and
honorable city of Hull. Though Ido not j
wish to interfere with any gentleman's a
musements, I cannot sav, “I wish they may j
get it.” ‘ !
As we shall have two candidates for j
Mayor next November, you may easily 1
suppose the annexation [dot has mixed it
selfup witii party politics, and every one.
is eager to know how the competitors stand
as regards this question, or, in other words,
what is their piggiological standpoint.— j
These two competitors for the Mayoralty
are Ole Koon and Martin Doubledot. Last
week the editor of the Emporium wrote to
the former, requesting him to declare his
sentiments upon the subject, to which he re
ceived the following answer:
I
“To the Editor of the Hull Emporium : ;
“Sir—You request to be informed wheth
er I am in favor of annexing Pig’s Misery j
to Hull. I answer No. We have picker
el misery enough among us already, with
out adding Pig’s Misery to the lot. That
you may not mistake me, I say again, that
1 am against the whole scheme, dead as a
herring, flat as a clarn shell, and straight
as a loon’s leg So stick a pin there and hold
on by the head.
“Ole Koon.”
On the other hand, the editor of the Calf
Island Roarer despatched a letter to Martin
Doubledot, in the following terms •
“To Martin Doubledot, Esq:
“Kind o’ Hook.
“Sir—l beg leave to address you on the
momentous and exciting question of the an
nexation of Pig’s Misery to Hull. It is
highly necessary that your friends and
supporters should be informed whether you
are for or against it. Now. Doubledot, let
us have none of your old tricks ; nor quib
bling, nor shuffling, nor dodging the ques
tion, nor creeping through a knot hole, nor
flying offthe handle, nor playing ’possum,
nor whipping the devil round the stump;
but speak out plainly, toe the mark, and
face up as square as a brick. Your faith
ful supporter, J. T. Fish.”
To this, Martin replied, with the follow
ing clear, lucid, decisive and satisfactory
statement of his views :
“Kind o’ Hook, April 30th, 18-14.
“To the Editor of the Calf Island Roarer:
“Sir—Acting as an unpledged delegate
to the Egg-Rock Convention, you ask my
opinion as to the expediency and constitu
tionality of annexing Pig’s Misery to Hull,
and request me to speak my sentiments.—
You not doubt that 1 shall freely do this,
for no man has spoken more sentiments
than I have.
It will indeed give me the greatest pleas
ure to satisfy every body upon the Pig’s
Misery question, for 1 hardly need remind
you that 1 have always been on the safe
side of all the great questions of the day,
and when they have had several sides, 1
have always played hopscotch upon all.—
Touching the annexation question, I shall
be the more explicit, for as it has two sides
and a hole in the middle, I shall be able to
look very deeply into this political mill
stone, and take good toll for myself out of
the grist.
On this occasion I shall take for my ex
ample, honest Peter Bullcalf of the Green,
who spoke out, with the following clear
ness and decision, on the subject of going
to the wars.
“In very truth, Sir, I had as live be hang
ed, sir, as go : and yet, for mine own part,
Sir, I do not cave ; but rather because I am
unwilling, and for mine own part, have a
desire to stay with my friends ; else, Sir, I
did not care, for mine own part so much.”
Now, to use the language of a friend of
mine, ‘them’s my sentiments.’ Pig’s Mise
ry might be a great acquisition to Hull,
and then again, it might not. There would
be no danger in the annexation, if so be that
it did nobody any harm, and I think it
would be a very popular measure if nobo
dy made any objection. You request me
to ‘toe the jsark’ at this point. Nature has
given me ten toes, and if 1 am hooked on
one of them, I can claw off upon the other
nine. You request me to ‘face up as
square as a brick.’ A brick has four faces,
besides the top and bottom, and I am not
quite so flat as to be unable, with six faces
at my command, to ‘look two ways of a Sun
day,’ and half a dozen on working days.
