Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-03-12
From the National lnielligeneer.
TO TIE PUBLIC.

most insuppOftaOe ooium 'eh upo" my 'oP"'""o'
foe my conduct in the affair The world knows
with what rancor Of malice, il not with what inse
nuity OF falsehood. was assaled. was not onl,
Justly eliminated with the offence of datling, bu
most unjustly and cruelty charged far beyond tina
offence.
A committee was appointed Ivy the House Of Re
personalities to investigate the question OF breae
of privilege, involved in the death OF one Of il
members, and made its examination and reported
the result. At first awaited a formal TRIAL be
fore the House for a full opportunity OF defence
That opportunity never afforded. The House
after months OF discussion. which served only te
afford malice its privilege Of persecution, contrary
To my most earnest circumstances, laid the whole
subject on the table forever. In the investigation
end the discussion Of the duel by others. my con
due, had been laid bare, without explanation. and
without the defences which open trial before th,
House would have thrown around it.
Denied a trial, | was len to time and tho certain
triumphs oftruth. Fearless, though not regardless
of public sentiment. was wiling TO abide the un-
lust ccnsure which had thlckened around my name
until the moment oil my vindcation should come.
And determined that moment should be-when.
ever responsible person, IN tangible shape,
should venture to make the accusation, which had
been intangibly and rresponsibly made ey anony
nous publications. These last determined never
TO notice in any shape.
But, IN the mean time, however, from tho fatal
dly OF the duel TO this time, whenever my friends,
and especially any OF my confding constituents,
who never doubted, even whilst oil the rest of the
world seemed 10 condenm me-when those who
hsd the RIGHT to know inquired Of me concerning
tie particulars Of the dnel which constituted my
defence, | never hesitaled TO Inform them. There
Wore many points on which they wanted 10 know
tie ieasons of my conduct. For example:
LEI. Why did Mr. Graves at first require MIR Gil
A A.
Wcbb's note IN writing
~. Why the point Of reraei'y not alleged in
tie challenge as its cause
81. And was that point made on the groundl
These two last queries were, as It's iIuInll will
show, reiterated by the Committee OF Invesiga
tioLl
1'h. Why were such unusual terms as were
proposed accepted
| was continually compelled TO answer such in
qlries these, and frequently compelled to discus,
points they involved. | invariably swerej the
first of these questions 10y saying that had differed
with MIR Graves on the point Of requiring Mr. Ciley
TO reduce his reasons or reply to writing, hut thu,
he was fortified in his opinion thai point by the
better counsel of MIR Clay. Again: In answer Ia
the second and third questions, said that MIR Clay
drew the form OF the challenge with his own hand,
nnd put the issue on point OF punefii0, which he
considered easier settled than the one Of rTaehy;
that for the the latter point though
often mentioned was not pressed uron the ground;
and that II was not the subject Of djJstment upon
the ground becauS0N was not the point put the
challenge. And IN answer TO the fourth said that
opposed, but that MIR Clay approved OF the ndop
lion oi the terms, for the reasons | have already
published. In defence ofthe course pursued by Mr.
Iraves never failed 10 quote the authority of the
advice Of his friend Mr. Cay; in defence Of my
own course on the ground quoted the authority OF
Messrs. Critenden and Menofee. This have done
in more than hundred instances in the last four
wears, and many ,mesoi late. dare say Tint Mr.
