Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-05-20

',h" ielleJ uiat ue mtauS OF my felow-cjtiLens IN
the west had for succession of years, been abus-
ed and liberated against me. That letter. indeed,
incupated the whole majority Of the mission OF
Ghent; but subsidiary SANDER had performed its
part, OF pointing all the guilt. and fastening all the
responsibility Of the crime upon me-"
The illusions to Mr.. Clay, and the imputations
cast on him by Mr.. Adams. too obviou, and
| too severe, to pass without notice. Mr.. Clay be-
came sensible, that il was due TO his integrity and
honor, to appear before the public. Had not the
alterations in his duplicate, rendered Mr. Russell
unpopular there Is little doc-t that he would have
! been backed & sustained by all Mr.. CLAWS weight
and Influence. As it was, that gentleman was glad
to escape from the contest. The introduction to
MIR. Adams book was dated Sept. 2lst,IS22 On
the 10Th November MIR. Clay addressed to the ed.
itors of the National lntelliScncer, the following
letter;
| LEXINGTON, 10th Nov. 1922
| GEWTLEnIEN-i have witnessed, with very
great regret, the unhappy controversy which has
arisen between two Of my late colleagues at Client.
In the course Of the several publications of which
1t has been the occasion, and particularly in the
appendix to pamphlet, which has been recently
published by the honorable John Quincy Adams
think there some errors, (no doubt uninte ntion-
al both as to matters OF fact and matters of opn-
ion in regard to the transactions at Client relating
TO the navigation of the Mississippi and certain Ii
berries claimed by the United States in the fishc
ries, and TO the part which bore in those transac
! uons These important interests are now well Sc
cured. and it respects that Of the navigation of
the Mississippi, left, it ought to be. on the same
hrm iooting with the navigation Of all other rivers
! OIL the coniederacy, the hope may be confidently
cherished, that it never will hereafter be deemed
a INT subject of negotiation with any foreign power
An account therefore, of what occurred in the ne
EQUATIONS at Client, on these two subjects is not
perhaps,necessaryto the present future security
OF any oil the rights Of the nation, and is only in
teresting as appertaining to its past history. With
| these impressions, and being extremely unwilling
70 present myself, at any time before the public,
mad almost resolved to remain silent, and thus ex-
pose myself 10 the inference of an acauiescence in
the correctness Of all the statements made by both
my colleagues; but / have, on more reflection
| thought, that it may be expected of me, and be
considered as duty my part, to contribute all in
| my power towards full and faithful understand
| ing OF the transactions referred TO- Under this
conviction, WILL at time, more propitous
than the present, to calm and dispassionate consid
| GRAFTON, and when there can be no misinter-
probation oil motives, lay before the public nara
| 1--WE oil those transactions as | understood them
VIII not, at this time, be even provoked Git would
at any time, be inexpressby painful to me- 10 find
1t necessary to enter the field Of dsputaon with
either of my late colleagues.
AS to that part of the official correspondence at
| Ghent, which had not been communicated to the
public, by the President Of the United States prior
to the last session of Congress- certainly knew of
no public considerations requiring it to DE with
held from general inspection. But had no know
ledge OF the intention Of the honorable Mr. Floyd
| to call for it, nor Of the call ITSELF through the
H. OF Representatives, until saw it announced in
| the public prints Nor had any knowled of the
| subsequent call which made for the letter of
the honorable Mr. Russell, or the intention to make
IT, until derived il from the same channel
! 81 will thank you to publish this note in the
Nat ineligencer, and 10 accept assurances of the
| high respect Of your obedient servant,
H. CLAY"
Inc next day the following reply appeared in the
same paper:
To the Editors Of the National Intelligencer
"UENTLEMEN--in your paper OF yesterday
have observed a note from MIR. Clay, which requires
some notice from me.
CATER expressing the regret of the writer at the
unhappy controversy which has arisen between
two OF his late colleagues at Client it proceeds to
say, that in the course OF the several publications
~ -.''i>t. tt..- '>0 .in narticuJari
in the appendix to the pamphlet recently publish
ed by me, she thinks there are some errors (no
doubt unintentional) both to matters of fact
and matters OF opinion in regard TO the transactions
| at Client relating to the naygations Of the Misss-
sipp and certain liberties claimed by the u. States
in the fisheries and TO the part which he bore in
| those transaction5.'
| {" Concurring with Mr.. Clay in the regret that
| the controversy should ever have arisen, ! have
only to find consolation the reflection that from
the seed time of 1914 TO the harvest of 1922 the
contest was never of my seeking, S that since have
been drawn into it, whatever / have said, writ
ten or done Ill it, has been in the face of day under
| the responsibility of my name.
" Had MIR. Clay thought it advisable, now to
specify any error of fact or of imputed opinion
which he thinks contained in the appendix to nv
pamphlet, or in any other part of my share in the
publication, it would have given me great pleasure
TO rectity, by candid acknowcd sment, any such
error, of which. by tho light that he would have
shed oh the subject, should have been convinced
Al whatever period hereafter, he shalt deem the
accepted time has come. 70 publish his promised
narrative, SHALL ii yet living, be ready with e.
quail cheeriulness,to acknowledge implicated error,
and TO vindicatc contested truth.
6 But as by the adjournment Of that pubca-
cation TO period 90 more propitous than the pre-
sent TO calm and dispassionate considerations and
when there can be no neutrality-suspicious. Of motives"
II may chance TO be postponed until both of us
shall have been sunmOnedto account for all our err
rors. before higher tribunal than that of our coun-
try feel myself called upon 10 say that let
the appropriate dispositions when and how they
will, expose the open day and secret nigh; of the
transactions at Client, the statements both of fact
| and opinion in the papers which ] have written
and published, in relation TO this controversy will
IN every particular, essential important to the
interests of the nation or to the character of Mr.
Clay, be found to abide mistaken, the test OF
human scrutiny, OF talents, and of time
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.
WAsHtNGToN, 18th Dec 1922"
1t will be seen that Mr.. Adams not only re as
serts all he had said in relation to Mr. Clay, but
mysteriously hints at secret night TRANSACTIONS at
Gheni; and broadly insinuates, that Mr.. Clay had
covertly assailed him, without daring to incur the
responsibility OF putting bis name to his accusa-
tons Nothing in Mr.. Clay's letter to the Edi
tors OF the National Iniegencer, could have ex.
cited those dark suspicious, or justified their pub
licaton Mr.. Clay said: " have witnessed.
with very great regret, the unhappy controversy
which has arisen between two OF my late col
leagues at Client" He does not even censure
|, MIR Adams, but simply thinks he has committee
I" some errors, (no doubt unntenona,) both as to