I flatter myself that this decisive and ca
tegorical answer will instantly dispel any
suspicion that I mean to play ‘possum,’ and
I hope that for this frankness and honesty,
you will soon hoist me up the gumtree. The
short and the long of it is, that you will
find me possessed of all the straightfor
wardness and independence exhibited by
the old man of the fable, which we used to
read in the spelling books. I am willing
either to carry the donkey myself, or let
the donkey carry me, so I may gain the
most sweet voices of that long-eared ani
mal, tlie pure pigocracy.
I will only add, that I trust this plain and
straightforward course will give universal
satisfaction to all parties—the Pigites, the
Anti-pigiles, the Porpusitionists, and the
Pork Middling Interest. When lam May
or of Hull, I will take that pig by the fail, i
; provided you don’t soap it, and we’ll all
| lend a hand to catch him.
I remain sincerely yours,
Martin Dourledot.
J. T. Fish, Esq. Calf Island.”
Martin having thus “defined his posi
tion,” awuits the sutfruges of'his enlighten
ed fellow citizens. As the newspapers
say, “time only cun determine” how many
votes he will get. 1 think he may “dot and
go one,” if he is very lucky.
Yours, Peeping Tom.
PHYSICAL DEBILITY OF A MERICAN
WOMEN.
A great difficulty peculiar to American
women, is delicacy of constitution, which
renders them the victim of disease and de
cay.
The fact that the women of this country
are unusually subject to disease, and that
their beauty and usefulness are of a shorter
duration than the women of other nations,
| is one which always attracts the attention
iof foreigners, while medical men and phi
| lanthropists are constantly giving monitions
1 is to the extent and alarming increase of
! the evil. Investigations make it evident
! that a large proportion of our young ladies
from the wealthier classes, have the incipi- j
: out stages of curvature of the spine, one of
the most sure and fearful causes of future
disease and decay. The writer lias heard
; medical men who have made extensive en
quiries, say that probably one of every six j
jof the young women at boarding schools, j
j are affected in the same way, while many j
j other indications of disease and debility ex
j ist, incases where tiiisparticular evil can
| not be detected.
In consequence of this enfeebled state of
I their constitution, induced by a neglect of
j their physical education, as soon as they
are called to the responsibilities and trials
of domestic life, their constitution fails, arid
their whole life is rendered a burthen.—
For no person can enjoy existence when
disease throws a dark cloud over the mind,
and incapacitates her for the proper dis
charge of her duty.
It would seem as if the primeval curse
that has written the doom of pain and sor
, row on the period of a mother’s life in this
country, has been extended over all, so that
the hour never arrives when ‘she forgetteth
her sorrow for joy that a man is horn into
the world.’ Many a mother will testify,
with shuddering, that the most exquisite
sufferings sne endured, were not those ap
pointed by nature, but those which for
week after week, have worn health and
spirits when nourishing her child. And
medical men teach us that this in most ca
ses, results from debility of constitution,
consequent of mismanagement in early
life. And so frequent and so mournful are
the other distresses that result from the fail
ure of the female constitution, that the vvri
j ter has repeatedly heard mothers say that
they had wept tears of bitterness over their
infant daughters for the sufferings which
they had to undergo, while they cherished
the decided wish that their daughters
should never marry. At the same time
many a reflecting young woman is looking
to her future prospect with very different
feelings and hopes from those which Provi
dence designed.
American women are exposed to a far
greater amount of intellectual and moral
excitement than those of any other land.—
Ofcourse, in order to escape the danger re
sulting from this, a greater amount of exer
cise in the fresh air, and all those methods j
which strengthen the constitution, are im
periously required.
