xt7ht7279s09 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dipstest/xt7ht7279s09/data/mets.xml Waters, Thomas H. 1845  books b92e449h6682009 English Virden, Printer : Lexington, Ky. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Clay, Cassius Marcellus, 1810-1903. True American. Slavery --United States --Controversial literature --1845. Lexington (Ky.) --History. History and record of the proceedings of the people of Lexington and its vicinity, in the suppression of the True American, from the commencement of the movement on the 14th of August, 1845, to its final termination on Monday, the 18th of the same month. text History and record of the proceedings of the people of Lexington and its vicinity, in the suppression of the True American, from the commencement of the movement on the 14th of August, 1845, to its final termination on Monday, the 18th of the same month. 1845 1845 2009 true xt7ht7279s09 section xt7ht7279s09 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
HISTORY A N D RECORD
Of the proceedings of the People of Lexington and its vicinity in the suppression of the " T R U E A M E R I C A N , " from the commencement of the movement on the \4th August, 1845, to its final termination on Monday the 18th of the same month

T he ' True A m erican' of the 12th August contained matter, as the following""pages will show, w ell calculated to excite the indignation, and to awaken the apprehensions of the people of L exington and its vicinity. The popular proceedings to which it led, and the event in which it terminated, has already awakened general attention, and will probably lead to a great deal o f discussion in every part of the United States. A disposition to misrepresent the motives and the conduct of some of the earlier movers in the matter, has been manifested by some of the presses, even i n the city of Lexington. T o preserve, in a connected form, the published proceedings, as well the publications of the E ditor o f the T rue A merican, as those of the different committees and meetings w hich acted on the subject, a nd to furnish a faithful history of the origin of this movement, and the different steps of its progress, the persons whose names are appended hereto, have determined to publish the whole in pamphlet form. A fter the appearance of the T rue A merican of the 12th, it was manifest that the popular indignation in Lexington was rising to a pitch that threatened an outbreak in some form of violence. On the morning of the 14th of August, the following gentlemen met, accidentally, at the office of James B. W aller, who was himself not in Lexington at the time- They were, Thomas H Waters, James L. Hickman, Thomas B. Megowan, Henri/ Locif/iart, and Tho. F. Marshall. T he last number of the ' True A merican,' and the high and dangerous excitement it was producing, became at once the subject of conversation. T he apprehension of partial mobs and disturbances within the c ity by night, was expressed. The probabilities that M r C lay's person and private dwelling were in danger from the growing exasperation of the people, were discussed. The fenr that any

  
sudden or irregular movement Upon the subject, might assume a political complexion, and produce the most unpleasant, if not the most disastrous consequences, was suggested. T h e propriety of a public meeting, to be summoned by a notice, which had already been prepared by M r . H ickman, was also considered. M r . M arshall alluded to the great delicacy of his own fxtfition in relation to the whole question. H e deprecated the affair taking n party t urn, a nd suggested the propriety of making oat a list of citizens of both parties, and notifying them by private notice, to attend that evening at the C ourt H ouse at B o'clock, for the purpose of opening a correspondence with M r C lay upon the subject. The list was made out, and M r M egowan undertook to notify the gentlemen. In case of a failure to induce M r C lay to discontinue his paper by an application in writing, it was at the same time agreed among these gentlemen, that there should then be proposed a general call of the people of the C ity a nd C ounty, a nd several days given for the notice. Above all, it was agreed that party should be kept entirely out of view. The design was from the beginning', to prevent bloodshed and violence if possible; at all events, by concentrating the public m ind, a nd the whole people, to prevent partial movements and individual a ction, which under the peculiar circumstances of this case, a nd the relations personal as well as political, of the E ditor of the T rue A merican, might have led to so much disaster, and would certainly have been subject to so much misrepresentation. W e have inserted, as part of these proceedings, an article signed " A K entuckian." It was written after the adjournment o f the meeting of the 14th, and was intended to sustain the first movement. It was published first in the K entucky G a zette of the 16th, but on the same day in handbill form, a nd c irculated along with the j ournal, correspondence, and address of the meeting of the 14th August, and has appeared to us p roperly to form a part of this history. T he undersigned have had the satisfaction of witnessing what they originally desired   a popular movement without distinction of party. The call made by a few citizens upon a generous and manly people, has been heartily and promptly responded to; and the whole affair, delicate and dangerous as it was, has been conducted to its fortunate issue, i n safety a nd i n honor. The meeting of the 14th was small, there having been no general or public notice of it; none indeed was intened. O f the Whigs who had been requested to attend, several were present, and the remainder it was understood acquiesced in the movement. C. M . C lay came into the room and remained some time. Several Whigs arrived after he had gone-

