Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-10-10
Tho following words.

which is presented 10 us, ~ inc ioilo" ns
il is sufficiently painful; 'ioui hcPiesen'a',..
oho;rc o., may make. with us in these scnii-
viii be only. q choice of mcn,s; and as | know
owls IN ho,h of those his respect Tor your
aon,lewcn there are opinion rcsqucst if
strong personal olJec- you concur III your
TONS The principal views, lnat you WIN
difference between them wflte 10 MN ~ ic,"ih
!; thai in the election oil mail Ia strengthen him
Mr. Adams We shall III ms INCLINATION
not. By the example, H. Show Tins 10 Cfiuehdch
! nct any wound upon alone
the character OF our in
/ situations; but should much
fear herealt er, il not during the
| present generation, that the election
| of The General would give 10 the military
| spirit a stimulus and confidence that ni2ht
lead To the most pcrnicous results. shall there
fore. with .rea, regret. on account OF the dilemma
in which The people have placed us. support Nlr.
/ Adams Nv friends are generally 50 inclined
| What has great weight with me, is the decided
I preference which majority OF The delegation
! from Ohio has Tor him over Gen. JACKSON
IT, therefore, kcntuo ky were 10 vote Tor The Gene
ral. il would possibly only have the effect OF o.
yiding our friends, without defeating ultimately
The election OF MIR Adams. Three oil the iollr
| States favorable 10 Mr.. Crawford. are believed 10
prefer Mr. Adams 10 the General. Virginia is
| one of them am inclined 10 think that nearly
lhrec-tou OF delegation have yielded To the
/ influence of these views and will vote Tor Mr..
! Adams Ny friends entertain the belief, that
I their kind wishes towards me will, in the end be
! more likely 10 lie accomplished by 10 bcSiowing
/ their votes have however, most earnestly cil-
treated them 10 throw me ont al their considcra-
ton. in bringing their judgments 10 final con
| casion. and To look and lr guided solely hy the
public good. Ii know myself, that alone has
determined mr. lour Representative is inclined
IT, concur TAI Tie, >rittliirn,> and views:
/ and, il they should meet your appreciation, As |
know he has great Iesrcct tor your opinions.
would be Glad if you would, br the return mail,
address lcterio him Ia strengthen him in his in
clinalon BE please, 10 show this letter 10 CRIT
tcndcn alone.
remain faithfully, Your friend,
| L. y. BLAIR, E>q. III. CLAY.
4 brief history Of events is all important 10 the
proper construction Of these famous letters. We
shall bricnylcicr Ia facts, which have become pant
ollhe history Of lhc country. Wchave no time or
space to 60 inlo details We ;liuic lhen 10 Mr.
Clay'> known dislike If Adams, and his dispute
win hm Ia C.'a ciioi.> Ia rai.c sior;n oiprcjU-
dice i'm ihr West against him about The navigation
Of lhc Mississippi consequent upon Adams con
against ~. and furnishing funds for The pubca-
ton OF pamphlets against A.. Ia C.'S own coniro-
ycr>y with IL, and Adams defiance and 10 the
adjourned question oi veracity lriWecn them
All this iranspilci before the election and il was
a well established tact, lial Clay ana Adams were
in 4 state oi decided opposition To- each other.
The election came on: Jackson Adams and
Crawford were The three highest candidates
turned 10 The House. Kentucky voted - follows:
ior Clay. II .,}l. for Gen. Jackson. IT, i3I Tor AG
ans, H0Hc.
When the election went 10 the House OF Repre-
<cl;aiiycs the kentucky Legislature could not
iorbear passing, hy an overwhelming majority.
strong resolutions requesting the member. al
Congress from THIS Stale Kentucky 10 vote for
General Jackson, and resolving that Gen an
drew Jackson is the second CHOICE oi the STATE
of Kentucky Tor President and that very iatse
majonity II tic peop!cot his S'ai, (kenrckyl pre-
Ter General Jackson 10 Mr.. Adams or Mr.. Craw-
ford" These resolutions co-opcraied with David
Whites own preference Tor Jackson. l.r whom
hc had voted in Tie popular election. WHAT Was
then Ia he done ? The c!lou was 10 he made 10
chang. linn. and induce him 10 vote Tor Adams.
