Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1825-05-10
MR.. CLAY,S ADDRESS.

Fayeste, Woodtord, and Clorke, in
kentucky.
The relations OF your representative
and OF your neighbor in which | have
SO long stood, and in which l have ex-
perenced SO many strong proofs of your
confidence, attachment and friendship,
having just been, the one terminated, ano
the other suspended, avail! myself of
the occasion on taking, hope tempo
rary, leave OF you, to express my IN
feigned gratitude for all your favors, and
20 assu,e you that shall cherish fond
aud unCeasiDg recollection of them. The
extraordinary circumstances in which,
during the late session OF Congress, I
have been placed, and the unmeriled ami
madversions which have brought upon
myself, for an honest and faithful dis
charge OF my public duty, form an ad-
ditlonal motive for this appeal to your
candor and justice, II, in the Office
which ] have just left, have abused
your confidence and betrayed your inter
ests, | cannot deserve your support in
that on the duties of which have now
entered. On the contrary, should it ap-
pear that / have been assaled without
just cause, and that misguided zeal and
interested passions have singled me out
as victim, | cannot doubt that shall
continue to find, in the enlightened tri-
bunal OF the public, that cheering ceub-
tenance and impartial judgment, without
which a public servant canno, possibly
discharge with advantage the trus, con-
tded to him.
II is known to you, that my name had
been presented, by the respectable states
OF Ohio, Kentucky, Louisiana and Mis-
souri,, for the Office OF President, to the
consideration of the American public,
and that it had attracted some attention
in other quarters oil the Union. When,
early in November last, / took my de-
par,ure from the districtto repair to this
city, the issue of the Presidential cleo
ton before the people was unknown.
Events. however, had then SO far trans.
pired as to render it highly probable that
there would be no election by the peo-
pie, and that should be excluded from
the House of Req resentatives.-It be-
came, therefore. my duty to consider,
end 10 maxi up an opinion on, the respec-
tive pretentions of the three gentlemen
tina might be relurffed, and at that early
period stated to DR.. Drake, one of the
Professors in the medical School of
Pennsylvania University, and to John J..
Crittenden, Esq. of Frankfort, my de-
termination to support Mr.. Adams in
preference to Gen. Jackson. wrote TO
Charles Hammond, Esq. of Cincinnati,
about the same time, and mentioned Ger
tain objections to the election of Mr..
Crawford, (among which was that Of his
continued i'll health,) that appeared to
me almost indispensable. During ny
Journey hither, and up to near Christ
mas, il remained unceriain whether Mr..
Crawford or would be returned 10 the
House of Representatives Up to near
Christmas, all our Information made it
highly probable that the vote of Louisi-
ana would be given to me, and that |
should consequently be returned, TO the
exclusion OF Mr.. Crawford. And, whilst
that probability was strong, ! communi-
Gated to Mr.. Senator Johnston, from
Louisiana, my resolution not to allow
my name, in consequence of the small
number of votes by which it would be
carried into the House, If we're return
ed, to constitute an obstacle, for one mo-
ment, to an election in the House Of Re-
presenta,ises.
During the month Of December, and
the greater part Of January, strong pro-
LESSONS of high consideration, and Of I'm.
bounded admiration of me, were made
TO my friends, in the greatest profusion,
by some Of the active friends of all the
returned candidates Every body pro-
fessed to regret, after l was excluded
from the House, that I had not been re.
turned 10 it. Iseemed TO be the favorite
every body. Describing my situation
TO distant friend, said to him, F." am
enjoying, whilst alive, the pos,humous
bonors which are usually awarded TO
The venera,ed dead" A person not &C
Quai1ted with human nature would have
been surprised, in listening to these
praises, that the objec, Of them had not
been elected by general acclama'ion
None made more or warmer manifesla-
tions of these sentiments OF esteem and
admiration, than some of the friends OF
General Jackson. None were 80 re-
served as those Of Mr.. Adams under