But instead of this, it will be found that!
owing to.the climate and customs of this j
nation, there are no women who secure so
little of this healthful and protecting regi
men. Walking and riding and gardening
in the open air are practised by women of
other lands to a far greater extent than by
American females. Most English women,
in the wealthiest classes, can walk six
or eight miles on a stretch without oppres
sive fatigue ; and when they visit this coun
try always express their surprise at the
inactive habits of the American ladies.—
In England the regular daily exercise in
the open air is very commonly required by
the mother as a part of her daily duty, and
is sought by young women as employment.
In consequence of a different physical
j training, English women in those circles
that enjoy competency, present an appear
ance which always strikes American gen
tlemen as a contrast to what they see at
home.
An English mother at thirty or thirty-five
is in the full bloom of perfect womanhood,
as fresh and healthful as her daughters.—
But where are the American mothers that
reach this period unfaded and unworn? In
America young ladies in the wealthier clas
ses are sent to school from early childhood,
and neither parents or teachers make it a
definite object to secure a proper amount
of fresh air and exercise, to counterbalance
their intellectual taxation.
As soon as they pass their school days,
dressing, visiting, evening parties, and
stimulating amusements take their place of
study, while the most unhealthy modes of
dress add to the physical exposure. To
make morning calls or to do a little shop
ping, is all that can be called their exer.
cise in the fresh air, and this compared to
what is needed, is absolutely nothing, and
on some account is worse than nothing. In
consequence of these and other evils, the
young women of America grow up with
such a delicate constitution, that probably
eight often become subjects of disease either
before or as soon as they are called to the
responsibilitiesofdomestic life.— Miss Bee
cher's History of Domestic Economy.
The Steamer B. tannia, from Europe, at
Boston, brings dates to the 4th instant.
There had been no change in the price
of Cotton.
The arguments in the case of the Crown
vs. O’Connell and others, before the Court
of Queen’s Bench, Dublin, on the motion
for anew trial were still going on. Lord
Ellenborough has been recalled from the
I Government oflndia.
From the N. Y. Courier <s• Enquirer.
THE CORRUPTION SLANDER.
It must require an unusual degree of
hardihood to call from the grave in which
it has been so long buried the stale and in
fuinous slander that the vote of Henry Clay
fur Mr. Adams in 1829 was purchased by
the promise of a Cabinet office. To invent
and propagate a falsehood is usually deem
ed u somewhat bold as wel 1 as wicked trans
action ; but it fulls far short, in our judge
ment, both in point of wreckless dishonor
and base meanness, of the conduct of a man j
who deliberately digs up the putrid re- j
mains of an infamous libel, invented at first
for the purpose of injuring tire unsullied
character of a great anddistinguished man,
and afterwards so thoroughly proved to be
false and malicious, as to shame into repen
tance and confession the very men .vith
whom it had its origin.
Mr. Linn Boyd, of Kentucky has volun
teered to perform this latter office. For i
the purpose of injuring the character and
political prospects of Mr. Clay, he has writ
ten a letter repeating the foul falsehood
which has long ceased to injure any but
those who affect to believe it. It is very
seldom that a slander so carefully concoc
j ted as was this against Mr. Clay, is so thor
oughly and perfectly proved to be a pure,
unadulterated falsehood from beginning to
end. As it is not unlikely that the charge
may yet be repeated ; it may ho well to re
fer to some of the evidence by which it has
j been so triumphantly exploded. The
j charge, it will be remembered, was origin
ally made just before the election, in a let
ter from Washington published in the Co
lumbian Observer, at Philadelphia, and i
was that overtures for his support had been !
made to Mr. Clay and accepted by him, |
from the friends of Mr. Adams. Mr. Clay j
instantly gave it the most pointed denial;
and his card was answered by Mr. George
Kremer, a member of the House, who a
vowed the authorship of the letter and de
clared his willingness to prove the charge.
