The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1827-08-06

time. did not resist tue impression that Nh
buchanan had APPROACHED me onibe cautiously
siibmincd pfopo. ton Of some authorized pef=
son aud. therefore. ia giving him my answer,
did request hin /" 10 say 70 .lr. Clay ahh lis
friends what that answei bad been Nhelhfr
The communication s,s madeby hlr. Gay aud
lis nlepds, know not MS. though do knD8,
That while the opinions aud roti 81 pl Nj Clay Is
TO the clrcfion. were bot matter Of conjecture
with many AZ and before IA. Tine. very shortly
after tbs conversation took place. lis aud lis
il3rads' opinion became forthwith matter Of Ger
family and general knpnledg still have moi
said nor do now say, thai the proposal made to
me was Min ne prirify md eonseHt' OF Mr.
/ CLAW, nor, e,Ibef have SAID thai his trit5ds 1T
Congress made propositions 10 me These are
/ Nj CLAWS interpretations Of my letter 20 Mi
beverley, aud not what nav setter ITSELF contains.
What have stated are tbc fact, Dta conversation
I between myself aud member OF Congress OF
! high responsibility, The conclusion and infer
cncc from Thai conversation--the tlmc--manner
and all tie circumstance satisfied my mind thu
/ II was not BaaiHh0riocd 50 have thought. aud
| so still think aud YET again rcprai, that m
/ this Imposition may have possibly donc Mr.
( Clay Injustice II be should be able 10 sustain
I ihr asernents lac has made, AID acquit himself
+ OF amy agency aud participation IA the matter
| beg leave to assure him tlaf, so far from Afford
/ M M pain, IL will give me pleasure. ceftH'n-
I II can have 10 deslfe thai the character OF my
I country through the acts Oid prominent citizen,
shall rest under any serious impntation; for the
honor Of that country, should greatly prefer,
that any inference have made, mny turn Out
/ To he III founded.
M. Clay declares his great satisfaction that
this matter la, at last been brought 10 light, a
10 Pablo consideration He feels reJsccd
& thai specific accusation by u responsible ac-
cnsct hl, atlength appeared" 10 this pas
sing notice is due.
! II mud be recoliected that IN consequence Of
4 letter from Mr., Grorge krenier in january
! 1873, an equiry was sci on foot IA Congress up
on the application OF Mr.. Clay himself.
On this memorable occasion, oil guilt imputed
on the one hand, and innocence maintained on
the other, lr. MeDullie It will be recoecied,
Submitted for consideration 10 the House oil Re
| ptcsentiliYes. as matter Of instruction 10 the
committee, the following resolution; that the
said committee he instructed TO enquire whcth-
er the friends OF Mr.. Clay .haye limited, thar
! they would hghi for those who would pay the
! best on an, thing to that effect and whether
| ov.rtarrs were said 10 have been made by the
! iIrnds of Adams To he friends of Nr Clay, oil
irrng The appointment OF secretary oil > ate for
! lis ald to elect Adams /; and whether the friends
! pf Clay gave this information 10 the friends Of
Jackson, aud binted that fins friends would oil
! ler the same prlce they would close with them
aud whether Henry Clay hastransferred, OF re.
| solved 10 transfer, his interest 10 John Z. Al
| ans and whether II was said aud believed thai
i, consideration for this abandonment of duI>
TO his constituents, Clay was TO be appointed
Secretary of state, and that the said committee
be anthorscdto send for persons aud papers,
and 10 compel the persons 50 sent Tor 10 answer
| upon oath"
| Now here is a resolution, officially submitted,
| covering more THAI the ground OF my commune
| Gallon 10 Mr. Beverly and resting IN conncy-
ton with an accusation publicly charged IN the
| newspapers and yct, Mr. Clay, at lh,s late pc
| nod. PROCESSES 10 be relulced, that II specific
! accusation, by a responsible accuser, has n
| length Appeared" Certainly more than two
ears ago, an accuser, respectable, aud an ae-
| cusation specific, were both before him--wen
both mbnli- reach, aud mig have been met,
lad hn been al all disposed 10 the interview, 81
rjoiced at the prospect of meetmg AN accnsei
Had Mr. NJ Dnlhe believed the charge
groundless and untrue, he is man OF to
1gh sense of honour 10 have pressed upon the
consideration of the commune an instruction !
clothed in the pointed phrd>eoogy that tins Is s.; |
aor can IT be inferred, that IN matter 50 str- |
aus the friends of Mr.. Clay would have voted |
against extending this asked for power to the |
ommittre. An innocent man hrtutean impair |
hal tribunal fears not TO meet the exei else ol |
any power that competent authority gives; and |
far less should he disuu,t that exercise, "henin
e hands of correct aud honorable men.
Innocence never seeks tor safety through Co
vert ways and hidden ambnScades; Sue hghls |
by dav and in the open PLAIN and proud IA !
her own strength, meets her enemy ieatlesSly |
In the proposition submitted by Mr.. NJ Dulae.
there was nothing TO alarm, nothing that mno. |
eencc should have doubted about - Has neuhet |
more or less tan call of the attention OF the !
committee 10 particular enquiries, with an appil !
cation for power to ferret out the truth, thiougl
an appeal 10 theoath ofthose who might DC cali |
ed upon to depose before them.
Without documents, aud unacqnaintcd with !
the number Of MIR. Clays friends IA The HOUSE, |
cannot assert that they were M opposition 10 |
Mir McDnies resolution. Yet II is obvious thai |
me influence he possessed would have been anl- |
pv sufficient 10 have produced different esaIl,
hod Nj Clay been At all DESTROYS that dlhe |
ent one should have been produced. The reso-
buttons contained strong rmpntalons aud serious
charges Nh Clay aud his ticndS we're holh
implicated. Can it be presumed, under such
state Of general excitement. that it MIR Clay de-
,ilcd it, he could not have found. present aud Al
baud, some friend, to ask, in his behalf that the
resolution should be adopted, and tnll po"c's
extended To the committee Ahd, moreover
canit be thought that such an indulgence, II
desired 10y Mr. Clay, or any of his friends, could
or would have been denied And yet II was
denied, inaslnuch as the resolution was rejected,
and the power asked tor refused To the commit
tee A soiicitudc TO find 4" specific accusation.
by n responsible ac user could not have been
so seriously entertained then as II Is earnestly
expressed now. or else so excellent an oppurtnn
tv being afforded TO encounter both, both could
not have been SO carelessly regarded 80 contcln'
ned & 50 thrown away. controversy Will me
can no more disclose or render apparent MI.
Clay s innocence. than could the controversy Pa-
cod within his reach two and a half years ago
and yet. while the one was avoided, or al any
rate not embraced with zed corresponding
with the necessity ofthe OCCASION AT tue pros
poets presented 10y the other exceeding JOY
seems 10 be manifested Then, as now, sPr
lie accusation, was before him.
One further remark and ! am done, with n
hons, thai this | may he under