The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-09-13
SPEECH
OF
MR.. LYNN BOYD, OF KY,

IN reply 10 Me Hun. J"hn Whue, TetdfaDe 10 Wt
| charge Of barg ain betDeen .Messrs. adams ana
| Clay, in the presidential election Of lS2-25.
GContinuedl
The 4th letter contains the following passage,
| viz:
"By facts, by the rights of your country, and by
your own assertions, we have proved, that at the
| time Of the negotiation at Ghent, the British
government possessed no territory on the Mis-
sssippi, and that consequently, that river was
| within the exclusive jurisdiction of the United
States. In supporting and voting for Mr.. Gala
tins proposition, you therefore committed viola
ton of the very letter of your instructions; and
your declarations at the time, as well subse-
quently, to the British government, prove that
you did it knowingly"
The 7lh letter contains the following passage,
| viz:
SIT was not without astonishment, that we dis
| covered how presumptuously, in the course OF
eight pages, you have sported with your own
character for consistency, and with the credulity
OF your countrymen. That one who writes with
almost unexampled rapidity, should forget in page
l04 what he said in page 100, is hardly credible;
but that any man who has the least regard for his
senses fresh about him, have the hardlhood wful-
ly to involve himself in the grossest contradictions,
staggers all human belief. Werather suppose that
with vivid fancy and powerful intellect, you
invent as YOU pass along, premises and arguments
to suit predetermined confusion, on which you
strike as certainly, and with course as crooked,
as the lightning falls upon its destined object"
The sth letter contains the following, viz:
eve have pointed out many of your inconsis-
tencies and contradictions, both in argument and
language; have exhibited your coneealmeuts and
perversions Of known facts; have shown you
vainly endeavorng 10 shelter yourself from GEN.
sure by testing the meaning of your Instructions
by the claims of our enemy, making the boundaries
and territory of your country, as well our right
to navigate the Mississippi, conditional grant, the
condition OF which we have expressly refused to
fulfil arguing against the rights of independent
nations in nfaYor Of British monopoly, and leopard
izing our rights to the whole fisheries, by making
them dependant on contested principle.
publications relative to the Ghcnt mission are
full of absurdi.ss, Inconsistencies, aud contra
di,tions; and that the injustice of your denun-
Cations against your colleagues OF the minority,
can onIy be cqnsl'ed by the eloquence and boldncss
with which they uttered"
"By the past, by the present, by the conduct of
our own government, and by your own conduct,
we have shown that the navigation of the Missis-
sippi was, and would have continued to be, useful
to British subjects, and fraught with innumerahle
dangers to the citizens of the United States. We
hold you as the author, at least in mind of all the
evils which would have flowed from this disastrous
concession; and in rendering you that justice
which you demand, from the inhabtant. of the
west, we shall show you, by our voice and our
still more your vindcation in 1922, as full proof
that your views are too narrow, your feelings too
sectional, and your temper too vindictive, for the
chef magistrate Of free people"
In the 9Th letter the author undertakes to prove
Mr. Adams hostility to the west by variety of
other acts. The following is an extract, viz:
"Ihe purchase of Louisiana was the first great
incident, which gave vent, III public acts TO your
hostile feelings towards The western country
Eectedb the federal party in Massachusetts,, who
openly avowed opposition to the extension of our
national limits, you then held seat in the Senate
Of the United States 1t would have been unnat- !
ura, had you not participated in the feelings of
party of which you were leader and favorite
Accordingly, we find you, as Senator, voting
against bill enabling the President to take |
possession of LOUISIANA; against extending the |
avs of the United States to the territory; against
iividing it into territories, for the greater conven-
ence both of the government and the peo pie;
gains the power of Congress to tax it, for purpo-
les of government; and even against opening post
oads to New Orleans through the Indian country.
within our former territories"
These are but specimens of the eloquence and
'ower with which Mr. Adams was denounced in
hese letters. Although they were certainly not
dr. Clay's productions, they probably derived
'ortion of their force from his Suggestions, and
ertainly his money and influence gave them
irculation. AS testified before the Senate of
ientucky, he offered the author fifty dollars to
i'd him in printing a pamphlet edition, and after
Fards paid one hundred for that object to another
rnter These facts were proved before the
enate of Kentucky in January, 1928:
civilian TANNER was called and sworn.-
pamphlet was shown to him. entitled, ''I.etters
} John Quincy Adams, relative TO the Fisheries 1
nd the Mississippi, first published in the Argus of
Western America, revised and enlarged by Amos
.endall, and he was asked whethdr he printed it.
le replied that he did. He was asked whether {
lr. Clay paid any part of the expenses He q
piled that he did pay 500; that he, Tanner, un-
'rtook to print the pamphlet by subscriptions that
y. Kendall told him Mr.. Clay had proposed to
m TO print it and offered to pay part of the