Mr. Clay demanded a committee of inves
tigation which was appointed and contained
not a single political friend of Mr. Clay
upon it. Mr. Kremer refused to appear \
before this cprnmittec and the matter was j
dropped. The purpose of the accusation j
was evidently to frighten Mr. Clay into
the support of Gen. Jackson. It was not
successful; he voted for Mr. Adams who
was of course elected. Mr. Kremer, it af
terwards appeared, was made the tool of j
bolder men than himself, and often declared }
his intention to make a personal explana- i
tion to Mr. Clay and retract the charge; j
but lie was prevented, and forced to keep j
silence, by the interference of those who i
had originally engaged him iu this work of
defamation.
The slander then became an effective i
weapon for the persecution of Mr. Clay.— !
On the Bth of March, 1825, a letter was ,
published, written by Carter Beverly, pur- j
porting to state the substance of a conver-j
sation held by the writer with Gen. .Tack- ;
son, at his own house, iri which the latter
said the friends of Mr. Clay had made to
him explicitly the offer oftheir support on
condition that he should not continue Mr.
Adams as Secretary of Stale. In June
1827, Gen. Jackson himself wrote a letter
confirming this statement, and saying that
the overture alluded to was made by a dis
tinguished member of Congress. Mr. Clay
immediately demanded the name of this ,
member, and received that of Mr. Buchan- |
|anof Pa Thus publicly called upon, Mr.
| Buchanan published in the Lancaster (Pa.) j
I Journal of August 8, 1827, a letter, of j
j which the following is an extract:—
“I called upon Gen. Jackson on the oc- j
casion which l have mentioned solely as a ;
friend, upon my own individual responsi- j
bility, and not as the agent of Mr. Clay or !
any other person. 1 never have been the
political friend of Mr. Clay, since he be
come a candidate for the office of President 1
as you very well know. Until I saw Gen. j
Jackson’s letter to Mr. Beverly of the sth :
ultimo, and at the same time was informed
by a letter from the editor of the United
State Telegraph, that I was the person to
whom he alluded, the conception never once j
entered my mind that he believed me to have
been the agent of Mr. Clay and his friends,
or that I intended to propose terms of any I
kind for them, or that he could have sup
posed me capable of expressing an ‘opinion !
that it was right to fight such intriguers
with their own weapons.” I had no au
thority from Mr. Clay or his friends to pro
pose any terms to General Jackson in rela
tion to their votes, nor did I ever make any
such proposition ; and I trust I would he as
incapable of becoming a messenger upon
such an occasion, as it was known Gener
al Jackson would be to receive such a mes
sage.”
Thus was the charge pronounced a na
ked falsehood by the only person upon
whose alleged original testimony it was
ever rested. Carter Beverly bad written
his letter on the strength of what General
Jackson had told him ; and Gen. Jackson,
in his letter, avowed that the only authori
ty he had for telling it was that of Buchan
an ; and now this gentleman gave a flat de
nial to the whole story, from beginning to
end. The finishing blow was given to the
calumny bv a letter addressed through the
public papers to Mr. Clay by Mr. Beverly
himself, just before his death, in which he
said :
“It will be no doubt a matter of some as
tonishment to you in receiving from me the
present address. I will not preface it with
any kind of apology, because, in doing it, I
justify my mind in the discharge of an act
of conscience, and a duty that I feel the ut
most pleasure in performing.
“Although the time is quite far gone
since I became very innocently instrumen
tal in circulating through the country a
very great attack on your character and
virtue as a gentleman, and certainly a very
heavy one as a public man, I feel exceed
ingly desirous to relieve you, as far as I
can, from the slander, and my own feel
ings from the severe compunction that is
within me on having been, though neither
directly or indirectly, your persona! accu
ser, yet that I was drawn directly into the
representation of an attuok upon you.
“I aguin say, that I am most thoroughly
convinced that you were most untruthfully
and, therefore, unjustly treated ; for I have
never seen any evidence to substantiate, at
all, the charge.
CARTER BEVERLY.