  
O h tiio I'5'th, when C. M , Clay's answer was read, and'Mr-Waters' address reported, the C ourt House was crowded; and never was there surely such silence find perfect order m aintained in so large a body of men under such circumstances-. T he proceedings were had and the meeting adjourned without, the slightest m urmur. N o religious assembly could have maintained profounder or more decorous silence and attention. T he following is the Notice prepared by James L . H ickman Esq-, an I postponed on account of the proposition to make out a list of particular citizens and notify them specially: NOTICE. T he citizens of J^exington are requested to meet at the C ourt H ouse this evening at 4 o'clock, to take into consideration the propriety of adopting suitable measures to protect the properly, and defend the wives and daughters of the citizens of L exington against the "strong anns, Jiery hearts and iron pikes" of the so called T rue A merican. T he following is the list made out in James B. Waller's office of gentlemen to be requested to attend at 3 o'clock at the C ourt H ouse. O f this list Tho. B. Megowan notified all the gentlemen but two: Thomas S. R edd and P arker C raig. M r . C raig was absent from the city, and M r Megowan could not find M r . R edd. A l l the gentlemen approved the proceedure, and engaged to attend it if convenient. "Invite the following named gentlemen to meet at the C ourt H ouse at 3 o'clock this evening, to cousuit on what course w ould be proper to pursue, in relation to the publication in this c ity of the paper called the ' True A merican.' A ug. 14, 1845. D r. B e n . W . B udley, J ohn W . H unt, ' D.M.Craig-, H . T . D uncan, H . H . T imberlake, W m . W ilson, T homas S. R edd, H enry Johnson, W . K . Higgins, P arker C iaig, D . M c. P ayne, W . H R ichardson, E . K . Savre, J ohn M cCauley, W m . S . W aller, T ho. B radlev, Sam}. R. B ullock, L . C . R andall, J . C. B reckinridge, I)r J . C . Cross, T homas G rant, J . 0. H arrison, M aslin S mith, E d . M cAlister, E d . P . Johnson, l i s - A . G rinstcad, B . A . H icks,

T he meeting, at least a portion of the gentlemen notified attended at the hour. S everal gentlemen who had promised to attend not having a rrived, after some conversation it was mo-

  
4 v ed to a djourn. M r Hunt, M r D udley M . Craig, a nd other.-, oi" the Whig p arty c o m i n g i n h owever, the m eeting proceeded to b usiness. T he f o l l o w i n g i s the j o u r n a l of t heir entire proceedings:

T O T H E P UBLIC.
A t a m eeting of sundry citizens of L exington at the Court House on T hursday, 14th August, Beverley A . H icks was c alled to the chair, and the m eeting being organized,thc f ollowing r esolutions were unanimously adopted, after w hich the m eeting adjourned to meet at .'! oJclock, P . M . to-morrow 15th. Signed, B E V E R L E Y A . H I C K S , C hairman. .Resoitoed, T hata committee of three be appointed to wait upon Cass i u s M . C lay, editor of the True American,and request him to discontinue the p ublication of the paper c alled the ' 'True A merican' as Us further continuance, in our j udgement, is dangerous to the peace o f our c ommunity, and to the safety of our homes and f amilies. 2 d. T hat the C ommittee report to this assembly to-morrow evening at 3 o'clock the result of their application and M r . C lay's a nswer B. W . D U D L E Y , ) T H O S . H . W A T E R S , V C om't. J O H N W. H U N T . ) T he m eeting assembled pursuant to adjournment, and TliomasII. W aters one ofthe Committee of corrcspondencc,reported thefollowing l etter and answer of C . M . C lay.
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L EXINGTON, 14th CASSIUS M . C L A Y , E sq.

