Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1825-02-17
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Frnm "a Nahanql Jon1ak.

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gainst SIr. Clay by incorporate aud prosecuting
partizsus, in consequence of the course which
the former has taken in relation to the Presi.
dental election, yet every honest enlightened
member OF the community, who is uniniuenced
BY prejudice. is convinced that in the adoption
OF that course MIR. Clay has been sciuated by
the most honorable and patriotic motives Has
not the whole tenor of his political career been
Such as to place his prime pes above the slight
est Suspicion OF a susceptiOiit y to the influence
OF seifsiness or corruptioni Have we not seen
him, upon more than one occasion, in obedi-
enee to the honest CONVICTIONS Of his judgment,
siemming the popular cur eat with an indie.
pendence and an energy which proved him a
stranger to the feelings whicl his disappointed
And mfuriated enemies now ascribe to himl II
an unholy ambition had ruled his breast-f
mttves of s~eif-aggrand cement had bowed
Down his mind IN. subsection to their ignobie
dominion, would he not upon these occasions
have thrown himself upon the popular tide.
and, instead of dissenting from the measures
OF a powerful dominant party, have enlisted
his mighty eloquence on the side OF an admin
istration basking in the sunshine of public Ia
vor2
1t seems to be admitted even bv those who
are now most vocifcrous in their abuse Of Mr..
Clay, that, until the avowal of his determine
ton to support the cause of Mr.. Adams, his
political CHARACTER was elevated, digni6ed and
free from every species of degrading Suspicion.
What then are the circumstance which have
50 suddenly wrought such a momentous change
III their opinions concerning him? Did he ever
manifest any attachment to the political cha
racter of General Jackson Did he ever, upon
any occasion, either by word or deed, intimate
\ disposition TO contribute his exertions TO the
etartinu of CanepaI IaCh.nn2 tIaI he - ~,
the other hand, by the arraignment of General
Jackson's conduct in relation TO the Seminole
war, shown that his opinion of the General was
such that there existed no probability that he
could ever be prevailed upon, under any cir
cumstances, TO support the Generals CLAIMS to
the Presidency What reason, therefore. have
the Generals friends even to complain of Mr..
Claws conduct en- this occasioni But we are
told that he had until lately manifested a prefe-
renee for MIR. Crawford. This may have been
the case-and it may not. On this point ne
have no evidence on which 10 found a positive
opinion. But we Will admit, as we think PRO-
battle, that this was the TACT. What them MIR.
Clay, with thousands OF others, foresaw the
lmprobabliity, we think we might say the I'M
possibility OF Mr.. Crawford's election. Mr.,
Gays choice. then, being confined TO Mr.. A.
dams and General jackson, the Question for
his decision was which of these candidates, un.
der all existing circumstances, it would most
comport with the Interests of the nation for
him to support. He could not, he did not. we
feel assured, hesitate to decide in favor of Mr..
Adams. aud, 10! all the sluiees of Bill;npsgste
invective are opened upon his untarnished re-
putationi And what are the Causes alleged is.
Justification OF this f~sctious, this defam.torv
attack! Why, forsooth, it happens that there
is an unsettled controversy between Messre
Adams aad Clay IN relation TO certain dnlo.
matte transactions at Client! MIR. Adams had
made representations concerning them in which
MIR. clay believed there We're some errors
Jso DOUBT uNlNTENTIoNAL,'~-Mr. Claws own
woras on the SUBJECT. These MIR. Clay had
eAptesssa ms htsauoh, at some future day, to
point otri not that The 1ras 'netessayg 70 The bre
sent or future security OF any of the nation. but
as 1t WAS interesting as appertaining to its past
history,
Now, because of this difference of on;o;on
between tue Pa1tes, and because Mr.. CLAW has
not yet mace MS statement in relation To VIVA,
he conceived tobe the balintentionaf errors IF
Mr.. Adams, u seems, according to the presses
and fiery partlzaas OF General Jackson Mr. Gov
cannot, without a sacrifice of c, !. stency snd
without affofdlng evidence OF corrt,nt motives
sustain the pretensions Of Mr., Adams to the
presidency! Has II indeed come to this in our
republican-.ou our enlightened nation--that one
distinguished sta'csihau cannot give his ufI ages
TO another distinguished statesman for a hiph
office, because tue latter holds views and obi.
mons on some particular subjects, which are
not IN accord nee with the views and opinions
OF the former. without being pnbyiclv oharrsJ
with having surrendered the ind~ependance snd
purity OF his principles! Admit that Mr. CLAW
in reviewing The qualifications OF NJ .5ams
for the presidency, saw points in HE nolit;caI
character which he thought exceptionabte .. does
1t follow thence that MIR. CLAW co,,ta not nrsear
Mr.. Adams to his competitor, without aHaord,ng
grounds for suspecting that he was act;,g mn mp
der the influence OF corrupt mo,iv.s, The
suspicion could never enter the m;rd &c anv
man who was not capable of acting inns ;cno-
bly, himself. 1t is the character OF l;,tl~ ;li;he
raj, dlshonoraoie souls to suspect o,hsrs fr
yielding to the same pitiful feelings which ~.
ulate themselves They are the creatures Of
prejudice and selfshness. The snan ~ ,bs,r
conception is too contracted to embrace the
wide extent OF such a soul as sweljs ana III;
mates the masnanimous bosom OF Henrv 1lav
His mind is too capacioas, too noble. 10 hermit
a difference OF opinion on some points of noli.
teal controversy-or even a personal eoolness
If such existed to interfere with his udpment
in a question OF great national import He an
derstands too well the nlture OF man not IN
know that infallibiEty is not one of his charac.
~teristics. He beheld in Mr.. Adams a concen-
tration of splendid talents, requirements. and
virtues, united with vast experience in the a-
fairs OF government, both domestic and foreign.
and a neveF.tiring industry in the performance
of the most complicated and laborious dutio 8.
And he saw in him the faithful public servant,
whose wisdom and whose integrity had been
tested in the crucible of nearly a forty Years
servItude-a public servant, too, who had en-.
joyed, in high responsible stations, the Conf
dence Of a Washington. a jefferson, a Msdi.