It has been also most triumphantly i
proved by various witnesses, that Mr. Clay
had declared his intention to vote for Mr. j
Adams long before these alleged overtures j
| were raid to have been made. Thomas II j
; Benton in n letter dated Dec. 7, 1829 de
clares emphatically that Mr. Clay told him
explicitly that such was his determination
us early as the fore partofDecmnbor, 1824.
Gen. Lafayette, ina letter to Mr. Clay after
alluding to some remarks which ho had
made in a conversation with Mr. C. on the
subject, at about the same time, says :
“ Y'our answer was, that in your opinion
the actual state of health of Mr. Crawford
had limited the contest to a choice between
Mr. Adams and Gen. Jackson ; that a claim
founded on military achievements did not
meet your preference, and that you had
concluded to vote for Mr. Adams.
Mr. Adams himself has repeatedly given
to the charge the most emphatic and un
qualified denial. In a letter to the New-
Jersey Committee, after his Presidential
term had expired, lie said, referring to Mr.
Clay’s able and patriotic discharge of the
duties of the Departin’ nl of State :
“Prejudice arid passion have charged
him with obtaining that office by bargain
j and corruption. Before you, fellow-citi
j zens, in the presence of our country and of
! Heaven, 1 pronounce that charge totally un
• founded. This tribute of justice is due
; from me to him. and 1 seize with pleasure
! the opportunity afforded me by your letter
of discharging the obligation.”
And still more recently, during a visit he
made to the West, the venerable man in
speaking of this subject used the following
solemn impressive language :
“I thank you, Sir, for the opportunity
you have given me of speaking of the great
statesman who was associated with me in
| the administration of the General Govern
ment, at my earnest solicitation—who be
| longs not to Kentucky alone, but to the
whole Union—and is'not only an honor to
this State and this Nation, but to mankind.
The charges to which you refer, I have, af
l ter my term of service had expired, aiyl it
j was proper for me to speak, denied before
• the country ; and I here reiterate and re
) affirm that denial ; and as I expect shortly
; to appear before my God to answer for the
. conduct of my whole life,should those char
: ges have found their way to the Throne of
| Eternal Justice, I will in the presence of
1 Omnipotence, pronounce them false.” „ r ,
; And now, if it he possible, in the face of
■ proofs so clear, of declarations so explicit
! as these for any man to repeat this charge
! of corruption against Mr. Clay, is theie the
j least lack of charity in saying that he will
. repeat what he knows to be, a base and
wicked falsehood. Party malignity may
lead persons into many rash and mistaken
statements ; but nothing but the most wan
ton disregard of truth, the complete aban
donment of all moral obligation, the perfect
sacrifice of personal honor can lead a man
of common sense to give farther currency
to this.exploded slander against Mr. Clay.
“Henry C/ay under Bonds.” —The fol
j lowing malignant, disgraceful and corvard
j ly article, published tinder the above cap
, i tion in the New York I’lebian, is now trav.
| elling the rounds of the loeofoco papers:
j “Henry Clay, the great embodiment of
j whig principles, the Hero of Bladensburgh,
| the leading representative of ‘all the piety,’
! the federal candidate for the highest office
; in the gift of the people, is under bonds to
prevent him from murdering a fellow being.
\ The following is a truecoppy of the bond
- attested by the Clerk of'th.e Police Court
i of Washington :
United States of America.
District of Columbia, to wit:
! Be it remembered, that on the tenth day
i of March, in the year of our Lord one thou
i sand eight hundred and forty-one, before
i us two of the Justices of the Peace for the
; County of Washington, of the District of
j Columbia, personally appeared Henry Clay
; and Willis Green, and severally acknowl
edged themselves to owe the United States
of America, that is to say, the said Henry
Clay five thousand dollars, and the said
Willis Green five thousand dollars, each
to be respectively levied of their bodies,
goods and chattels, lands and tenements, to
and for the use of the said United States, if
the said Henry Clay shall make default in
the performance of the conditions Under
written.