A u g . , JIMS.

SIR:   We, the undersigned, have been appointed as a committee u pon the part of a number of tho respectable citizens of the C ity o f L exington to correspond w ith y ou, under the f ollowing r esolution. Resolved, T hat a Committee of three be appointed to wait upon Cassius M . C lay, E ditor o f the "True A merican," a nd request him to d iscontinue the publication of the paper c alled the " T r u e A merican " as its further continuance, i n our j udgment, is dangerous to the peace of our community, and to the safety o f our homes and families. I n pursuance of the above, we hereby request you to discontinue your paper, and w ould seek to impress upon you the importance of your acquiescence. Y our paper is agitating a ijd e xciting our c ommunity to an extent of w hich y ou can scarcely be aware. W e do not approach you in the form of a threat. B ut we owe i t to you to s tate, t hat,in our judgment, your own safety, as w ell as the repose and peace of the community, are i nvolved i n your answer. w e await your r eply, i n the hope that your own good sense a nd regard for the reasonable wishes of a c ommunity in w hich y ou have many connexions a nd friends, w ill i nduce you promptly to comply w ith o ur request. W e are instructed to report your answer to a meeting, to-morrow evening, at three o 'clock, and w ill e xpect it by two o'clock, P . M . , of to-morrow. R espectfully, & c. ft. W . D U D L E Y , T I10. H . W A T E R S , JOHN W . H U N T .

  
T o w hich M r . C lay mailt; the f ollowing n p l y : S i m :     J r eceived through the hands of M r . Thomas FT. W aters, one of your committee, since candle-light, your extraordinary letter. Inasmuch as two of your committee and m yself are not upon speaking terms, and when I add to this the fact that y ou have taken occasion to address me a note o f this character, when I am on a bed o f s ickness o f more than a month's standing, from w hich I have o nly v entured at intervals to ride out and to write a few paragraphs, w hich c aused a relapse, I think th.it the A merican people w ill agree w ith m e. that y our office is a base and dishonorable one, more particularly w hen they reilect that y ou have had more than two months whilst I was in health to accomplish the same purpose.   I say in reply to your assertion that y ou arc a committee appointed by a respectable portion o f the community, that it cannot bo true. Traitors to the laws and C onstitution cannot ho deemed respectable by any hut assassins, pirates and highway robbers. Y our m eeting is one unknown to the laws and constitution of my country, it was secret in its proceedings, its purposes, its spirit, and its action, l ike its mode of existence, are w holly u nknown to and in direct v iolation o f every known principle o f honor, r eligion or government, held sacred by the c ivilized w orld. 1 treat them w ith the burning contempt of a brave heart and l oyal c itizen. I deny their power and defy their action. It may bo true that those men are excited as you say, whose interest it is to prey upon the e xcitement and distresses of the country. What tyrant ever failed to be excited when his unjust, power was about, to be taken from his hands? B u t 1 deny, utterly deny, and c all for proof, that there is any j ust ground for this agitation. In every case of violence by the blacks s ince the publication of my paper, it has been proven and w ill be again proven by my representatives, i f my life s hould f i i l to be spared, that there has been special causes for their action independent of, and h aving no relation whatever to the " True A m e r i c a n " or its doctrines. Y our a dvice w ith regard to my personal safety is worthy of the source w hence it. cmanatcd,and meets w ith the same contempt from me w hich the purposes of your mission excite. G o t ell y our secret conclave of c owardly assassins that C . M . C lay k nows his rights and how to defend t hem. L exington, A u g . 15, 1845. C. M . C L A Y

A fter the reading of the correspondence, M r . Waters offered the f ollowing address and resolutions w hich w ere unanimously adopted: T he answer of the " E d i t o r o f the True A m e r i c a n " to a note d irected to him yesterday by a committee of this body of the citizens o f L exington, a cting under a resolution of the same, demands at our hands a deliberate reply. T he e ditor in his response to the note o f our committee w hich w ill appear in our published proceedings, uses the f ollowing l anguage: " I say in reply (o your assertion that y ou are a committee appointed by a respectable portion of the community, that it cannot be true.

