the　days　of　nullification；　and　more　recently　in　the　reappearance
  of　the　slavery　question　connected　with　our　territory　newly
  acquired　of　Mexico；　the　task　of　devising　a　mode　of　adjustment
  seems　to　have　been　cast　upon　Mr。　Clay　by　common　consentand　his
  performance　of　the　task　in　each　case　was　little　else　than　a
  literal　fulfilment　of　the　public　expectation。
  Mr。　Clay's　efforts　in　behalf　of　the　South　Americans；　and
  afterward　in　behalf　of　the　Greeks；　in　the　times　of　their
  respective　struggles　for　civil　liberty；　are　among　the　finest　on
  record；　upon　the　noblest　of　all　themes；　and　bear　ample
  corroboration　of　what　I　have　said　was　his　ruling　passiona　love
  of　liberty　and　right；　unselfishly；　and　for　their　own　sakes。
  Having　been　led　to　allude　to　domestic　slavery　so　frequently
  already；　I　am　unwilling　to　close　without　referring　more
  particularly　to　Mr。　Clay's　views　and　conduct　in　regard　to　it。　　He
  ever　was　on　principle　and　in　feeling　opposed　to　slavery。　　The
  very　earliest；　and　one　of　the　latest；　public　efforts　of　his　life；
  separated　by　a　period　of　more　than　fifty　years；　were　both　made　in
  favor　of　gradual　emancipation。　　He　did　not　perceive　that　on　a
  question　of　human　right　the　negroes　were　to　be　excepted　from　the
  human　race。　　And　yet　Mr。　Clay　was　the　owner　of　slaves。　　Cast　into
  life　when　slavery　was　already　widely　spread　and　deeply　seated；　he
  did　not　perceive；　as　I　think　no　wise　man　has　perceived；　how　it
  could　be　at　once　eradicated　without　producing　a　greater　evil　even
  to　the　cause　of　human　liberty　itself。　　His　feeling　and　his
  judgment；　therefore；　ever　led　him　to　oppose　both　extremes　of
  opinion　on　the　subject。　　Those　who　would　shiver　into　fragments
  the　Union　of　these　States；　tear　to　tatters　its　now　venerated
  Constitution；　and　even　burn　the　last　copy　of　the　Bible；　rather
  than　slavery　should　continue　a　single　hour；　together　with　all
  their　more　halting　sympathizers；　have　received；　and　are
  receiving；　their　just　execration；　and　the　name　and　opinions　and
  influence　of　Mr。　Clay　are　fully　and；　as　I　trust；　effectually　and
  enduringly　arrayed　against　them。　　But　I　would　also；　if　I　could；
  array　his　name；　opinions；　and　influence　against　the　opposite
  extremeagainst　a　few　but　an　increasing　number　of　men　who；　for
  the　sake　of　perpetuating　slavery；　are　beginning　to　assail　and　to
  ridicule　the　white　man's　charter　of　freedom；　the　declaration　that
  〃all　men　are　created　free　and　equal。〃　So　far　as　I　have　learned；
  the　first　American　of　any　note　to　do　or　attempt　this　was　the　late
  John　C。　　Calhoun；　and　if　I　mistake　not；　it　soon　after　found　its
  way　into　some　of　the　messages　of　the　Governor　of　South　Carolina。
  We；　however；　look　for　and　are　not　much　shocked　by　political
  eccentricities　and　heresies　in　South　Carolina。　　But　only　last
  year　I　saw　with　astonishment　what　purported　to　be　a　letter　of　a
  very　distinguished　and　influential　clergyman　of　Virginia；　copied；
  with　apparent　approbation；　into　a　St。　　Louis　newspaper；
  containing　the　following　to　me　very　unsatisfactory　language：
  〃I　am　fully　aware　that　there　is　a　text　in　some　Bibles　that　is　not
  in　mine。　　Professional　abolitionists　have　made　more　use　of　it
  than　of　any　passage　in　the　Bible。　　It　came；　however；　as　I　trace
  it；　from　Saint　Voltaire；　and　was　baptized　by　Thomas　Jefferson；
  and　since　almost　universally　regarded　as　canonical　authority‘All
  men　are　born　free　and　equal。'
  〃This　is　a　genuine　coin　in　the　political　currency　of　our
  generation。　　I　am　sorry　to　say　that　I　have　never　seen　two　men　of
  whom　it　is　true。　　But　I　must　admit　I　never　saw　the　Siamese　Twins；
  and　therefore　will　not　dogmatically　say　that　no　man　ever　saw　a
  proof　of　this　sage　aphorism。〃
  This　sounds　strangely　in　republican　America。　　The　like　was　not
  heard　in　the　fresher　days　of　the　republic。　　Let　us　contrast　with
  it　the　language　of　that　truly　national　man　whose　life　and　death
  we　now　commemorate　and　lament：　I　quote　from　a　speech　of　Mr。　Clay
  delivered　before　the　American　Colonization　Society　in　1827：
  〃　We　are　reproached　with　doing　mischief　by　the　agitation　of　this
  question。　　The　society　goes　into　no　household　to　disturb　its
  domestic　tranquillity。　　It　addresses　itself　to　no　slaves　to
  weaken　their　obligations　of　obedience。　　It　seeks　to　affect　no
  man's　property。　　It　neither　has　the　power　nor　the　will　to　affect
  the　property　of　any　one　contrary　to　his　consent。　　The　execution
  of　its　scheme　would　augment　instead　of　diminishing　the　value　of
  property　left　behind。　　The　society；　composed　of　free　men；
