The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1844-06-07

w AsHINGroN, MAY y, 1914.
My DEAR SIN | have received Your
note, bringing TO my notice certificate
subscribed by five gentlemen, members OF
me present House Of Representatives, all
of them my political opponents, which you
inform me is gong the rounds Of the Lo-
cofoco papers. The object of that cerllti-
cate seems 10 BE- to verify the correctness
of an extract taken from the National In.
tellieencer or the lst Of July, 1870. In
that extract am stated BY former mem
Der Of the House Of Representatives be-
ie,e not now liylng) 10 have remarked, IN
debate which occurred year before, 10
the following effect: III gentlemen will
not allow Us to have black slaves they must
let us have chiie ones; for we cannot cut
out frewood, and black our shoes, and have
our wives and daughters work in the
kitchen"
think YOU attach an Importance TO this
miserable attempt TO prejudice me which
II does not merit. Here is an extract from
the files of the ln,elligcnccr, under date
near twenty ieur years ago, not from any
other member of Congress. He does not
undertake to give my rords, but merely
states his impression of the effect Of certain
words used BY me year before.
During the long and arluous discussions
Of what was called the Missouri question,
| was so engrosscd with the Importance OF
the subject, and SO deeply appIehcnstyc Of
the awful consequences which il involved,
that | never wrote out or corrected any
speech of mine made during the progress
Of tie debate. On the last and most in
portant occasion of the agitation Of that
question, made an elaborate speech 81
several hours duration, no part Of which,
! believe, was ever reported by any Of the
s,enographers, as IT certainly never was
by me.
/ certainly will not undertake 10 rccitC
what were the precise words used by nj
on tho occasion Of any Of the numerou.
speeches, short OF long which made II
Z Congress on the Missouri questions bu
this | viii undertake to assert, with the
most perfect confidence, that | never uset
the words, OF any woIds which would bcal
the import of the extract, to which have
alluded. | am confident Of II because
never entertained such sentiment "a my
life. ! never conceived a contingency u
which | would favor or countCnaHcC re.
ducmg white men 10 slavery. To such
an lmputation | may oppose the tenor Of .
whole life, during winch my humble cAef
Il oil 10, : -
preservation Of liberty a, home and the en-
enlargement Of is establishment 10 toreIgI
countries. Ii have not been able 10 cx
tend these cxcnious to the black race hclt
in bondage IN this country, Il has been BE-
cause of considerations and convictions
sincerely aud honestly entertained, EN-
bracing the peace and happiness Of boil
the white and black races, which have becI
4 often presented to the public.
/ II is quito possible that 10 arguing upor
the existence Of the institution Of SLAYER,
in tins country, may have contcnded tina
the black race supplied those domestic OF
fees which, under the names Of " help,
"mcnial servants" and i" domcstcs, al,
To DO found II every slate of civilized so
ciely, aud consequently relieved tie whit
race from the performance Of those offices
Ii | have ever employed such an argument
(of which have no recollection it IS ap
parent how erroneous differences may hay
been drawn from it which It did not authc
rlze.
( ! have no desire to disparage The indus
try Of the wives Of any Of the certifers {
the extract, nor 10 boast Of that IN my ow
family; but venture to say that no ono Z
them performs more domestic lndus,r
with her own hands than NY wife doe
at Ashland.
II. CLAY
Hon JonN WurR