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6 T raitors to tho laws and constitution cannot bo deemed respectable by any but assassins, pirates, and highway robbers. Y our m eeting is one u nknown to the laws and constitution of my country; it was secret i n its proceedings, its purposes, its spirit and its action, l ike its mode o f e xistence, are w holly u nknown to and in direct v iolation o f every k nown p rinciple of honor, r eligion or government, held sacred by the c ivilized w orld. I treat them w ith the contempt of a brave heart a nd a l oyal c itizen. I deny their power and defy their action. It may be true that those men arc excited as you say, whose interest it is to prey upon the excitement and distresses of the country. What tyrant ever f ailed to be excited when his unjust power was about to be t aken from h is hands'? " Appended to the h andbill, w hich a ppeared' this morning over the signature " C . M . C l a y " there is an appeal: to " K entuckians," i n w hich this meeting is denounced as a band of T yrants worse than the " A t h e n i a n Thirty,'? and c losing w ith the f ollowing significant summons: " ' M e n who regard law   men who regard t heir liberties as not to be sacriticed to a single pecuniary interest, to say the least, of doubtful value   -lovers of justice   enemies o f blood   laborers of all classes, you for whom I have sacrificed so much, w here w ill y ou bo found when this battle between Liberty and Slavery is to be fought (" T he m eaning and purpose of the man can scarce admit of question. F or whom is it, that he iias made such sacrifices? F o r w hich class of laborers i n our community, is that p articular description intended? H ad the scheme of A bolition r ipened to its final e xplosion among us., w ere the nonslaveholding laborers of our country prepared to make c ommon cause w ith insurgent. B lacks, and to flock to the standard of a " d esperado, ' in a war for universal liberty, this proclamation o f one who seems to be mad, w ould be, indeed, appalling. A s our object,, however, is not to put forth a counter manifesto, to unfurl the banner o f civil war, or to advertise for recruits, wo proceed c almly to examine the circumstances w hich l ed to our assembly and proceedings; c ircumstances, w hich, i n our judgment, demand the suppression off the " T i u e A merican," by the force of p ublic o pinion, i f possible. W e do not mean to discuss the question of slavery w ith the editor of the True A merican, or any one else. W ith his theory of human r ights, or his application of the principles of the "Declaration of Independence " to the A frican race in A merica, we w ill have no discussion. W c know that there is a party in the U nited S tates, waxing s tronger, active, vigilant, and utterly fanatical, who maintain that A f r i can S lavery should be abolished forthwith; the Freedmen remaining u pon the s oil, and admitted to all the p olitical r ights of C itizens. W ith this party, the editor of the " True A merican " is associated ; by them he is sustained, and has erected his press i n K entucky, for the purpose of urging their p rinciples and effecting their objects.    > F rom the first establishment of the paper, the editor lias borne h imself l ike a m an engaged, and conscientiously engaged in a desperate and u nlawful u ndertaking. Defiance and threats w ere his
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1 e arliest heiulds. T his c ommunity have heretofore borne w ith patience, the continuance of the paper, from a v ariety of causes needless to bo enumerated. The Tuesday's number, 12th A u g . , h owever, c ontained matter so unequivocal, so unexpected, so audacious, that m en must have been besotted, or stupified, or paralysed utterly, by the basest terrors not to have been roused, to notice the subject w ith d ecision. T he leading article in that days paper, occupies t hree c olumns and a half, and is devoted to the detail of the modus operandi o f A bolition. T h e fundamental proposition of tho writer is this, i n h is own language: '    Our Legislatures, State andGeneral, s hould raise the platform upon w hich o ur free colored people stand. They s hould g ive to them, f ull p olitical r ight to h old o ffice; to vote, to set o n j uries, to give their testimony, and make no distinction between t hem and ourselves." T his is bad enough, quite bad enough, but is by way of recommendation; the instrument upon w hich the writer relies is moral suasion, d irected to the masters.   The e ditorial, h owever, of that d ay, assumes another tone. H e does not pursuade, but threatens. D iscarding the m ild, but as ho thinks, hopeless agency of moral reasoning, he appeals d irectly to physical force, in its most appalling forms. The paragraphs to w hich we refer, and were the direct cause of our proceedings, are the most remarkable ever put forth in this community. In e xplanation o f our conduct, wc quote them at large. T h e editor, after anticipating that i n case ho should perish, some other philanthropist w ould a rise to f ill h is place, proceeds: " It is the weakness " and disease in the State that has forced us into our present position ; " and i f we should perish, the same causes w ould raise up many more, " and abler than we, to vindicate the same cause. W e had hoped to " see on this continent, the g reat a xiom that m an is capable of s elf " government amply vindicated: we had no objections to the peacca"ble and honorable extention of empire, over the whole continent, i f " equal f reedom expanded w ith the bounds of nation, gladly w ould we " have seen untold m illions o f freemen, enjoying liberty of conscience, " resting under their own vine and fig t ree w ith n one to make them " afraid, s tanding upon a sacred and inviolate constitution at home, and " just towards all nations   such was the v ision o f the Immortal Washi n g t o n , a nd such was ours. B a t we are t old the enunciation of the " great a nd soul stirring p rinciples o f revolutionary patriots was a l i e     "as the dog returns to his vomit, we are to go back to the f oul and cast " off rags o f European tyrany, to hide our nakedness: Slavery, the most unmitigated, the lowest, the basest that the w orld has seen, is to " be substituted forever, for our better, m ore glorious, holier aspira"tions   the Constitution is torn and trampled under foot; justice and " good faith in a nation are derided ; brute force is substituted in tho " p l a c c o f h igh moral tone: all the great p rinciples o f national liberty " which we inherited from o ur B ritish a ncestry are y ielded u p   and " we are left without God or hope in the W orld. W hen the g n a t " hearted of our land weep, and the man of reflection maddens in the
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   '   'contemplation of our national aposlacy; there are men pursuing " gain and pleasure, who smile w ith contempt and indifference at " their appeals. But remember you who dwell in marble palaces       //mi (here, arc strong arms and fiery hearts, and iron pikes in the "streets, and panes of glass only between them and the silver plate on "the board, and the smooth skin woman on the Ottoman.   When y ou " have mocked at virtue, denied the agency o f G od i n the afVairs of men, " and made rapine your honied faith ; tremble, for the day of rctribu"tion is at hand   and the masses w ill be avenged." T here is a miserrblc effort i n . C . M . C lay's h andbill this morning to explain these h orrible passages. H e says in his commentary upon the article, that, " It w ill be perceived by the r eader that the whole p iece alludes to national p olicy and the loss o f a high sense o f j ustice i n the administration of our national affairs. That he means by the masses the white m illions who w ill i n the course of time when that poverty Ihc consequence of slavery presses o n them follow the example o f their plunderers and in turn plunder them. This is the idea, c onveyed he says, " in his e liptical m anner." It was of slavery the most unmitigated, the lowest, the basest, that the editor was w riting. T he passages are clear, distinct, and unambiguous. There is no c lipsis in the case   they arc protuberant in their horrid fullness. " T r e m ble for the day of retribution is at hand ! " B y what e liptical figure can this be made to relate to the far future? There was and is but one impression in Lexington as to these a rticles. The excitement was great and nalural. That an a lly o f the Northern abolitionists s hould c laim the benefit of the press, and the f ull p rotection of laws, whose v alidity i n one of tho most important of our s ocial r elations he absolutely denies, that he should c laim for himself the right to excite to sedition, by inflamatory publications, addressed to all the passions o f our slaves, and to arm as though it were an arsenal the den from w hence he fulminates his infernal bulletins against the settled institutions of the country, and the safety and the peace o f our wives and d aughters, and at the same t ime deny to us the right of meeting in peaceful and unarmed c ouncil to deliberate of the best mode of p reventing frightful and threatened o utrage, is of apiece w ith the terible fanaticism of the sect to w hich the editor belongs. We assembled to endeavor, in advance of that j ust popular r esentment w hich awaits the reckless incendiary, w hich does not always, and sometimes c annot pause, for the slow effort of laws, to endeavor by mildness and r emonstrance, to turn him from his purpose, and consequently avert I lie storm of public indignation w hich ho s eeks to raise. We have made the effort, and encountered his denunciation. M ercy to our slaves, a regard for tho public peace, s elf r espect, and respect for the r haracler of tho community forbids us to be beaten b ack, by the outrage and abuse heaped upon us by one desperate m an. W c assume not to decide for a society who have w ith us a common interest,   but as a portion of that c ommunity, recommend a general m eeting of the people of the eity of Lexington and county of Fay-