  conceals　itself　only　with　the　free。　　Collateral　consequences　we
  are　not　responsible　for。　　It　is　not　this　society　which　has
  produced　the　great　moral　revolution　which　the　age　exhibits。　　What
  would　they　who　thus　reproach　us　have　done？　　　If　they　would
  repress　all　tendencies　toward　liberty　and　ultimate　emancipation；
  they　must　do　more　than　put　down　the　benevolent　efforts　of　this
  society。　　They　must　go　back　to　the　era　of　our　liberty　and
  independence；　and　muzzle　the　cannon　which　thunders　its　annual
  joyous　return。　　They　must　renew　the　slave　trade；　with　all　its
  train　of　atrocities。　　They　must　suppress　the　workings　of　British
  philanthropy；　seeking　to　meliorate　the　condition　of　the
  unfortunate　West　Indian　slave。　　They　must　arrest　the　career　of
  South　American　deliverance　from　thraldom。　　They　must　blow　out　the
  moral　lights　around　us　and　extinguish　that　greatest　torch　of　all
  which　America　presents　to　a　benighted　worldpointing　the　way　to
  their　rights；　their　liberties；　and　their　happiness。　　And　when
  they　have　achieved　all　those　purposes　their　work　will　be　yet
  incomplete。　　They　must　penetrate　the　human　soul；　and　eradicate
  the　light　of　reason　and　the　love　of　liberty。　　Then；　and　not　till
  then；　when　universal　darkness　and　despair　prevail；　can　you
  perpetuate　slavery　and　repress　all　sympathy　and　all　humane　and
  benevolent　efforts　among　free　men　in　behalf　of　the　unhappy
  portion　of　our　race　doomed　to　bondage。〃
  The　American　Colonization　Society　was　organized　in　1816。　　Mr。
  Clay；　though　not　its　projector；　was　one　of　its　earliest　members；
  and　he　died；　as　for　many　preceding　years　he　had　been；　its
  president。　　It　was　one　of　the　most　cherished　objects　of　his
  direct　care　and　consideration；　and　the　association　of　his　name
  with　it　has　probably　been　its　very　greatest　collateral　support。
  He　considered　it　no　demerit　in　the　society　that　it　tended　to
  relieve　the　slave…holders　from　the　troublesome　presence　of　the
  free　negroes；　but　this　was　far　from　being　its　whole　merit　in　his
  estimation。　　In　the　same　speech　from　which　we　have　quoted　he
  says：
  〃　There　is　a　moral　fitness　in　the　idea　of　returning　to　Africa　her
  children；　whose　ancestors　have　been　torn　from　her　by　the　ruthless
  hand　of　fraud　and　violence。　　Transplanted　in　a　foreign　land；　they
  will　carry　back　to　their　native　soil　the　rich　fruits　of　religion；
  civilization；　law；　and　liberty。　　May　it　not　be　one　of　the　great
  designs　of　the　Ruler　of　the　universe；　whose　ways　are　often
  inscrutable　by　short…sighted　mortals；　thus　to　transform　an
  original　crime　into　a　signal　blessing　to　that　most　unfortunate
  portion　of　the　globe？〃
  This　suggestion　of　the　possible　ultimate　redemption　of　the
  African　race　and　African　continent　was　made　twenty…five　years
  ago。　　Every　succeeding　year　has　added　strength　to　the　hope　of　its
  realization。　　May　it　indeed　be　realized。　　Pharaoh's　country　was
  cursed　with　plagues；　and　his　hosts　were　lost　in　the　Red　Sea；　for
  striving　to　retain　a　captive　people　who　had　already　served　them
  more　than　four　hundred　years。　　May　like　disasters　never　befall
  us！　　If；　as　the　friends　of　colonization　hope；　the　present　and
  coming　generations　of　our　countrymen　shall　by　any　means　succeed
  in　freeing　our　land　from　the　dangerous　presence　of　slavery；　and
  at　the　same　time　in　restoring　a　captive　people　to　their　long…lost
  fatherland　with　bright　prospects　for　the　future；　and　this　too　so
  gradually　that　neither　races　nor　individuals　shall　have　suffered
  by　the　change；　it　will　indeed　be　a　glorious　consummation。　　And　if
  to　such　a　consummation　the　efforts　of　Mr。　Clay　shall　have
  contributed；　it　will　be　what　he　most　ardently　wished；　and　none　of
  his　labors　will　have　been　more　valuable　to　his　country　and　his
  kind。
  But　Henry　Clay　is　dead。　　His　long　and　eventful　life　is　closed。
  Our　country　is　prosperous　and　powerful；　but　could　it　have　been
  quite　all　it　has　been；　and　is；　and　is　to　be；　without　Henry　Clay？
  Such　a　man　the　times　have　demanded；　and　such　in　the　providence　of
  God　was　given　us。　　But　he　is　gone。　　Let　us　strive　to　deserve；　as
  far　as　mortals　may；　the　continued　care　of　Divine　Providence；
  trusting　that　in　future　national　emergencies　He　will　not　fail　to
  provide　us　the　instruments　of　safety　and　security。
  NOTE。　　We　are　indebted　for　a　copy　of　this　speech　to　the　courtesy
  of　Major　Wm。　　H。　　Bailhache；　formerly　one　of　the　proprietors　of
  the　Illinois　State　Journal。
  CHALLENGED　VOTERS
  OPINION　ON　THE　ILLINOIS　ELECTION　LAW。
  SPRINGFIELD；　Novem