Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 2.djvu/243

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

gress, and declined the mission to Russia and the secretaryship of war. He was again chosen speaker, and with Calhoun opposed the reduction of taxes, and laid the founda- tion of a protective tariff system. In 1817 his vote to pay congressmen $1,500 a year instead of six dollars a day nearly cost him his seat. In 1817 President Monroe offered him the secretaryship of war and the mission to England, both of which he declined. He was again chosen speaker. He labored for internal improvements, was the champion of South American independence, denounced Jackson's conduct in the Seminole war, and favored the Missouri compromise. In 1824 he was a presidential candidate; the elec- tion was thrown into the house, resulting in the choice of Adams, who made Clay sec- retary of state. There was much acrimoni- ous feeling resulting in a duel between Clay and John Randolph, which was harmless to both. In 1828 the National Republican party was formed, composed of the Adams and Clay elements of the old Democratic Republican party and a high tariff was passed. In 1831 he was elected to the United States senate, and in 1832, was the unsuccessful candidate of the National Re- publican party. He did not approve of Jp.ckson's proclamation against South Caro- lina, and introduced his compromise tariff bill, which became a law, whereupon South Carolina repealed her nullification ordinance, and Clay having virtually abandoned his tariff doctrines again came to be known as in the South, and put him at the head of the new combination Whig party. In 1834 he denounced the President for removing the public deposits from the United States Bank, and his resolutions were adopted by
 * the pacificator." This made him popular

the senate. Jackson sent in an earnest pro- test, demanding that it be entered upon the journal, which was refused, Mr. Clay using his greatest power in condemning the Presi- dent's course. In 1835-36 the great anti- slavery contest began. Petitions praying for abolition came to congress from various northern states; Mr. Calhoun moved that they be rejected without consideration. Mr. Clay opposed any curtailment of the right of petition, and voted "yea" on a motion to receive. President Jackson suggested a law prohibiting the circulation in the Southern States, through the mails, of "incendiary publications intended to instigate the slaves to insurrection," and Mr. Calhoun offered a bill to carry such proposed law into effect. Mr. Clay, while denouncing the abolition- ists for treasonable conduct, opposed Cal- roun's bill as inexpedient and it was de- feated. As chairman of the senate commit- tee on foreign affairs. Clay advocated delay hi admitting Texas into the Union. During Van Buren's administration Clay opposed with such vigor the sub-treasury system ad- vocated by Van Buren that it failed in three successive congressional sessions. The con- tests in regard to it broke up the alliance between Clay and Calhoun. Meantime, peti- tions protesting against slavery, in the Dis- trict of Columbia and elsewhere, poured in from the northern states, and Mr. Clay moved in the senate that the petitions be received, and referred to the committee on the District of Columbia. Calhoun started discussion by offering resolutions setting forth his thoughts on the relations between slavery and the union of the states. Mr. Clay proposed substitutes, offering among other things, that the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia would be a viola-

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