Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-10-13
From the Constitutional Wig.

THE PRESENT CRISlS.-No 5.
All the attempts al "intri que, bargain and
management'-,o use favorite mode OF
speech Of the Opposition having failed to
corrupt the stern integrity of MIR. CLAW, he was
left to pursue the honest dictates OF his Judg-
ment and his conscience, in the seie ton to be
made from the three candidates before him
With re, peci 70 Mr.. Crawford, without SEEK
ing o know whether Mr.. Clay had other OBJ
ections against him, personal or political. 1t
cI so Gaiimeu IroTII ms uHior unate stare oil
health; for proper discharg" Of the severe
and multfarious duties Of Chief Magistrate.
Whether his brlief of this disqualification was
we'll or ill-lounded. we have no reason to doubt
that it was Sincere and with that billet. to
have voted for him would have oeen an insult
to the peepe hos" agent he was
This candidate, therefore, being out Of. The
question. it remained for him to choose be
tween MIR. Adams and Gen. Jackson. or the
latter his opinions had been 70 med and tx
pr. ssed ten years before. He II d taken oc
casion, in his pace in he House of Represent
aiivcs, tn animadvcrt on the conduct of the
Seminole war, in terms that showed but too
plainly how little he thought the c. ief,an Of
that war fitted Cor s oh 4 station as the one to
which he now aspi'ed There had beeH
Jackson to ch nge the opinion Nr. Clay then
expressed OF his cha,I er as an officer. The
objections at that time urged against him re-
manned in full force: indeed they must have
be-. eaty strengthened by after events, par
tcula " by the violence Of many Of his a, IS as
Governor OF Fl2rita. it was impossible, there
fore. that Mir claw could have voted for Gen
Jackson 10 be President OF the L. States, with
out evincing total abandonment OF prnci-
pie, and an etter disregard of whai he himself
considered 10 be the true interest and nolicy Of
h S country. Well, indeed, might he have
been accused Of "corruption," if with such i'm
Prcssions as he entertained of Gen Us char
arter he had aided 20 place him Al the helm Of
ate. No human testimony would have salts
fed the world Of his purity of motive. He
could no longer have retained the character
whirh he had SO nobN supported for more
than twenty years Of ar upright independent
patriot.
The only alternative, then, which was left 10
MIR. Clay, was to shrink from his duty, by not
voting at all, or to vote for MIR, Adams Let US
admit that he rad objections to A;r ADAMS
such objections would perhaps have pre-
vented his choosing him, had his range Of
choice been ACKNOWLEDGEMENT was the part of
an honest prejudiced representative. in the
NSSc DciOFc MIN. re P3Q IOunu OCCd ION To
differ from Mr.. Adams on some minor points
Of policy. In difficult and important nego-
citation, questions arose in which there appear,
ed to b conflict of interests between The cas-
tern and we tern sections OF our country the
one belong to the east, the y, er 10 the west
each esp used what he conceived to he the
most advantageous policy for s own peopl
and the argument was probably conducive !
with warmth on both sides. This was na,u
raj, and whether either was right, or both were
wro 6, no blame can properly be attached TOD
either-at least, whatever right the aaiion may |
have had to complain of both, Trey had 20 |
,ight TO complain Of each other. Mr. Clay had |
never expressed doubt Of the honesty of MIR |
Adams; he could have entertained no doubt of
his capacity to direct the weighty concerns of
the government. lie knew that Mr.. Adams
had been engaged in the service ofthe public