Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1827-08-16
3aotitfCal.
TO THE PUBLIC.

out any consent, agency, or wish on
my part, found its way into the news
papers, accompanied by a statement o.
yer the signature of ii. Clay, contra
dieting and denying. not any thing |
have written, bat that which be himself
makes me to soy. Ii is not the inter.
probation given by him to my letter, but
my own language and statement
That am called upon to defend, and
expect to indicate.
To explain the matter in which my
opinions have found their way into the
journals Of the day, seems, in the first
place, to be due both to the public and
myself. Mr.. Beverly, being on a visit
at my house requested to know of me,
other gentlemen being present, wheth
eF the oyertures heretofore imputed to
Mr.. Clay were well founded, aud If |
had a knowledge of any Of the facts
myself. answered him candidly be.
ing unable, as well as unwilling to refuse
telling things | had heard, and knew TO
be true.-A letter detailing our conver
s%ation, shortly afterwards obtained pub
LEFTY in the North Carolina Journal
printed at Fayettville.-0n the 18th of
May last, from Louisville, Kentucky, a
communication was addressed to me bv
MIR. Beverly, stating, what before I bad
not known, that he was the writer of
this Fayetteville Letter. lie explained
the reasons for his having repeated the
conversation, and requested to be infor
med if in any thing he had misquoted
or miseonceived my meaning Under
such circumstances, concealment and
silence might have seemed mere afec-
t%ation, or indeed something of a differ
emf and even worse character. Publ
city having been given to- the converse
ton, and an appeal made to me for its
accuracy, | felt it to be due to Mr. Be-
verify, that nothing of fabrication should
be imputed to him, and TO myself. that
what | bad stated should be correctly
understood. Accordingly, on the 9th
of June, and in reply to bis Of the 18th
of May, | addressed him q letter of
which the public are already possessed
How, and by what means, il found its
way into the columns of a newspaper,
Mr.. Beverly has explained: he states TO
me thathe gave it into the hands of Mr.
Noah Zane, of Wheeling. Virginia, at
bis earnest request, for perusal. under
a pledge of honor that il should be re-
turned; and with no expectation that
any copy of it vas to be retained; that
on his applying for, and demanding the
letter, il was refused to be restored IN
til two copies SHOULD be made He pro-
ceeds to say: MIR. Zane. an old and
most respectable gentleman, asked the
loan of your letter as a favor; and, con.
trary to all custom and propriety in
such cases, he, in conjunction with Mr..
Clay and his friends, took copies of it,
without my knowledge or privitv in any
way. and without asking nv leave to do
so. Soon as | understood that such was
the use they were making of it. | de-
manded of Mr.. Zane the letter. and re.
monstrated against the unprecedented
course they were taking. He refused to
restore it to me, most peremptorily.
until they had satisfied themselves by
furnishing to Mr.. Clay one copy, and
reserving another for their own use.n
The original conversation referred to,
and the above extract of a letter from
Mr.. Beverly at Wheeling, dated 25th
of May, are presented to show that I
have not, as is charged. "placed myself
in the attitude of a public accussr," and
that whatever publicity has been given
to this transaction. has arisen from no
agency or procurement Of mine; and
that Mr.. Clay, in fact, has himself held
the matter up to public gaze. In doing
this, he should have quoted what | bad
written accurately and fairly; for then,
the text and his commentary would have
suited together; at present, lis contra
diction is a something suggested by him
self, and is not contained in my letter.
The statement contained in my letter
to Mr.. Beverly is this: That, ia Janua.
ry, 1925, a member ofeongress, of high
respectability, visited me one morning
and observed-''he had been informed
by the friends of Mr.. Clay, that the
friends Of Mr.. Adams had made over.
lures to them, saying, if Mr.. CLAW and
his friends would unite in aid of the e.
lection of MIR. Adams, MIR. Clay should
be Secretary Of State; that the friends
of MIR. Adams were urging, as a reason
to induce the friends of Mr.. Clay 10 ac.
cede to this proposition, that il | was e
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