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

Ined, regret that The littlc service which
! have been able TO render it, falls far
short oi my wishes. But, why this de-
Nunciation Of those who have not repel-
Ted an invading foe, or led our armies TO
victory A the very moment when he
IS inveighing against. an objection to the
election 10 the Presidency, founded upon
HE exclusive military nature of his me-
Eits. does he not perceive that he is es
iablishins its validity by prescribing eve
~ man who has not successfully fought
The public enemy And that, by such
general prescription, and the require
rnent OF successful military service as
she only condition Of civil prefermeni,
the inevitable effect would be the ult-
mate establishment of a Military Co
yernment9
If the contents Of the letter TO Mr..
Swartwout were such as Justly to excite
surprise, there were other circumstances
not calculated 10 diminish it. Of all the
citizens OF the United States, the gentle
man is one OF tbs las, Of whom it was ne
cessary to address any vindicaion of
Gen. Jackson. He had given abundant
evidence of his entire devotion to the
cause of the General. He was here af-
Ger the election, and was one of COM
,ni,tee who invited the General TO
public dinner, proposed 10 be given to
him in ibis place. My letter TO Judge
Brooke was published in the papers OF
this City on the 18th of February The
Generals note dec Ginning the invitation
of Mr.. Swartwout and others was pub
iished on the 18th in the National Jour
nal. The probability therefore is, that
he did not leave this City until after he
had iull opportunity to receive, in a
personal interview with the General,
any verbal observations upon it which
he nigh, have thought proper to make
The leter to Mr.. Swartwout bears date
the 23d Of February IF received by him
III New York, it must have reached him,
in The ordinary course OF the mail, on
the 25ih or 26,h. Whether intended or
not as private communication and
not for the public eye as alleged by
him, there is much troba oility in believ-
ing that its publication in New York, on
the 18th of March, was then made, like
MIR Kremer's address, with the view to
Its arrival IN this city in time to affect
my nomination to the Senate. In point
Of fact, it reached here the day before the
Senate acted on that nomination.
Fellow-citizens, am sensible that ge-
Derally public officer had better abstain
from any vindcation of his conduct, and
leave it to the candor and Justice of bis
eountrymen, under all its attending cir
oumstances. Such has been the course
which have heretofore prescribed to
myself. This is the first, as hope it
may be the last, occasion of my thus APP
bearing before you. The separation
which has just taken place between us,
and the venom, if not the vigor Of the
late onsets upon my public conduct,
will, hope, be allowed in this instance
80 form an adequate apology. Il has
been upW ards OF twenty years since I
first entered the public service. Near
iy three tourths of tina, time, with some
in'ermissions, have represented the
same district in Congress, with bat little
variation in its form.-During tina, long
period, you have beheld our country
passing through scenes Of peace and
war, of prosperity and adversely, and of
party divisions, local and general, often
greatly exasperated against each other
have been an actor in most Of those
acknowledgements the whole of them
you have chung to me with an affection
ate confidence which has never been sur
passed. l have found in your attach
rfient, III every embarrassment in my
public career, the greatest consolation,
and the most encouraging support-I
should regard the loss of it as one Of the
most affecting public m isfortunes which
could befal me. That l have often mis-
conceived your true interests is highly
probable. That have never sacrificed
them 10 the object Of personal aggran-
dizement l utterly deny. And for the
purity of my motives, however in other
respects May be unworthy to approach
the Trone of Grace and Mercy, appeal
20 the justice of my God, with all the
confidence which can Cow from a con-
seriousness Of perfect rec,itude.
Your obedient servant,
H. CLAY.
WASHINGTON. 26th March, 1925.