Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-02-28

,e the three candidates at the time OF .ne
ion. was he. therefore, bound 10 preserve th,'
secure from any revision WHICH suo'
seuueut events might suggest as proper a1u
pedient! Or, is the superstition unnatural, ."a.
when the crisis actually arrived su"ino ms
him 10 act, he should feel the resPonsi''.s!
more impressiyely than when tna' IT,, re
only prospective, and ascertain, oy 'Ale O,,ass
the correctness or inoo'... - 81.
of his predetermined course! II the "e"'a,
fort Of merely inquiring into ine pFoP..I? ;,r
resolution already formed implies mora
pitude, what name is TO be given 10 P'ss.
change, not Of single resolution, ou' % p h"
ciples, avowed and acted on tlLthey hau W
come parts Of political creed! na' so
we say Of the recent, contrasied VITA VI. "a y,
sent relations between Gen Jackson any
Bcn,on?-of those friends Of Mr. Crawioru
who but lately denounced Mr. Calhoun as his
defamer. and now hail Mr. Calhoun as an anger
Of political lsha-of Mr.. Richie, who, al'er
proving General Jackson's utter incompelehcy
for the Presidency, now labors strenuoasly, anu
not always very repu,ably, for his elec'lon!-or
of the Kremer confederacy, which, alter tncir
agent rad accepted from the House oil fePre-
sentatives a scrutiny into their charges ran
from it, under the cover Of wretched techhi
cality? These, and many such, are natufa', P"'
frioiic, changes Of principles aud conduct. g,
MIR. Clay is denounced because, In an ac'u"l
state OF things, he deliberated on soDJce'
in regard 10 which he had expressed an h'eh-
ton while that state Of things was coh'in5eE',
| thou oh the result Of the deliberatlon conhrmeo
instead Of altering the intention!
The most prejudiced censor must, one "oulo
suppose, allow that circumstances mad occur
red between Mr.. Clay's arrival a, Washington
in 1924, and the time Of the election, Which aa'
ded force to the obligation on his part, to re-
examine the proprIety of any determination ne
had previously made A change during the IN
terval, or the absence Of any change, IN Mr.
Crawfords health, would obviously affect Mr'
Claws opinion of his claims to the Presidency;
a norton of MIR. Clay's constituents had IN
s,ruc,ed him to vote "agreeably to his own
Judgment, and TO the best lights he might have
on the subject" "with or without the consent
of the Legislature of Kentucky while, on the
other hand, resolution had passed that Legs
lature, requesting the delegation to vote ior
General Jackson. Now, though the right OF
instruction, as uniformly commended ior ~ mr'
Claw. was right Of the constituent only, operat'
inc on his immediate Representative, surley
any request from the Legislature oil stare de-
served the most attentive consideration rom
every Congressional Representative OF the REQ
pie Of that State. This consideration was CIV
en- by MIR. Clay, but for bes,o"ing 1t, he "o)
course establishes the fact Of his gmh' by some
he was found guilty, too, for thinking that ar
Crawfo:d's state Of health disqualified tina! gen
tIemap for the Presidency; an opinion differing
from that. il isspresumed, Of the four States
who voted for Mr.. Crawford, but the correct
I cfods, ever WIN ne 5ensat oaa9ea m,r-vr-
| IF ~.
ty is more clearly manifested on considering
the obvious meaning of the extracts from tha
circular. Mr.. Clay there says, that he inform
ed DR.. Drake, Mr.. Crttenden and Mr.. Ham
mond, of his intention to vote for Mr.. Adam:
in preference 10 General Jackson, and that he
farther mentioned to Mr.. Hammond certain
objections to the election Of Mr. Crawford, Ca
mong which was his continued ill heaIth,) tina,
appeared TO him 10 be insuperabIe " The Ian.
guaye used III regard to General Jackson is
that as between him and Mr.. Adams, Mr. Clay
had made up distinct opinion; and it is equal.
ly clear, from that applied to Mr. Crawford
that Mr.. Clay's views Of his pretensions were
less definite, and were liable TO moGiic alton, &C.
cordingy as his health should improve or de-
cline, and as the strength or weakness Of the
other objections should be eyinced. When the
proceedings Of the electoral colleges became
known, Mr.. Clay availed himself, in the words
of his constituents, "of the best lights he had
on the subIect;" he found nc cause sufficient to
justify change in his previous intention not to
vote for General Jackson; he found the condi-
ton of Mr.. Crawford's health such as to con-
firm his former impression concerning it, and
decisive in itself as 10 that genteman's preten-
sions; and when the day of election arrived, vo-
ted Of course for Mr. Adams.
The space already devoted to the account gil
ven by the, Committee Of the origin Of the Ad-
ministrati ion, precludes any minute remark al
this time, on their objections TO its doctrines
and acts. ! The opinion as to the Executive
power on the subject of foreign missions, which
they impute TO the President; their denuncia-
ton Of thePaaama mission, Zone Of the matters
on which Colonel Benton particularly changed
his o2inion;) their attack on the Adminstra-
lion for not yielding, III the controversy about
the colonial trade, the interests of our own
country to those OF Great Britain; their palpa.
BILE perversiohs as to- our 6caI concerns; their
censure Of the Secretary Of the Navy for Com
modore Porter's transfer Of himself to foreign
and lucrative service; and their libel on the Sc
cre'ary of War for doing his duty bene6cially
to his country-are all repctitions Of newspa-
Der Common Mares ofien inferred and nc ofi Ton