Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1844-05-30

G'its hudtuS ncTc is no nlStahc III TIE Uate,
as visit which made to your part of Vir-
GINA about that time enables me to lix it with
certainty. J left Washington, on that visit,
about the 18Th of December, and had received
the information of Mr.. Clay before sat out
and told it, while absent, in the family of my
lather-in-law, Colonel Mcdowell, of Your
county. But the inference SO much insisted
upon, tina, / must have told the same thing to
Mr. Eaton and other of his political friends, is
wholly erroneous for, having no authority |
from MIR, Clay TO promulga,e his intentions,
only spoke of them in the bosom of a pri-
vate family at two hundred miles distance
from Washington. Since that period, and cs-
pecially during the present summer, have on
several occasions, and sometimes in the pre-
sence Of political opponents, when The course |
of conversation led me to it, mentioned what
knew OF Mr.. Clay's early intention to vote |
for MIR. Adams; and in this way | came TO
speak of it again, some two or three weeks |
since, in the house of my iather-n-law, where |
| had first spoke of it near three years ago,
and whence, with some additions and varia-
tions, without the privi,y of any one presen, |
at the conversation, it has crept into the pa
per which you have sent me. No one ever
asked my leave to publish what | said; if any
one had, the authors of the publication IN the |
Lexington paper might have been spared an
Office which must have been inexpressibly
painful to their honorable feelings, as should
not have refused To the administration any
testimony in my power to give, notwithstand-
! ing the character of the war which the great
body of their forces are carrying on against
me. "Y ours, respectfully,
THOMAS ii. BENTON.
This letter (said Mr.. W. proves not only
that Mr.. Clay's biterest opponents considered
! him innocent of the charge, but it established
fact connected with this charge which was
most important-that, before the Congress
convened, before the Presidential election
took place in this body, Mr.. CLAW had dis
closed his intention TO vote for Mr.. Adams,
not only to Mr. Benton, but to number of
other individuals 4; that he had no secrets or
DISCUSSES in all his conversations about il.
Mr.. w. now asked the attention of the
committee 10 the testimony of another pol,
lcal opponent upon the charge of bargain and
sale. He would read an extract from letter
! or MIR. Buchanan to the Lancaster journal.
dated August s, 1927:
81 called upon Gen. Jackson on the occa
sion which ] have mentioned, solely as his
Jriend, upon my own individual responsible
| ty, and not us the agent of Mr.. Clay or any
other person. nerer haze been the political
Jricnm Of Mr.. clay, since he became candi-
date for the office of President, as YOU very
well know.-Until saw Gen Jackson's let.
ter TO MIR. Beverly of the 9Th uliimo, and at
the same time was informed by n letter from
the editor of the United States Telegrapb.
that was the person to whom he alluded.
The conception nerer once entered mn mind,
that he believed me to have been the agent
OF MIR. Clay and his friends, or that intend
ed to propose Terms Of ANY kind for them, or
that he could have supposed me capable of
expressing an 'opinion that it was right to fight
such intriguers with their own Weapons
| 81 had no authority from Mr.. clan or his
friends 10 propose any terms 10 General Jock-
son an relation TO their coles. NOR DID II
EVER MAKE ANY SUCH PROPOSITION:
and trust would be as incapable of becom-
ing messenger upon such an occasion, as ii
was known Gen. Jackson would be to re.
ceive such message"
1t will be recollected (said Mr. W. that
this was the witness with whom the foul
charge of SANDER and defamation had its ORR
GIN. Gen. Jackson had repeated the SANDER
on the testimony of Mr. Buchanan, and from
INN this individual, Garter Beverly, had received
The charge, which he had made public. Car
ter Beverly at that time had been an enemy
OF MIR. Clay he had lived long enough to
come To his senses. Before his death, al |
though ne had slept over this charge for years,
perhaps in view of the grave, he had been |
prompted to award Justice to an injured and !
innocent man he had come out with his I
unqualified denial and relutatior of the CHARGE. |
And (said Mr. W., addressing the chairman !
predict that before you and some other gen
tlemen shall have descended 10 the tomb. !
when the violence Of party feeling shall have
had time to subside, and party blinds shall
nave iailen from your eyes and the eyes of
others, and all those prejudices which are
calculated to delude and bewilder the human
mind and lead To false conclusions shall have
been dissIpated, that you and others will
write, declaring the innocence of this man.
Now hear what this dying man said. Mr..
w. read from letter of Carter Beverly to
Mr.. Clay as follows
vt Will be no doubt matter Of some aston
Ishment to you IN receiving from me the pre-.
sent address. | will not preface it with any
KIND OF apology, because, in doing it, iusti-
iy my mind IN The discharge Of an act of con-
science, and duty that ] feel the utmost plea
sure in performing.
"Althongh the time is quite far gone since
became lnnocentiy instrumental in circulating
throughout the country very great attack on
your character and virtue as gentleman and
certainly a very heavy one as public man.
feel exceedingly DESTROYS to relieve you, as far
as can, from the SANDER, and my own feelings
from the severe compunclion that is within
me, for having been, though neither directly
nor indirectly, your personal accuser, yet that
was drawn directly into the representation
OF an attack upon you.