Graves may have done the same thing. | alludc 10
these lie | inn ed III
was not Mt liberty 10 IN defence both OF Mi
Graves and myself an authority high as That OF
MIR Clay. never dreamed that | was doing any
thing improper in this, though | was careful Ct ali
tunes not unnecessarily TO involve his name. At
the time first did so, and years after, | was the
devoted ndmirer and friend OF MIR Clay, and would
have made any honorable sacrifice 10 make him the
President OF the United States. always fund his
authority, particularly among his political friends
TO prevail in my defence when used in private and
!; was always qualification to know that il would
he equally awaiting when il became necessary TO
use IN public not only TO reute the charge that
insignted the duel but TO prove that was not the
controlling adviser even Of MIR Graves.
always, indeed, intended 10 appeal 10 Mr. Clay,
n the proper tCle, and was confident that he
would not hesitate TO obey respectful summons,
fail to assure the world OF the truth In no
hostile spirit did ever mention his part i'm the af-
iar; bat, on the contrary, looked with confident
satisfaction 10 him a witness Of such high chArdc-
ter that his mere ioOrd, when once spoken, would
Thus, then, was divuged to many, in private, the
part which Mr. Clay had in this duel. Never di-
vulsed by me 10 lmpuie Tor moment to him the
base conduct OF HsigGting causing the duel; not
IN lnculpaie him even in giving wrong advice IN
NlrGcaves; but simply TO satisfy my friends that
Mr. Graves had higher counsel than mine, TO show
hIs lnstincati0n and mine. De- Foltz's letter ten.
ucrod 10 me voluntarily shows that the very NOR
ming after the duel this was the spirit Of my nlor.
marion then to him.
Except az have thus described have neye,
quoted MIR Clay's name IN connection v it'll the al
iair Indeed | have ever rcpeled the idea Inst he
~ any one else nsgaed Mr. Graves TO the ehal.
cneoi and, lest It might inure Mr. Clay in the least
have purposcy absiaLed from publishing hat he
advised IN the matter atBl P; and never publishedhhe
feet until lately, when the moment, thought, had
arrived which lmpeutively called on me in self de-
fence 10 make public appeal TO lin rs a witness
in ny behalf.
For nearly four years | had been waiting for that
moment. ~ the extra session Of Congress, IN the
sprng Of lSii, John q. Adams made mos. brutal
and unprOvoke1 attack upon me for the part | bore
in that dUCl. The nation was witness OF nv for
lcardncc NJ that time Again, al this Session IN
the debate upon Mr. ManhaPs resolution to Geo
sure lin for presenting petition TO dissolve the
Union, he renewed his attack with Tedoubled VIC
le0cs and vengeance. lie distinctly charged in his
place that was a murderer, more guilty or the
blood of MIR Ciley "ihan The man who pulled the
tuger" AT the moment he uttering this false
accusation, under the pfeteyt Of citing legislative
precedent ~ his own case, there Immediately behind
lim, IN u range with my eye, sat the witness who,
above all men, was The man 10 prove my innocence
10 the very accuser himself There sat MIR Clav
who knew the accusation was false and there stood
John Quincy Adams making it, ard attempting 10
mako the world believe 1t was true MIR Adams
had been tho President Of the United States. Mr.
clay had been his chosen Secretary OF State MIR
Adams hoary with honors os with ace M.
character was high that il had become national
property, and his word likely TO become lis
tory. No less witness than the man behind him
hearing him, could make up the fearful odds against
tuc accused. But that witness, his own trus cd and
tired irond-ono as great, II not far greater than
himseli-one who could balance word against VOID,
and GIVE proof against assertion--on one whose fame
was part OF the nccuset's oWn history-wns there
Il word from him would silence the accuser forever.
ny, perhaps cause even linn to retraot the accuse.
ton. True, that then and there that witness could
not speak, hut elsewhere he might speak, or write,
j! not TO the public prints, 10 his old friend he
might drop line saying only: "You are wrong
know II, and you have wtonged an innocent man
Ly charging him with what no man is guilty.
advised IN the duel Of Graves and CilIev. and
know thnt no one caused or insgaicd the lormcr 10
challenge or 10 fight the latter" Less than this
icord "a hint from him would I've enough. There
he was, present before me-such n wines. viii
such nccuser, and tho accusation douning on,
could ! DO othorWise than rise ns Did md nppes
10 the two Kentucky Senators as witnesses m m,
behulii accused neither Of them. Far from Il
Tor they were my own best witnesses 10 ward Of