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ettc to be held on< Monday next, Aug. 18th, to concert measures for the suppression of the farther publication of the " Abolition paper " called the True American. . Be it therefore Resolved, That a notice be published for a general: meeting of the people of this city and county to be held on Monday 11 o'clock,.a.m.. at the Court-House, to take into consideration the most effectual steps, to secure our interests from the efforts of Abolition Fanatics and incendiaries. M r. Henry Johnson offered die resolution to print, which was adopted. Resolved, That 1 000 copies ini handbill form, of the Jburnal of proceedings of this meeting, along with their address be published for circulation, and that a committee of three be appointed to superintend the publication. M r. H . Johnson then moved an adjournment; which was carried unanimously, and the meeting adjourned, B E V E R L Y A . H ICKS, Chairman.
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O n the morninc; of the 15th, M r C . M . . C l a y threw before the public his correspondence in the following handbill: T R U E A M E R I C A N     E X T R A .     A u g . 15, l l845   To a Just People.   I deem it due to myself and the cause of the people, the constitutional liberty of my State, that I make a. few explanations before the enemies of all these proceed to e xtremity, that they may be left without excuse in the estimation of all just men. I learned a few moments before 3 o'clock, that a public meeting was to be holden at that hour in the C ourt H ouse, to take measures for the suppression of the publication o f the T rue A merican. Immediately, unwell as I was, I proceeded to. the C ourt H ouse, to vindicate, as I shall ever be ready to do, the principles and policy maiatained in that paper. 1 found about twenty individuals, including some two or three personal friends wJwij followed me in. I knew them all to. be political, and three-fourths of them violent personal enemies. I saw but one so-called-Whig, and he has been ever since the publication, o f the paper, one of the most violent opponents. I w ill give the names of these m en, hereafter, to the public. T w o speakers proposed to dissolve the meeting, and C aptain H enry J ohnson, a cotton planter, declared that although lie was ever ready to act boldly upon this subject, he would not then, nor hereafter, take any action in regard to the T rue A merican, unless the W hig p arty also came up and i ncurred the same responsibility. Thomas F . M arshall said that be had regarded it as a public not a private meeting, and that he -'ouceived that the public dissatisfaction and excitement, wc.c <2 i

