The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1827-02-20
CONVERSION TYLER

tant. The tyd note Is a letter TO the E.di,ofso OF
the Enquirer, from Mr.. H.. Douthat. an intimate
friend OF Gov. Tyler, stating tina, he had heard
Gov. l. speak of his correspondence with MIR
Clay al the time of IFS occurrence, aud express
his belief that there was no bribery aud colfup.
ton in the late election of President. The Other
Is a letter from Gov. + 10 MIR ID. enclosing the
do with it whatever he pleased. Mr.. Douthat
thought il best to publish il; and AS the subject
has excited both curiosity y speculation, We lay
it before our readers, who will form then own o.
pinions I:
The well established respectfully Of the Id
TORS of the Enquirer renders any statement Of Il
fact ON their own responsibility worthy Of notice
aud readily coneCde that II they fall INTO
any error, such error would be purely uninleu-
tional. The account which is given by them In
their paper ot this morning, OF a conversation
held by one of them with me on the subject OF II
letter written by myself To Nj. Clay shortly uf-
ter the Presidential election, Is calculalcd 10 make
the impression that was disposed To complain uf
MIR. Clay lor the mfre fact ofhaving spoken Of
n'letter prirntt, tits true, but not confidential
thus leaving the public AT liberty 10 infer that |
had acted with C0accniatHt, aud had kept IN re-
Serne a set of opinions TO be- acted on when !
had reached the Senate Chambcr. am SIRE
that such could not have been, and was not the
intention Whatever regret may hive expert
cuerd. al tn iagree of sItuperation, ms 10 wbc1
no nun of snnsllilty can he " holly Indifferent, l.
which the Winchester paragraph may have IN
lustl, objected me, yet | had ~ right 10 com
pinin o. Nr. Clay, aud IN fact 40 possible mo-
i've, 10 do So, merely because he had spoken ot
a lettef not confidential, aud the sentiments ai
which | my scifent=rtained Now, the clreum-
stances attendant on that conversation we've these
-bcine in the lobby Of Inc II. OH which, a
the timc was somewhat crouded, Col. GooCh
Alth whom had been in habits of friendly inter
course, approached ne aud placed in my hands
the Winchester paper containing the so
much talked of paragraph. have no precia-
collection of the very terms OF tine conyefsa-
iion. Ia convotslng with one supposed o. he a
friend, lido moi treasure up every syllable for
future use. can therefore only deny what did
moi say, ia HntHiteslg falsr aseription Is made
TO me, but connot repeal The precise words 1T.
tered. That man IS surely 10 he enyled whuse
memory is - acute and SO %retenti,e rs to retail
with entire accuracy whole sentences spoken in
conversation, under the circumstances attendant
ON this. In tins ins tihre caa only spealNwiul
perfect confidence OF thc impressions made ON
ny mlad from reading the Winchester paragraph
ten Tor the FIRST time seen by me From The lp-
parent eugrrness with winch lac sought tie inter
Vie" | concluded that he lnbored undef the
IMPRESSION that | stood committed 10 the Admin
r~trarion, aud NJ the moment il also occurred ia
me that Nh Clay by speaking %pubiicig of the
'otter sought 10 create that impression with the
public. md thereby 10 render AL men opposed To
the Administrator reserved aud distant towards
me, and thus Ultimately 10 cause me to side with
! Tho IIrinicIfati n,, In tltg aarYiAt,,n pun
convthcrdl vns mistaken, and | hesitate not to
reiract The impufaiion My better ref acliou al
yiSes me thai his course Nrs q q entirely natural
m itself. mi whicf q ~ ,'trcd IN hs slut
ton would have been apt 10 have adopted. Tn
object then. with me IN uIterIng any thing 10 Col.
&. could only have been a. r. moyc froiuHi. mud
tie impression 81 my commi, mpnt and the AN.
guagc | used was 10 I. 5 rlfct: | dId write l.
Mr.. Clay about the tune Of the Presidential H.
lcction-The precise terms oithe letter | do NJ
now remember, but ! hare II c0py and pIU fcnt
10 a-but, il Nh. Clay thinks tia h. bind, M to
the Administration by breaking The seal ai - prl
vate correspondence Tor by making public the
contents of my letter, thes expression are OF iii,
same import or that | can be driven nom my
principles, he decciyos himself. The GOODNESS OF
my friends may rcpeI mr from thcir intcrcouI So,
I but nothing can cause me to abandon my princl-
pies" further stated that II wns nnei should
have voted Tor Mr.. Adams. Mr. Crawford asld,
but thai that created ~ obligation To sustain
him atterwards-to which Col. Gooch as wcll
as | remember replied - Virginia would have
done then the same ming, but moi 80 non"-nr
q that n preference for Alr. Adams at the time
of his election dId not lily imply "A pre-
e ference for him nov" | repeat could MOI
vouch for the precise totm Of expression, bat
that TIE object 81 any remark used by ne, was
as above stated. | am positive, | could have
bad no mo'iyo 10 speak Of il in any othel man
I ncr, Since the fact, that that letter bad been writ
+. ten had been made known by me TO many, and
my opinions relative to Nj. Clay's conduct had
been dlfnlged IN instances without number,
In adyertiog to that letter, | shall content my
self with stating IFS subsistence but if Nlr. Clay
shall ser cause 10 CRAFTY the appctItes OF news
paper Editors, he is at liberty 10 publish it. |
shall have no cause to complain OF It. II is thrn,
perfectly true, that wrote 10 Nj. Clay in the
t spring of'25. II is also true, that | approved
of his course growing out Of the Presidential o.
lection, aud concurred with him musl RIM lhati-
cally IN the result Of his vote. II Is equally SO,
thai | esteemed Mr.. Adams as decidedly better
I qualified for the Presidency than Cot jack
son, aud that ! would nave voted for hun lfter
Mir, Crawford's chance OF success was over
D. To TINS effect, Iwtote TO Mr.. Clay IN terms Of
perfect frankncss. Now, where Is lie commit
mcnt on my part to the administrator ? Is il
because | preferred Mr.. Adams then that must
suppofthih through all iurnre Tine, no matter
what may be his course of policy ? The same
obligation exists VIII all men, who contribute to
elect as man 10 any Office, 10 vote for him at
the expi alton of his term and this without re-
gard to ms course whilc in Office. The boosted
responsibility ofthc public agent 10 his consti-
%tutents, becomes the dream Of visionary, aud
there would be nothing substantial in ON form
Of government. l5iead ofthis-it would soon
grow into an adage, once in Office, always in
oIite The conclusion Is ridiculous enough.
orls il because | do not believe Henry Clay. a.
long with the western delegation who sided with
him, 10 haye beca bOugH nad soid, for which if
guilty, he aud they deserved to bc gibbotted :;
that | am. therefore, bound 10 support an al
ministraiion which may oppose al my conyic-
tieus ofproper policy ? Mnst ! wear a dagger
10 plunge IN the bosom Of every man, with
whom may differ in sentiment : When we
shall have attained a crisis 50 full of horror, it
{ will bn a ta.,tarnT Iff4I. r,,uY,.A, .,I., Ill 4