Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-08-11


2ed person; and, therefore, IN giving nm my
answer, j did request HIM, 10 say TO Mr.. Clay
and his friends" what that answer had been.
Whether the communication was made 10 MI.
Clay and his friends, ] know not; this, though
do know, that while the opinions and course
of Mr.. Clay as 10 the election, were but mat
ter of conjecture with many, at and before tins
tine, very shortly after this conversation took
place, lis, and his friends opinions became
forthwith, matter Of certainty and general
knowledge Still have not said, nor do l
now say, that the proposal made to me was
uith The pripity and consent of Mr.. Clay,
nor either have ! said that his friends in Con-
gress made propositions to me-
These are Mr.. Clay's interpretations of my
letter to Mr.. Beverly, and not what my letter
itself confirms. What have stated are the
ia cts of a conversation between myself and
member of Congress of high respectability.-
The conclusions and inferonces from that con-
versaton~ the time manner and all the cir
cumstanccs, satisfied my mind that it was not
uaauthoriSed--So l have thought, and SO
still think and yet again repeat, that in this
suppostion have possibly done Mr.. Clay in
Justice If he shall be able TO sustain the aver
ments he has made, and acquit himself Of any
participation and agency in the matter, beg
leave to assure him, that so far from affording
me pain, it will give me pasurc. certainly
can have no desire that the character Of my
country, through the acts Of a prominent citi-
zen, shall rest under any serious imputation;
for the honor Of that country, should greatly
prefer that any inference | have made may
turn on, TO be Ill founded.
Mr. Clay declares his great satisfaction that
this matter has at length been brought to light,
and to public consideration. He feels rejoiced
50 that n cnacifi, accueer has nj lnnUfh annaar.
edo To this a passing notice is due.
II must be recOllccted, that in consequence
of a letter from George Krenler, in January,
1925, AN inquiry was set on foot in Congress,
upon the application of Mr.. Clay himself
On this memorable occasion, of guilt imput-
cd on one hand, and innocence maintained on
the other, Mr.. McDuffe, it will be recollectcd,
submitted for consideration to the House Of
Representatives., as matter ofinsirucion to the
committee, the following resolution:
"That the said committee be instructed to
inquire whether the friends of Mr.. Clay have
limited that they would fight for those who
would pay best. or any thing TO that effect;
and whether oycrturcs were said to have been
made by the friends of Mr.. Clay, offering him
the appointment of Secretary Of State for his
aid to elect Mr.. Adams; and whether the
friends of Clay gave this information to the
friends would offer the same price they would
close with them; and whether Henry Clay has
transferred or resolved TO transfer his interest
to John q. Adams; and whether it was said
and believed, that as a consideration for his
abandonment of duty to his constituents, Clay
was to be appointed Secretary of State, and
that the said committee be authorized to send
for persons and papers, and to compel the per-
sons so sent for, TO answer upon OATH"
Now here is n resolution, officially submit
ted, covering more than the ground of my
communication 10 Mr. Beverly, and re sting in
connexion with an accusation publicly charged
in the newspapers, and yet Mr.. Clay, at this
late period, processes to be rejoiced, that ca
specific accusation by a responsible accuscr,
has at length appeared" Certainly more than
two years ago, an accuser highly spectacle,
and an accusation specific were both before
him, were both within his reach, and might
have been met, had he been at all disposed to
the interview, or rejoiced a the prospect Of
meeting an accuser. Had Mr.. McDufie be-
lievcd the charge groundlcss and untrue, he is
man Of too high sense of honor to have
pressed upon the consideration of the commit
tee, an instruction clothed in the pointed
phraseology that this rs; nor can it be inferr-
ed, that in matter so serious, the friends of
Mr.. Clay would have voted against extending
this asked for power to the committee. An
innocent man, before an impartial tribunal,
fears not to meet the exercise of any power
that competent authority gives; and far less
should he dlstrust that exercise, when in the
hands of correct and honorable men.
Innocence never seeks for safety through
covert ways and hidden ambuscades; she
fights by day and IN the open plain, and proud
IN her own strength, meets her enemy fearless
ly. In the proposition submitted by Mr. Nc
Dutiic, there was nothing to alarm, nothing
that innocence should have doubted about; Il
was neither more or less, than a call of tho
attention of the committee to particular in
qniries, with an application for power to ferret
out the truth, through an appeal to the oath of
those who might be called upon to depose be-
fore them.
Without documents, and unacquanted with
the number of Mr.. Clay's friends in the House.
| cannot assert that they were in opposition to
MIR, McDufe s resolution. Yet il is obvious
that the influence he possessed, would have
been amply sufficient to prodrcc different re-
suit, had MIR. Clay been at all desirous that n
different one should have been produced. The
resolution contained strong ippu,a,ions, and
serious charges r. Clay and his friends wcrc
both implicated. Can it be presumed, under
such state Of general excitement, that. if
MIR. Clay desired it, he could not have found
present and at hand, some friend to ask in his
behalf, that the resolution should be adopted,
and full powers extended to the committed
And, moreover, can il be tho ght. hat such.
an lndul cnce, if desired by Mr.. Clay, or any
OF his friends, could or would have been de-
med, inasmuch as the resolution was rejected,
and the power asked for, refused TO the COM.
mittcc.
solicitude to find 9" a specific accusation.
by Icsponsi5lc accuser," could not ba yc becn