Who iradc his eliot! Clay and his immediate
friends They found il important la gel The vote
Of Kentucky .or Adams, in o.acr 10 carry Mis-
>olIri and The West lor him. The vote ii Ken
tlcisy Depended upon Mr. White, who thus he
came tie pivot Oh which The whole drama tuned.
What Was CIay'> position At the time He
had been himself 4 candidate Tor the Presidency,
ani was defeated bv an immense vote a. follows:
l.y the Electors Jackson ~ Adams ~, Crawford
~, Clay 81 in the Popular Vote oi The Union.
Jackson l52,9jI, Adams 1892, Crawford AZ
60. and CLAY only 1865 jackson having a
majority u; 9jl ovcr ADAMS AID Clay combined.
CLAY Was 81 tar defeated lha; he was 10; even one
OF the three returned io the House. But his am
biiion was nnqucncicd, and made hy dsappon;-
mcn on" III. more ardent IL he "raiil!ci. lie
has been an ambitious caniila;e ior twenty-five
wears As Mr. Webster says in his 9th Essay
in the Madisorian pamphlet, From very eally
|-pciiod q! his political career. Mf. Clay seems
tu>havc fixed his exc The Presidential Chair
rs the goal which he desired. and expected nli-
matcly 10 obtain. While yet the wears
he numbered were barely sufficient 10 qualify him
;or a seat in tie Senate II the United Stale> aud
he could almost without suspicion pretend 10 the
innocence oi noyicc IN political intrigue. he
extended his vision through The lvr9 vista ui
patty turmoil ard revolution Lciurc han and in
,cnty scanned the whole scene. that h. might dis
cover in insn all The toruosi.!t> ANA difficulties al
the path which led 10 the coveted pize beyond
70 attain il, EVERY FACULTY, EVERY E:ERGY HAS
BEEN >ERyFp, EVERY Plan AND EVERY SCHEME has
heen employed I'LL the age al 20 has oveiIahcn
hinl-iN VAIN
ITow, then. was This slecplcss ambition 10 le
gratiiled in The easiest manner, alter the loss ui
the inst oiiiccl What part wa> he 10 take, 10 OIL
tain office and avail himselfoiihe safe precedent"
Tor the succession?
Observe his own mysterious silence" Tor sevc-
raj weeks alter The meeting ot Congress, his ap-
parent waiting for the Turn oi the cards; his
;dnou;on 80 Thomas Z. Moore and oihcr Ken
lucky members mol 10 bc loo haSy in committing
thcnscvcs-;hc approach made 10 Gen. jackson,
To find on whom I. would appoint Secretary ot
State and Ia defeat Adams for that Office i! Jack
son were elected: Gen J3ckson'> refusal la com
init himself and his famous and immortal saving
that "le would pluck ont The very hairs al his
head, if thcy knew" lclorc he would Z, nsent To
make any such a:owal or comna.
Look. next THE approach of Adams friends
Ia Clay examine whatthcy said 10 him. according
10 Mr. Claws own version:
''Ncxt friend Of Mr. Adams comes, with tears
in his cyc>->ir, Mr. Adams has always had
he greatest respect Tor You, and admiration Of
Your talents: Mstc is no S'a,,on Ia nhic4 mn aye
net cqnui--mos, undoubtedly You atc the second
choice of " l.nsIand--ard may You 10 con>i-
der seriously whether the public good anu yo"f
iniatc Interests G0 nat p0,nt mrs" GISinchgfok7c
ctoicc r'iict pon opcAt In mute"
Can any one read The daiiciwd portions of Mr..
Clay's own version, whou, regarding them as
general promises held cul to Clay BY Adams
fIienis
Wcwouli, in connection, refer 10 Mr. Clay aud
his friends lamrclinS with members OF Congress,
feeling their pulses, attempting 10 bring them
over 10 Adaul>, and 10 Clag's writing his Ia
rons letter ia clair. urging him 10 induce White
10 vote for Adams. How could Clay have known
the Importance of the vote al White, unless he
had. hy himself an, lrieGd> looked into The jncli
nations of members ON the choice of President
and asccriained the grounds on winch they would
vote tor Adams?
But lei hi, le;lcr Of The Sth January speak for
itself Does il Eol clearly show his motives in
urging Blair 10 write 10 Whit 10 he. that the
"sts3 wiSi,S OF his friends orards me (c.) monid,
in he cad, hc more likely 10 be accomplished b.
80 hestnwino iheir roirs. rs 10 = .Ct Adams Il