The Charlotte Journal

From the Charleston Mercury, 1839

Mr. Clay is a gambler in politics—but not a cool one. His temper unrestrained, exhibits frequent ebullitions from the excitement of the game. He stakes on every likely popular card that turns up, whether red or black: and though he often wins a shrewd trick and dips deeply into the bank, he loses in the long run.

From the Charleston Mercury, 1837

"If we cannot have a Southern States Rights man—if John C. Calhoun, by going upon the forlorn hope of truth, is (politically) dead upon the ramparts, like a gallant steed fallen in the front rank, borne down and trampled by the base rear, and can only hope for justice to those who shall look upon these disjointed times with the eyes of posterity—if for a disinterestedness above, and a political sagacity beyond the age, he is to be sacrificed as a martyr to principle, at least call upon us to support some one worthy of our enthusiastic trust. Give us a man of some noble traits, a bold, brave, gallant, high-minded man of genius, who, though we see his political errors, we can say to ourselves will do nothing mean—Give us such a man, for instance, as HENRY CLAY. He would have our respect, our admiration—and we would be sure that this government would always be dignified and respectable. There is something heroic in him. No military chieftain heroism—oh, no but of a kind not at all related to the humbug family. We would not throw ourselves into the arena for his support; but we would not quarrel with the Northern Whigs for offering such a man for the suffrages of the opposition. We tell the Northern Whigs he is the only man on whom they can rally a conquering party, unless the people come more suddenly to their senses than we have a right to expect, and at once do themselves the honor of rendering justice to the first man in the country."

The above extracts show what a change can come over the "pleasure of our dreams" in a short time. Such inconsistency will always be exhibited when our faith is pinned to another man's sleeve. The Lincolnton Republican thinks this last extract must have been written before the last Presidential election, when Mr. Clay was more respected in South Carolina than he is at present. The date contradicts this. We should say rather it was the unqualified opinion of a mind unbiased by prejudice or influenced by others.—Had not Mr. Calhoun discovered while acting with the Whigs that the victory would not enure to his party and therefore left his former allies to co-operate with their opponents, this change, in all probability, never would have come over the Mercury, but he would still have exclaimed "give us such a man as Henry Clay!" Whether Mr. Clay will be President or not, is beyond human ken, but we believe the time is not far distant when the People will awake from their lethargy and do honor to the first statesman of the age. Consistency thou art a jewel!