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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Carolina repealed her nullification ordinance,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
- the pacificator." This made him popular
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 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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