  
-based upon the editorial published by mc in the last " Amen c an," where I spoke of the consequences of the disregard of the principles of justice by the leading men of the Nation; and another person remarked that dissatisfaction was also founded -upon the opinion set forth in the leader in the last paper. H ere several persons contended that it was a private meeting, upon which I started to leave the house, explaining to M r . M arshall, in passing, that a construction had been put upon iny article which it never entered mv head to convey, as    any sensible man who will read the piece, will see, who knows the circumstances in which I am placed, having regard to common sense, the effectuation of my own purposes, or the safety of m yself and relatives, that I could never intend to g ive it. It    will be perceived by the reader of that article, that the whole piece alludes to National policy, and the loss of a high sense of justice in the administration of our National affairs, resulting from the influence of negro slavery upon the national action,    v e n to the habitual violation of the Constitution; and further meant to convey the idea, in my elliptical manner, that in a c ountry like ours, where suffrage is universal, and standing armies impossible, that those men who are drawing substance and power from the existence and extension of Slavery, at the    expense of the interests of the great masses of the legal voters of this U nion, who are now and have been sacrificed at the shrine of Slavery; that these men, the White millions (having no allusion whatever to the Blacks of the South) would in the course of time, when that poverty pressed upon them which S lavery had been the most instrumental in causing, follow the example of their plunderers, and in turn plunder them- Such was the case in "France when the oppressed rose upon the Oppressor, and spared neither property, life, nor sex." A s to the Blacks, we have ever held in our printed argu-   ments, and in our secret o pinion, that the Slaves, whilst the U nion lasts, are utterly impotent for any very extensive mis-, chief, even i n the Cotton countries, and 1 regard the idea of i nsurrection in Kentucky, where there are about six Whites to one Black, as ridiculous, and only used by the Slaveholders as a Bug-a-boo, to maintain the ascendancy of their power in the S tate; and even if an insurrectien should take place, I feel myself as much bound, as any citizen in the state, to shoulder my musket to suppress it, and in the discharge of my duty I am not willing u> admit that any person is more ready. W i t h regard to the leader of the same paper, I said in ihe Beginning that 1 intended to allow full freedom of discussion upon the