The condition of the above recognizance
is such, that if the above named Henry
Clay shall keep the peace of the United
States towards all persons, and particular
ly towards Wm. R. King, then this recog
nizance shall be void, otherwise of full
force and virtue in law.
Acknowledged before us.
B. R. Morsel, J. P.
W. Thompson, J. P.
A true copy, Attest: W. Brent, Clerk.
“The bond has not been cancelled. There
it is : A President of the United States un
der bonds to keep the. peace. No, no ; never,
never will Henry Clay be °resident of
these United States God forbid it!”
A few words in relation to this most con
temptible ebullition of malice and spleen is
all that is necessary, and all that we shall
say. During the session of 1841, a heated
discussion arose in the Senate, between Mr.
Clay and the Hen. W. R. King of Alaba
ma. Mr. King made some harsh remarks
in reference to Mr. Clay, which the latter
promptly pronounced false in point of fact,
and ungentlemanly in their application !
To this Mr. King made no reply, but im
mediately seized his pen. and after writing
what every one believed was a challenge,
left the Senate chamber in company with
another Senator, whose name we do not
now remember. He was highly excited at
the time, and no one pretended to doubt
that ho intended todemnnd a hostile meet- I
ing of Mr. Clay. So strong was this im
pression among people of all classes at
Washington, that information was lodged;
with the civil authorities, and writs for the i
arrest of Mr King and Mr. Clay, were’ im- !
mediately issued.—Both Senators kept out
of the way of the officers for soma days, and
absented themselves from the Senate, but
Mr. King was finally arrested; and then
Mr. Clay resumed his seat in the Senate,
when be too was arrested and held to hail ;
he und Mr. King both having entered into
1 bonds to “keep the peace.”
This then, is the whole affair out of which
that reckless and unprincipled slanderer,
Levi D. Slam, lias manufactured the arti
cle we have quoted from the Plebeian
Mr. Clay, was held to bail, just as any man
in the community may be, because it was
believed Mr. King, desired to have a duel
with him, “for words spoken in debate.”—
Mr. Clay sent no challenge, be molested no
one, but simply maintained his defensive
position, reserving to himself the right to
accept or decline any proposition which
Mr. King might think proper to make.
It is by sucli low and grovelling means
as this, that locofucoism seeks to prostrate
Henry Clay. It has no arguments by
which he can be met arid overthrown, and
hence we see its journals resorting to tricks
that would disgrace the most abandoned
blackleg in the land.
Before closing this article, it is but jus
tice to Mr. Clay, and Mr. King, to state that
the momentary difference between them
was speedily adjusted, and in a manner
honorable alike to each, and that the most
friendly relations have existed between
them ever since.— Tropic.
MR. CLAY ON PROTECTION.
The Washington correspondent of the U
nited States Gazette, a most trustworthy
and respectable man, gives, in a recent let
ter, this incident:
“ You will observe that Mr. C. J. Inger
soli has felt himself authorized to charge
Mr. Clay with running a race of repudia
tion of protection to home industry with Mr.
Vanßuren. This is a serious charge to be
made by one in Mr. ingersoll’s position.
Mr. Clay was in the House of Represen
tatives yesterday, when Mr. Ingrrsoll com
ing up and addressing him, Mr. C. said,
“ Mr. Ingersoll, by what authority do you
say that I have repudiated or abandoned
the principles of protection?” Mr. I. re
plied, “ upon the authority of a gentleman
of integrity, a personal friend of yours, and
a high tariff man, who informed me that he
had seen a letter written by you, about the
time of the passage of the compromise act,
in which you agreed to give up the princi
4-ple of protection.” Mr. Clay—“ It is a
falsehood: My speeches at the time, and
my letters since, prove the contrary.”
Mr. I.—The gentleman who informed
me did not see the letter, but received his
information from one who had seen the let
ter, and is a worthy friend of yours.
