The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-05-07
COM M U MICA TON.
A REVIEW OF LINN BOYD'S LETTER
No. l.

Were it not for the peculiar circumstances of
these times, under which it seems to have been
reserved for men to grow insolent by the decay
of their influence, and to derive additional i'm
portance from the decline of their credit and
character, it would not have been necessary for
me to have troubled you with this address at this
conjuncture. The secession of your political
friends would have left you without power 10 be
hurtful, and your weakness would have proved
your protection.
But since you have arrogated to yourself the
character of Judge in this controversy, and as
serted the innocence of Gen. Jackson, by pas
siorate and indignant rebuke of Mr.. Clay it be
comes the solemn duty of his friends to take up
the gauntlet thus thrown down, and enter the
political arena for the vindication of calumniated
innocence, and the counter-acton of these in
sidous arts by which designing men are seeking
to advance their personal interests, or those of a
party, at the expense of truth and justice. The
grave and d,gnyied despotlsm of your excited
justice dsdained the tedousness of detail in pro-
nouncing the guilt Of Mr.. Clay, and rash, sui
len assertion of the scandal of the press, finished
your pure and sober efforts of a Judge When,
however, you pronounce the innocence of Gen.
jackson, what is to be said of that calumniatine
temper which accuses the best of men with the
crime Of corruption in obtaining office! Is it no
SANDER with malice aforethought, to say of Mr..
Clay that he bartered for the profits of a place
with statesman of pure and lofty virtue! And
how did your mawkish sense Of character treat
the author OF this fabricated SANDER! Why sir,
by pallatlng and excusing the ignominious con-
duct of the inventive slanderer.
But the American people must be satisfied,
from recent developments, that there is dsrep-
utabe plot to sacrifice the reputation of an illus
tious citizen, whose name is entwined with all
that is splendid and profitable in the history of
American Legislation that the political friends
OF MIR. Van Buren, may reign. We cannot envy
the feelings of those who would level whatever
has been most eminent-who would pluck down
from the sphere in which the common consent of
the American people has placed man whose
name is inseparably combined with the annals
and with the renown of the Republic Party
may be gratfed by this systematic nsrepresen-
tatlon OF his actions, in which every shade of i'm.
perfection which heated imaginations could in
vent or ingenuity surmise, has been Industrious
~ brought forward for the purpose of sinking him
IN public estimation; but America has an inter-
est IN the preservation of his fame. Mr.. Clay
has become the subject of the most vindictive
persecution. While those who have had the
most favorable opportunities of understanding his
character, have honored him with the most une-
quivocal tokens of their highest confidence and
regard ne has been assailed by his political enc
mics with degree of fancor and vituperaton
unparalleled in the history of political strife.
Language is ransacked, defamation exhausted,
does not often happen that the sentiments of a
reviler are in unison with his own private charac-
ter. SaIlus employed the color of his eloquence
to paint the depravlty of the crimes which he
describes; but his o,on morals TO- re not free from
repr0ach
In relation to the charges which you have
made, there few of the indisputable events in
the life of Mr.. Clay which have suffered more
diversified and Wanton mutilaton than that por- |
ton of his conduct connected with the election
OF Mr.. Adams to the Presidency. 1t was mpos-
sbe tor his enemies to have formed charge |
more destitute of foundation, easily reuted,
or more open open to the chastisement of severe
reproof.
1t is not our intention to offer any common
place apology for the few observations shall
submit in relation to the charges against Mr..
Clay, as we find them embodied in your address.
Such is the character, and such the conse-
quences, of these allegations, that man who
has at heart the honor Of Mr.. Clay ought to con-
tinue silent, so long any topic of illustration is
unexhausted, or any important Of view unoccu-
pied.
In reviewing your address, we have singular
spectacle before us. We have the astounding fact,
that a Representative of the American people, de-
pository of portion of their political power, the
descending from the dignity of his legislative du-
ties to the task of uttering against distinguished
statesman the mingled language of Indignation
d.u TepTOdCn. Lou say lIidL he was hot governed
by proper considerations in discharging his duty
as member of the House of Representatives in
voting for Mr.. Adams-that he bartered his vote
for power--and that he acted, not from conscien-
tious principles of duty, but under other inhu-
ences than these, which sense of the public
good required. These are the stains you have
thrown on the action of Mr.. Clay-these are the
wounds you have inflicted. 1t is scarcely possible
to comprise within the same compass, more of the
spirit Of whatever is bitter in nvective and hu-
initiating in asperson.
1t is obvious to the common sense Of mankind,
and apparent from the reasoning which you have
employed that, from the active nature of respon-
sibility, both moral and official, in this country,
upon him who undertakes to arraign the conduct
OF an individual must the weight of his charges
recoil, if he fail to establish them. This consd
GRAFTON, while it furnishes motive for zeal and
perseverance on the part OF Mr. Clay's friends
is calculated to Cypress them with modification
at finding that our adversaries have given tbo ia