Washington telegraph., 1844-11-06
Mr.. Clay's Letters "a
r. p Rlaip

Reporter Of October 9TH, the two long talk
oflct;crs of Henry Clay to Francis T. Blair
written from Washington nearly twenty
years ago on the subject Of the Presidential
contest OF that period which resulted in the
election of John Quincy Adams by the
House of Representatives.
The Editor Of the Observer and Reporter
says:-
..These copies are taken from cop;er
certified by Blair himself, DOW in the hands
of Col. Edmund III. Taylor. Of FranISfor,
ky., where they have been for about seven
teen years, acce ssible to all persons, wifi
out discrimination of party. who nigh,
choose TO peruse them. Hundreds have
a ,cordingly availcd themselves ofihe oppor-
tunity. Other copies of them, for some
time past. have been in possession Of Bea-
jamin Watkins Leigh, Esq, Of Richmond,
Va, where they have been alike open 10
public inspection.
Mr.. Clay's disinciinaiion 10 the publics-
ton of these letters, arose out Of the fac,
that they were written in all the careless
ness and confidence of private correspol-
dence; that parts Of them were playful and
sporiive, and that they spoke of individuas
and classes, in a manner, which. if admis.
sible in private correspondence; was no,
proper for the public eye. He was perfectly
aware that the letters contained additional
evidence of the falschood of the atrocious
calumny by which he had been assailed,
and Of the purity and disinicrcstedncss Of his
conduct, on the memorable occasion, To
which they refer. But, on that subject the
public needed no further proof: and, nj all
events, he did not choose 10 avail himself
of that which they furnish, by giving his
sanction to the violation Of private cores
ponience.
He has been finally induced, BY the
earnest entreaties OF numerous persons, 10
consent 10 their publication from two con-
siderations. The first il, that that arch
libeller, Amos kenia.l, has surreptitiously
obtained and published paragraphs of one
of the letters, which by suppression Of other
paragraphs, and by bringing into juxta-
position parts of the letter, which were
separated from each other by intervening
clauses, has given false coloring to the
letter. The way in which hc himself states
that he Obtained the paragraphs is carac-
tcr.stic of his infamous conduct. The let.
tiers were deposited at Frankfort, a already
stated, with permission to any body 10 read
them, but under a prohibition against any
copy being taken. Kendall says nc wen
frequently and penIsed the letters, until he
impressed, on his memory, the paragraphs
which he wished TO recoliect. sand having
thus purloined them he afterwards published
them. Will not every honest man say that
this was Just as fraudulent a violation oi
the restriction, under which he has permit
ted 70 inspect the letters. a if he had taken
n written copy!
The other consider ration, which has led
to the present publication of the letters is.
thai many of the friends Of Ir. Clay have
urged that he owes it to the public, it not
10 himself since the correspondence has
been already violated, to present 10 the
world the conclusive retutation which il con-
iains, of the disinierred charge which ca
lumniaters have revived against him. II is
proper to add that neither Blair nor Kenclal
nor Richie nor Boyd ever made any appli-
cation To Mr.. Clay, as we are credible as.
sured, for his consent TO the publication of
the letters"
The public will entirely concur in the
propriety of the reasons above stated that
disinclined Mr.. CLAY TO the publication, as
well as oi those which have now induced
him to grant his consent. The letters them
selves will elevate Mr., CLAY in the estima-
ton of candid and honorable men by the
additional evidence they furnish Of his open.
d;sinterestcd, and magnanimous character:
while, so far from giving the slightest pre-
text for the atrocious calumny Of Bargain
and Intrigue, they contain new testimony
to disprove il. 1t is known 10 our readers
that Loco Foco organs and orators have
been calling necessarily, for these letters
and declaring that they would convict Mr..
Clay of tie accusation with which he has
been so long pursued by men who. as we
have heretofore shown, are themselves
Justly chargeable with BARGAINING, INTRI-
GuING. and CORRUPTION.
Now that the publication has been made
we will see, probably, another specimen Of
Loco Foco tactics, in WITHHOLDING them
from their readers. The Loco Foco papers
will exhibit degree Of Justice and fairness
very different from their systematic course
If they now publish these very letters for
which their orators and leaders have been
bawling themselves hoarse.
The vile calumny originated by Mr..
Clay's enemies in 1925 is now dead-dead.
Every witness hat was ever relied upon TO
support it has disproved il. The last re-
naming prop upon which his libelers lean
ed has now given way; and they have sunk
into the bog of scorn and contempt. The
American people have taken up his cause;
and are determined to show. by e,evating
him to their HIGHEST most of honor ssthat