Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1828-07-17


vate Confidential correspondence. They sss
conscious IN Al the prac,ice would become hate
tai ~ the experiment, as itis ,ndetehso.e upon
primciple. They cannot however give into the
belief that the iHsiolsbil,ty OF priya,e CORES
pondence, imposes on you any oohg suon 10 sub.
INIT IA silence to th.se calunines, or 10 wItl,-
hold The means which enables you To yindicate
your reputation add your conduct. They must
Therefore be permitted TO urge their reques',
and to indulge the hope that II there are no car
cumstances of which they are not appraised.
rendering Compliance eXceptonabie, YOU Will
not hesitate TO ACT in conformity TO Their wishes.
Respectfully, J.HARViE, Chairman C. c.
Hon. IL. Gar
WAsaiNsTos, 5ih June. 1928.
SIn-Vour letter OF the i4.h ult. as Chau man
ofthe Central Committee Of the friends Of the
Administration in Kentucky. requesting for
publication, copies vt my correspondence with
MeSsrs. Blair and Kendall, was received short-
~ before | made late visit to Philadelphia
Ny absence from this city. the press OF business
incident TO the close OF t.e session OF Congress,
anc the feeble Slate OF my health, have combs
ned to prevent an earlier reply.
fpreserved no copies vi my letters addressed
to sther OF those gentlemen. Aif biair has
furnished me viii. copies Of several OF those di-
rected to hun, including that upon which. !
understand, reliance IS placed 10 establish the
tact OF my having made corrup' agreement, IN
relation to the late Presidential election. My
correspondence with that gentleman was friend
" aud familiar, and sometimes sport,ye. l, is
characterized o. freedom of language which IS
Occasionally admissible IN private and friendly
| Intercourse. bu, which would not be decorous
towards the public. MIR. BAR has himself reiu-
sed to exhibit The letter in question, or To test-
ty concerning its contents, upon the principle
that ne will not, voluntarily, consent to the vio
iation OF private correspondence. That priacl-
! pie must command the respect of all honorable
nea. SO Tar as regards the charge against me,
The publication would benefit instead OF ~ lut-
Tag NE. Such is the opinion Of several gentle
men TO whom have she wn the correspondence,
! aud such IS my own. Bus will not avail myself
OF THIS advantage at the sacrifice at principle,
| the preservation Of which is a necessary gaar-
antee to social confidence and intercourse. I
( could not, moreover, publish my own letters to
MI b'a'r without some OF his, showing the sense
IN winch he understood nine. Although he
! has gwen me permission to pubash both, be
| thinks they ought not to be published; aud |
viii moi, on the defiance of a profigate editor,
be the first to set a misehies Gus example, which
| the other party TO the correspondence has re.
fused to establish. ! must decline, therefore,
authorizing the publication Ut our correspoii-
| dcnce. hut the Central Committee Is at liberty
to exhibit ia the inspection of any gentleman ,
OF any party, Ill such portions OF II as relate to
the late Presidential election, and will do the
same upon any such application beng made to
| me.
| My correspondence with Mr.. Kendall stands
| upon different grounds. That gentleman has
assumed the triple attitude OF my accuser, the
witness to establish the accusation, and the
publisher oft to the world. Though the paper
which he edits He has not scrupled TO violate
| private correspondence, and to misrepresent
| my motives, and the better to enable him TO ac-
! complish his purpose, Gas | am compelled TO
| behevel he states that he has destroyed my
| letters. II he has really destroyed them, re.
| sret 1t very much, because | should have pre-,
| ferred their speaking for themselves, instead of
| their contents being perverted by his enmity
and prejudlce.--Should all or any Of them be
\ hereafter found to have been preserved from
the flames, he is at full LIBERTY to publish them.
| Not content with msrepresenting me. am IN
termed that he has given. in the Argus, an err
roneous and faithless version of the Testimony
delivered before the Senate OF Kentucky. ia
that most extraordinary inquiry which WAS IN
| stituted before that body at its last session.
| The obIigation to respect the confidence
L
private correspondence, must be reciprocal.
One party Cannot be bound to respect. whist
the other is free to violate il. Still less such
| one.sided obligation exist, when one OF the
parties has not only violated It, but msrepre-
sented the purpo-t Of the correspondence. Mr..
Kendall has therefore sbsolyed me from all duty
OF withholding from the public any portion Of
the correspondence which has passed between
Us; fit had ever posse ssed character OF higher
| confidence than that which was actually stamp
ed upon it. But will not avail myself If the
privilege which bis conduci has thus conferred.
further than is necessary TO vindlcate myself a.
ganst him and has testimony Before proceed
TO notice the letters from him, which are now
communicated, 1t is proper that should take =
rapid survey OF the relations which existed be-
| tween us
Mr.. Kendall had been educated at Harvard
University. which IS among the most respecta.
BILE, fit be not the most celebrated, of the in
stltutions dedicated to education in the United
States During my absence from my country,
on its public service, he was engaged by Mrs.
| Clay as a private tutor to instruct my children
| Upon my return understood that he bad been
| attentive to The discharge Of the duties Of his
| station, and ascertsined that they had bene
fitted by bis Instructions during his residence IN
my family. Parents know how to estimate such
relation. My personal acquaintance with him
was never great, he having lett my house priol
to my return, and my opportunities of seeing
J him having been chiefly limited to my occasion
al professional visits at Frankfort, where he re
sided Alter be became the editor Of the Ar