Mr. C.—Jew or Gentile, Turk or Chris
tian, present my compliments to him, and
say that the charge is utterly untrue, and
tell him to produce the letter.
The above is the substance, and as near
as can be recollected, the very words of tfle
conversation. Mr. Ingersoll lias made the
charge ; he must now produce the proof or
retract, as I doubt not he will. You will
observe that he relics entirely on hearsay
and second-hand evidence, and even that
will fail him. Oliver Oldschool.
MR. JOHN P. KENNEDY'S LETTER.
The Baltimore Patriot of the 17th., con
tains a most able and comprehensive letter
from this gentleman, on the subject of an
nexation. Mr. Kennedy is the Representa
tive in Congress from one of the largest
slaveholding Districts in Maryland. A man
of keen discrimination arid ripe experience.
He is therefore, well calculated to give a
sound opinion upon the effect which the an
nexation would be likely to have upon the
slave and property interests of that State.—
We cannot refrain from extracting an en
tire paragraph on this subject:
“ Every slave withdrawn from the pres
ent slave States will have his influence in
lessening the representation of the District
from which he goes. This career of settle
ment upon the Gulf of Mexico will sooner
or later convert Maryland, Virginia,N.Caro
lina, Kentucky, & perhaps other States, into
free States. It will break down S. Caroli
. ua, weaken Georgia and Tennessee, and
probably reduce the value of land in Ala
bama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Its an
nexation to the Union can do no conceiva
ble good to any of these States. I cannot,
therefore, but feel great surprise at the
zeal for this measure which is said to per
vade certain portions of the South. Can it |
be other than the artificial excitement pro
duced by a skilful appeal to popular con
siderations which do not really belong to
the subject; and must not this fervor subside
before the more deliberate reflection of the
people ? Anew competitor in the produc
tion of'sugar and cotton, growing strong un
der the stimulus of that eagerness for emi
gration which is a characteristic of our peo
ple, & which, in the first few years after the
incorporation of Texas, would carry great
numbers into the new territory, we may
well imagine would raise up no harmless
antagonist to the present South. Whilst it
is quite apparent, in looking to the effects
of this emigration upon our domestic com
merce, that it w ould, in reality, add but lit
tle to its extension, since the same consu
mers and producers would only be removed
from o:ie field of employment to another.—
Exactly in proportion as Texas would be
strengthened, either in political power or
commercial importance, other sections of
the Union would be weakened.”
Frost. —There was a severe frost in the
vicinity of Albany, New York, on Tuesday
night the 21st inst. At Schenectady, on
the same night, there was ice, destroying
all vegetables.
From the Milledgeville Recorder.
I TEXAS MEETING AT GRIFFIN.
May 20, 1844.
j Messrs. Grievf. & Orme —lt affords me
j much pleasure to record the result of
“ great Texas meeting,” that came off in
Griffin on Saturday last. Certain patriotic
Democrats, feeling an intense interest in
the cause of Southern rights, determined a
few days since, to have a meeting in tho
City of Griffin, and determine whether or
not Texas should be annexed, According
ly the Major struck placards in beautiful
style, and sent them throughout the adja
cent counties, calling upon the people to as
semble, without distinction of parties, in
Griffin, and investigate the great question
of Annexation.
Suspecting thfere was something “ rotten
in Denmark.” I determined to go over and
witness “ the nice little game.” Upon ar
riving, my apprehensions were confirmed,
that the meeting was gotten up to operato
upon the Whig party and seduce them from
their loyalty to Mr. Clay. The wire-wor
kers had been most industrious in and a
bout the city ; and at first my fears were
alarmed lest some of the Whigs would fall
victims to the plot. All was hurry and
bustle with the Major and his “nice little
crew.” At one time they would dash
through the streets, and anon would retire
in secret conclave to prepare the ways and
means to accomplish their patriotic design.
