The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1840-09-17
GEN. JACKSON AND Mr.. CLAY.

GEN. JACKSON AND Mr.. CLAY.
Every man who read Mr. Clay reply
10 Gen. Jackson's first card, must have
seen that it was absolutely conclusive,
and furnished the general no pretext what
ever for continuing the controversy
There was nothing in it to which gene
raj Jackson could justly take exceptions.
But all who have had the pleasure of
knowing that distinguished individual
must have remarked, that whenever he
wanted to quarrel with man, he was at
no loss for pretext. and would make one
rather than be baked in his wishes. Look
at the facts Of the case before US. The
general flies, or effects to fly. into vio-
lent passion at something he was Uniform
e" by auhom he did no, say-Mr Clay
had said in his speech at the convention,
and t!iereupon published very abusive
card. Mr. Clay, in his reply, remarks up
nn the singular circumstances OF Gen.
Jackson's choosing to act upon inlorma-
ton of so uncertain character, instead Of
calling upon him in the first place to know
if what he had heard were true, and very
calmly proceeds 10 inform the public UNI
,ler his own signature what il was he had
said, which was very different in spirit
and language from what had been
carried to Gen. Jackson. Here was
a point where Gen. Jackson would
have paused, had he not been bent on
quarrel. But seeing that Mr. Clay's Ian
guage, as reported by himself, which eve
ry intelligent man present h,aows TO be
correct. affords no ground whatever for
quarrel, Gen. Jackson in his rejoinder,
falls back upon the erroneous information
lie had originally received, AYERS that it
,cas correct, that Mr. Clay's own version
of his own language is incorrect, and
pours for,l, a new volley of abuse and
gross epithets-his organ, the meanwhile,
suppressing Mr. Clay's reply and not dar.
ing to lay il before its readers! With
such a man it were worse than idle to
keep up any kind of controversy. We
give Gen. Jackson's rejoinder. therefore,
without further comment. 1t is unwor-
thy of serious animadversion or even a
place in our columns, but we republsh it
in order to. show that ace are not afraid to
lay before our readers any thing Gen.
Jackson can write himself or procure to
be written by others.-Nush. Banner.
To the editor of the Nashville Union:
Sri have just read in the Banner of
this day an article addressed by Henry
Clay, of Kentucky, to the public; the OBJ
ject of which is to excul pate himself from
the calumnious assault he made upon my
character and that of Edward Livingston,
deceased, in his speech 10 the multitude
on Monday last.
In the Nashville Wing of last Tues
days date, the paper selected for the pub
LEGATION of Mr. Clay's speech on that oc-
casion, he is reported 10 have used the fol-
lowing language--"He referred to the APP
pointment of Edward Livingston as sec
rotary of state, at a time when he was a
defaulter, but said he presumed the presi-
>'ent did not reflect sufficiently upon the
tendency such an appointment would
have" On the same day several gentle
men Of the federal wing party informed
me tina. Mr. Clay had charged me with
appointing defaulters to Office; and since
my arrival at Nashville great many of
my friends have stated that they heard Mr.
Clay's speech on the occasion alluded to.
and that he did declare that had appoint
ed Mr. Livingston secretary Of state when
he was defaulter.
With this evidence before me cannot
entertain doubt that the information on
which acted when / addressed you on
Tuesday is correct, nor is it at all impair
ed by the inculpation which Mr. Clay has
offered to the public. Knowing the man
as do l knew that he would resort to
some such artifce to cover his retreat
from the position into which he had been
thrown by his vain desire to qualify those
who had followed him in the raccoon and
hard cider pageantry of the day. Con-
victed of making an assertion which the
records of the senate and other familiar
history proved to be false, he now attempts
to qualify it by the following language
SIN arguing from cause to effect, | con-
tended that the appointment of Mr. Liv-
ingston was pernicious precedent--hat
it was virtual proclamation to all who
were or might be defaulters, that their in.
fidelity, in public trust, constituted no
insuperable barrier to promotion to one
of the highest offices in the government.
l did not attribute to Gen. Jackson a
knowledge of the default. went even so
far as to say that he might not have re-
fiected upon the consequences Of the ap-
pointment of an individual so situated.
must now say that until Gen. Jackson
otherwise asserts, am constrained to be-.
lieve that he could not have been ignor-
ant OF fact so conspicuous in the annals
OF our country, as that Of the default OF
Ed. Livingston, Esq, as attorney of the
U. States in the district of New York,
during the administration of Mr. Jefferson,
TO the amount of 100000. And all
this moral sin is now made to result not
from the fact that MIR Livingston was a
defaulter when he was appointed secreta-
ry of state, but that he had been guilty
Some thirtxy x.ooro hoforo /