Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1830-02-25
outstanding debts

M. Jefferson osd Mr.. BagarG.-W1 have never
for a single moment, entertained a douot uu' WI
Livingston, of the U. $. senate, dd make to Mr. Jeiier'
sou a communication, which induced the latter snhue-
man to insert in his Journal OF political events the para
graph relative to Mr.. Bayard, which has lately gwen
rice 10 an interesting, though far from a satisfactory
I eyp.auatiop, on the floor of the Senate. five could have
! doubted, that doubt would have been removed by Mr..
Liyinsston's cpasiye reply to the enquiry Of Mr.. Clayton
Whether Mr.. Livingston told the truth, or not, Is another
question, aud one which cannot easily be solved seeing
that Mr. Bsyard has gone down to the tomb, aud That
the only other individual Gen. Samuel smith VINO
could have been privy TO the transaction mas a dl'ec'
| personal interest IN putting on the statement a DECIDED
| negative, which he has done. The debate IN the Senate
has drawn forth the following extract Of a letter from
| the celebrated Viuiam Duane, once the leading cham
| ion ofDenocracy and of Mr.. Jelforson's administration,
To a member ofCongress, and communicated ior pun
alton in the Washington Telegraph
80 have read, with surpri Sc, the denial OF the ahalr
communicated by MIR. Bayard to Gen. > Sm'th' ah" oy
him to Mr.. Jefcreon. was the only p erson "ho Ms
mot amember ofCongrcss, excepting LOT wHI,e, VI
| Smith who belonged to the mess hehd III w" n""'''
called Thois. Law House, on the Jersey avenue in.fo
is circular room, which was the rendezvous VI te NJ
publicans Of that period and there the Slplect "ds Is
| nlTtstTNtblN eDONth VI hhA O" b''F .-I
| ,bnt there were intrigues carrying oil, indicating the
danger of a protraeted conflict
The Telegraph also contains a long essay, copied from
the Philadelphia Aurora Of lith April, 1902, (he paper
edited by Mr.. DuaneD the tenor of which completely
sustains the recolections of MIR. Duane. The essay Is
addressed " To James A. Baynard, esq" aud contains the
following sentence
0perl,aps you may think the offer Of the Navy Depart
nent to Gen. Smith may be useful. Reflect a little, and
Won will find that he did not wish either that, or a for
eign embassy, or the office Of a Judge. lie, therefore,
was not brtbed by either.'
Standing in the relation which Mr.. Duane paper did
m the administration md the democratic party, II
would seem to be no more than a fair presump-
tion. that, the declaration that some offer, in the
shane ofa bribe, had been made BY Mr.. Bayard TO Cen
Smith. appearing in that print, would have been n
once contradictod, if it had been hlse. And yet, Oh the
other hand if il was true, it seems difficult TO account
f,r Gen. Smith's silence, inasmnch rs apart from personal
resentment for the insult he continued 10 adhere to Mr.
JsfFerson and his party, and as the proof of an attempted
resort to bribery by the opposite party would have been
s,ch an effec,ual weapon TO aid in their prostration. We
| tbiuk. therefore, still, that the tale itself was false
.tau,h ,ha, i, was told TO Mr.. Jefferson there can be no
III, Its reiteration in the Aurora is no evidence
80 H.. truth of the story, although Ills conclusive as to
=. o,rr,ncv at that day. There is more probability, as
ya,, as charity, in the supposltion, that Mr, Livingston
~ and ambitious man, (and, ifreport speak true
M, .cTuulously particular in his means so that he
1 cou,d accomplish his tads3 tS0en'ed tie story iot 'he
| purpose Of creeplvg into L1ecutiYs favor Than that