  
n s UTijerl cil'Shivery, and I said for several weeks, at the head c! m y c ditiirial columns, under mv own signature, that 1 intended In ahow under the editorial head also, great latitude of. opinion, without comment. Diifering as I did m some important points from the writer of this article, who I repeat is a large Slaveholder, I intended to give m y individual views o n the same subject, in my very next number, which when given w ill put my enemies under the necessity of denouncing, when they denounce me, the immortal Washington, a name sacred to the lovers of liberty of all time and place. I had not expected in the abundance of my charity, that the most fallen men w ould have taken advantage of my helpless c ondition, arising from a l ong and painful illness, to sacrifice me : when even in health, I stood almost one man against a thousand. I tell these m en, however, that ihey much mistake their man, and that if tney do succeed in accomplishing their purposes, and seal their triumph with my blood, that their banners of victory shall wave over a violated Constitution, the grave of L iberty, and the impious defiance of the Laws of G od, a nd the m oral sense of all mankind. If I stood in defence, only of my own right, I might be deterred from the unequal c ontest; but when I stand for the six hundred thousand free white citizens of my native state, allegiance to which* and her interests, concentred by all republican principles in the majority of her people, I cannot lay down my arms. T o my children, and friendswherever found, if I know myself, it shall never be said, a t least of one citizen of Kentucky-, that he preferred life, to honor and duty to his country. C. M . C L A Y . T hursday, A ugust 14th, 1845; S ince writing the above handbill, I have received the following letter from the hands of T ho. H . Waters, on my sick bed, at my own house:
L EXINGTON , 14th A u g . , 1845.

S IR:     We, the u ndersigned, have been a ppointed as a committee u pon the part of a n umber o f the respectable c itizens o f the C ity o f L exington to correspond w ith y ou, u nder the f ollowing r esolution. Resolved, T hat a Committee of three be a ppointed to w ait u pon Cassius M . C lay, E ditor o f the " True A merican," a nd request h im to d iscontinue the p ublication o f the paper c alled the " T rue A merican " as its further c ontinuance, i n our j udgment, is dangerous to the peace o f o ur c ommunity, a nd to the safety o f our homes a nd families. I n p ursuance of the a bove, w e hereby request you to d iscontinue y our p aper, and w ould seek to impress u pon you the i mportance o l

CASSIUS M . C L A Y , E sq.

  
your acquiescence. Y o u r paper is agitating and exciting our c'mti m unity to an extent of w hich y ou can scarcely be aware. "We do not approach you in the form of a threat. B ut we owe it to you to attfte, thatjin our judgment, your own safety, as w ell as the repose and peace of the community, are i nvolved i n your answer. We await your r eply, i n the hope that y our own good sense and regard for the re