As they hurried by with grave countenan
ces, you could catch the disjointed senten
ces, “great question,” “ important time,”
“ vote for no man for President who is not
in favor of annexation,” “ John Tyler,”
“ Above party trammels,” and such like
gibberish.
About 1 o’clock the signal was given to
repair to a Ware House prepared for the
occasion, and about three hundred conven
ed. In pursuance of their contemptible
purpose, Judge Eason of Henry county, a
staunch Whig, was called to preside over
thedeliberationsofthe Assembly. A com-.
mittee of twenty-one was appointed by the
chair, to present a report; and after reti
ring, and, in a short time returned with a
set of majority and minority Resolutions.
Not having in my possession copies of
the resolutions, I can only give you their
substance from memory. After an elabo
rate and a grandiloquent preamble, the ma
jority
Resolved, 1. That the question of An
nexation's paramount to all others.
2. That if the United States do not ac
quire Texas, England will.
3. That immediate annexation is right
and expedient.
4. That no one should he supported for
President who is not in favor of immediate
annexation.
After the reading of the above, a short
preamble and one resolution was presented
by the minority and read. The resolution
was in substance as follows :
That if annexation would not violate our
treaty stipulations and our duty as a neu
tral nation, the minority are in favor of im
mediate annexation : but if it would vio
late our treaty compacts, and as a conse
quence be a breach of national faith, they
prefer its postponement until it can be done
consistently with the yet unstained honor of
the nation.
When the resolutions of the majority
were read, the object of the Locos became
apparent to the most unsuspecting. They*
confidently hope thore will be a candidate
in the field in favor of annexation ; they are
therefore getting up these meetings all over
the country, in order to extort pledges from
the Whigs that they will vote for no one
opposed to annexation. For they well
know the sentiments of our honored chief
tain in regard to the Texas treaty, and
likewise know the Whigs will have no oth
er nomination. But I do hope that the
shallow and contemptible artifice will be
exposed at every point.
M r. McCune of Butts, moved the adoption
of the preamble and resolution of the mi
nority, which gave rise to a warm and
somewhat protracted debate. Mossrs.
Stark, Martin, Galding and Grice, strenu
ously opposed the motion, and contended
for the resolutions of the majority of the
committee. The motion was sustained by
speeches from A. R. Moore, B. Pettit and
R. W McCune. The former endeavored
to sugar the pill by declaring they were
prompted by no party spirit; that it was a
patriotic stand taken in defence of Southern
interests, and called upon Whigs and De
mocrats to sustain them. Their opponents
exposed the artifice, to get Whig pledges ;
and vehemently exhorted their Whig ailies
not to sacrifice their old and long cherished
principles to the Texas treaty ; but what
ever might be their opinions jn regard to
that question, still to rally around the proud
banner of “Harry of the West.”
There was not a Whig there that did not
, perceive the trick of the Locos ; there was
not one there that did not feel his faith
strengthened in the cause of Clay.
At length the question was called for;
and in order to have the matter more clear
ly understood, it was determined that those
in favor of the resolutions of the. majority
should retire to one side of the house, and
those in favor of the resolution of the mi
nority, to the other.
Tho Whigs, I believe, to a man rushed to
the support of the minority resolution, and
raised a tremendous shout for Clay, that
echoed and reverberated for miles around.
The President, although in favor of annex
ation, yielded to the enthusiastic prompting
of a noble heart, and leaping from the stand
with his hat waving on high, joined in the
long, loud, deep toned shouts for Harry
Clay. The Locos couldn’t raise a grunt,
much less a shout, when they perceived
their fondly cherished hopes blighted in a
j moment. When they saw the Whigs they
had endeavored to gull, all shouting on the
other side, their hearts sank within them.
They reminded me of the story of old Mm.
i Scoggins, who, when her husband was in
the agonizing struggles of death, cried out
i to him in an angry tone, “ Well, Mr. Scog
; gins, you needn’t kick out the sheets, if you
are a dyin.” They looked like they
