The Arkansas banner., 1844-08-14


 in the west, had for succession of years been abused. and ulcerated against me. That letter, indeed, nculpated the whole majority of the mission to Ghent; but subsidiary slan- der had performed it's part of pointing all the guilt and fastening all the responsibility of the crime upon me"
 So direct were Mr Adans's allusons to Mir. Clay as the author of dishonorable in- trigue to destroy him, that tine latter was obliged to come before the public. Mr. Adams book reviewing the controversy, was published about the lst October, 1922. In December of that year, the following letter appeared in the National Intelligencer, viz;
 LEXINGTON, l6th Nov, 1922
 ''GENTLEMEN: 1 have witnessed, with very great regret, the unhappy controversy which has arisen between two of my late colleagues at Ghent. In the course of the several publications of which it has been the occasion, and particularly in the appendix to pamphlet, which has been recently publish- ed by the honorable John Quincy Adams, l think there are some errors (no doubt unin- tentonal,) bolp as 10 matters of fact and matters of opinion, i'll regard to the transac- tions at Ghent, relating to the navigation of the Mississippi, and certain liberties claimed by the United States ill the fisheries, and to the part which bore in those transactions. These important interests are now well se- cured, and, as t respects that of the naviga- ton of the Mississippi, left as it ought to be-, on the same firm footing with the navigation of all other rivers of the eonlederacy, the hope may be confidently cherished, that 1t never will hereafter be deemed fit subject of negotiation with any foreign power. An account, therefore, of what occurred in the negotiations at Ghent, on these two subjects, Is not perhaps necessary to the present or future security of any of the rights of the nation, and is only interesting as appertain- ing to its past history. With these impress sions, and being extremely unwilling to pre- sent myself at any time before the public, had almost resolved to remain silent, and thus expose myself to the inference of an acquiescence in the correctness of all the statements made by both my colleagues; but l have on more reflection, thought, that 1t may be expected of me, and be considered IS duty on my part, to contribute all in my power towards full and faithful understand ing of the transactions referred to- Under this will, at some time more propi- tions than the present, to calm and dispas sionate consideration, and when there can be no mislnterpretation of motives, lay be- fore the public a narrative of those transac- tons as 1 understood them. will not, at this time, be even provoked tit would at any time be ineXpressibly painful to me, to find 1t necessary to enter the field of disputation with either of my late colleagues.
 ''As to that part of the official correspon- dence at Ghent, which had not been commu- nieated to the public by the President of the United States, prior to the last session of Con- gress, l certainly kneW,of no public consde- rations, requiring it to be withheld from gene ral inspection. But had no knowledge of the intention of the honorable MT. Floyd, to call for 1t, nor of the call itself, through the House of Representatives, until saw 1t an- nounced in the public prints. Nor had any knowledge of the subsequent call which was made for the letter of the honorable Mr. Russell, or the intention to make 1t, until derived il from the same channel.
 'si will thank you to publish this note in the National Intelligencer, and to accept as snances of the high respect of your obedient servant. II CLAYp'
 The next day the following reply appeared in the same paper:
 To the Editors of the National Intelligencer: ZsGENTLEMEN; In your paper of yesterday have observed note from Mr. Henry Clay, which require some notice from me-
 After expressing the regret of the writer at the unhappy controversy which has arisen between two of his late colleagues at Ghent, 1t proceeds to say, that in the course of the several publications of which it has been the occasion, and particularly in the appendix to the pamphlet recently published by me, She thinks there are some errors, (no doubt un- Intentionally both as to matters of fact and matters of opinion, in regard to the trans actions at Ghent relating to the navigation of the Mississippi and certain liberties claimed by the United States in the fisheries, and to the part which he bore in those transactions.n
 "Concurring with Mir. Clay in the regret that the controversy should ever have arisen. have only to find consolation in the reaec- ton, that from the seed time of 1874 to the ioi tNSt oi 1c--3 tile contest was never Oi my seeking, and that since have been drawn into 1t, whatever have said, written, or done in 1t, has been in the face of day and under the responsibility of my name.
 ''ilad blr. Clay thought it advisable, now to specify any error of fact or of imputed opinion which he thinks contained in the ap- pendix to my pamphlet, or ill any other part ot my share in the publication, it world.have gwen me great pleasure to rectily, by candid acknowledgment, any such error, of which, by the light that he would have shed on the subject, should have been convinced. At whatever period hereafter, he shall deem the accepted time has come, to publish his prom ised narrative, l shall, if yet living, be ready with equal cheerfulness, to acknowledge in- dicated error, and to vindicate contested truth.
 "But, as by the adjournment of that pub- lleatlon to period 'more propitious than the present to calm and dispassonate consdera- ton, and when there can be no msinterpre- latlon ot motives" 1t may chance to be post poned until both of us shall have. been sum- moned to account for all our errors before a h h,r~i,., I