American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1827-07-27

y" instruction. It VIII eventually fall by the para
cl1al hands ut our own sons. Accept the assn
rance OF my respect,
WILLIAM pLUMER.
| rs was expected, Mr.. Clay has published, un-
der his own signature, reply to Gen. Jackson's
letter to MIR. Beverly. 1t is too plain and une-
quvoca. to render any comment necessary. lie
has met the Generals charges. so far as the relate
in the rcmotcst degree to himself, with flat ten-
a and called upon him. as he certainly has right
to do, for his proofs The General will of course
give up the name of the Member of Congress who
proposed to make him President s in one hour'' if
he would not appoint Mr.. Adams Secretary of
State /; but unless the Member of Congress is pre-.
pared to say that he made the proposal with the
privity and CONSENT of Mr.. Clay, this will not
keep the General out of the dilemma of having
made the insinuation contained IN his letter,
namely, that the proposal was so made nor will
it satisfy the public that Mr.. Clay has not been
shamefullv slandered. We cannot, therefore, see
what purpose the publication of the name Of the
Member OF Congress is to answer, except to salts
fly the public of the truth of what Gen Jackson
has said in his letter respecting that individual,
which no one pretends to doubt What the pub
lie wish to know is. whether Mr.. Clay in any man
ner whatever, authorized, or consented TO, the
proposal spoken Of in Gen. Jackson's letter.
and MIR. Clay most positively denies, that he did.
Shall we credit Gen. Jackson upon his belief, rath-
or than Mr. Clay upon his acord ?-shall mere
suppostion en- the one hand, weigh more than pos
tive assertion on the other /?
But it has been said, that as matter of course,
Mr.. Clay would deny all agency in the affair; that
it was not to be expected that he would come out
and openly criminate himself; and that knowing
his silence would be interpreted INTO tacit ac-
acknowledgement of the truth Of the charge, a bold
denial was his only alternative. Now we would
ask, is it likely, that Mr. Clay would hazard an
unqualified denial of facts which he knew there
was even one human being in existence could sub
stantiate Ii he had any agency in sounding Gen
jackson about the office of Secretary of State as
preliminary to the offer to make him President
g in one hour" the fair inference is, that the
Member of Congress spoken of by the General.
and most probably some others of his Congressional
friends must have been privy to it and if so,
Mr. Clay's faith must have been great indeed If
he could rest his salvation from irretrieveable in
fanny upon the chances of their secresy, when the
whole nation, it may be said, was so deeply inter-
e,ted in getting at the truth MIR. Clay declares
that he rejolccd at the publication Of Gen. Jack.
sons letter, as ailording him an opportunity Of
proclaiming the falsty of the foul aspersions which
for more than two years he has borne with, in
silence, because not backed BY responsible accu-
ser. This is not much like the language of one
who is nwardy smarting from a sense of guilt, or
writing under the gnawing pangs of anticipated
exposure, In word, MIR. Clay's denial is so spe
ciic that it closes every loop-hoe through which
caIumny was wont to assail him. Nor can his en-
enics say that he has left himself room for shelter
or subteriuge. He has fearcssly joined issue with
them, and dared than to do their worst.
.Norfolk Herald.