Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-10-09

piditv of Carter Beverley, that now made ny
Mr.. Eaton il not the least remarkable. he
long interval which passed alter Mr.. Ciays
speech near Lexington, before Mr. Eaton mo
proper TO "come out over his own name,
(more than two months) afforded 'u'i Time LOT
deberation and concert; and Mr.. Eaton Is 100
cautious a politician not to have avaiitd MN
self OF it to the best advantage. And yet, ne
SEE ms, after ALL 10 have marched on the stage
al tins time rather because he was expected 10
do so, than because he had any Thing 10 say
He begins by promising to "speak the things
ihat know" but alas. like General Jackson's
whispers at The Hermitage OF things which he
{" had heard aud knew to be true" the worthy
Senator tells literally NOTHING. But as his p~9.
LEGATION. like Mr. Branch's wonderfully rcmcm-
| bered speech, and Mr. isaac letter, is i link
! il the chain Of attack on a prominent citizen,
shall examine it with a degtee of minu,eness of
which il is intIinsically unworthy leading
Combination paper (hr Richmond Enqnlrer)
has admitted that the "runors" against MIR
| CLAW, coined at the Jackson minis and bearing
he Jackson stamp, taken slngly.' might not
essentially iniure hiu;" the same print asserts
that, "combined, they acquire weight and IN
portance which Mr.. Clay cannot disregard. =
| The morality thus avowed, which combines a
dozen fa!srhoods, en,I then tells the people that
| hey are equiv allen, 10 one truth, is akin to the
policy which, ever since Mr.. Clay's Lexington
speech, has been doing out by the small inca
| sure The stock Of surmises, inlerences, gratuiI-
Gus assertions, sc. sc. in possession oil the Op-
position, in the rope Of prrsuading the people
that in such mass Of matter, there must be
some truth This mass, they cail"les,imony,
and Mr.. Eaton is lhe ,0ifnesS now under eXaml,
nation.
First" he says, 60 an adjustment on my
" own account with Mr.. Clay; who, In his
speech delivered AT Lexington, used towards
- me this language
4" Before the election, an attempt was made,
bv an abusive letter, published in the Colum>
bian Observer at Philadelphia paper which,
as has since transpircd, was sustained BY Mr..
Senator Eaton, The colleague. the friend and The
biographer OF General Jackson, to assall my
motives, aud 10 deter ne in the exercise Of my
duty"
On this quotation the Senator makes the fol-
loving singular commentary, VIZ:
"The language employed in this sentence is
arranged with great art and caution, as TO
make il susceptible Of doubtful intention Tine
meaning which the speaker intended should att
tach, anu which, with nine readers out OF ten,
will oh, ain, is that he Columbian Observer was
sustained by Mr. Senator Eaton, the colleague,
the friend, s the biographer of General Jack
son, 10 assai his Mr.. CIay's motives, and 10
deter him in the exercise of his duty. With
this construction, take leave 10 say, il is mis-"
r.. presentation--il is untrue This paper was
assisted, though NOT sustained by me for any
! purpose: and far less with view 10 GssaH mo-
mes, or 10 deter any one in the exercise Of his
duty"
The construction thus placed on Mr.. Clay's
language may be, according 10 the phiiologica
rules of some modern srminaries, such as the
- Samuel Houston Academy" or the "Kre,ncr
CAllcge," said 10 have been lately established
in Tennessee, bu, il is surely not warranted by
the principles OF English grammar. 1t is, | be-
le,e, admitted that Mr. Clay is as lillr in The
habit Of numbering the English language, as he
is Of cunnlerancing any other species OF muir
der His styl, is always clear and simple But
the frs, part Of his sentence is, as Mr. Eaton
chooses read it, nonsensical. Before the
clectian," says MIR. Clay. an attempt was
I" madr by an abusive letter 10 do what? MIR
Eaton saws 10 do nothing, Tor he connects the
words ITO assaIl my molives,'' which, in q am
n;atica phrase, are the object in the sentence,
with The ,eib"was sustained" and thus leaves
| lnP WOTHS all d'icN"l)l Wdo Uaut WitHOut any
object al all! But Mr. Clay evidently meant,
and EXPRESSES his mea ming as plainly as lan>
guagr can convey ii, that ot,emp: was made
by an abusive letter, published in The Colum-
" bian Observer, at Philadelphia" The connex-
ion of which with Mr. Eaton, he then mentions,
6 TO rssaii" his "motives, and to deter him
Gin the exercise Of his "duiy" If Mr. Clay
could have perceived it possible for any mind
to misconceive his very Ineligible language,
he might by re simple expedient of paren-
thesis, have prevented such possibility, and
the world would have thus been without the evil
dence Of critical acumen now displayed by Mr.
Eaton. Before the election, an attempt was
:" made by an abusive letter, published in the
" Columbian Observer, al Phladelphia, "a pa
"per which, as has since transpired, was sus-
" tanned by Mr. Senator Eaton, Inc colleague,
s. the friend aid The biographer of Gen Jack
" son. 10 assail my motives, and to deter me in
" the exercise of my duty"
The paren.hrsis here supplied is paIpably
superiluous, because the sense OF the passage
.. -, r