The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-10-25

1t Is fresh in the minds and remembrance OF the
whole country, that letter was addressed by DR..
j. G. Goble to the Rev. H. B. Bascom, with the
inquiry, "whether the charges preferred against
the Hon. Henry Clay Of being Sabbath breaker,
proiane swearer, and gambler, were correct or
not'" Now mark the reply of the Rev. Mr..
Bascom to the charges: have been in intimate
and confidential Intercourse with the Hon. Henry
Clay, in pirate and public lite, for more than
t,Deaty years, and kaoao the charges enumerated
in your letter against the private character of Mr.
Clay to be utterly and 6aseiy false. Mr.. Clay
does not belong to the church, but in view of the
ordinary accredited principles of good nloraS
character, no charge can be brought against him
without violating the obligations of truth and
sound justice; and to each and eUery charge in
your letter, return for an answer that regard
them, one and all, shatnefuy unjust, because not
true, either in whole or in part.'
| The Rev. doctor sweeps the platter--goes the
whole figure, without exception or reservation;
ard in this wholesale denial can arrogate to
| himself the credit at least of going further and
stronger in denying these charges than any man
of any size, sort, description, or cloth, has ever
ventured 10 do. He strikes the current and leaves
himself no chance of swimming to land but fair
one Of sinking before he gets even in sight.
| This wonderful certificate covers the ground OF
Mr.. Clay's morality s'in whole and not sin part"
for twenty years and more; and to that period SO
embraced, we shall respond, and take the doctors
''intercourse SO intimate and confidential, public
and private" and no more:
Every reader of the paragraph referring 10 the
doctors public intercourse with Mr. Clay, would
very naturally infer that he had held for "twenty
years and more,'' some public station under the
government, and, consequently, was placed in
situation TO know that these charges were utterly
and basely false. But the public will be as natu-
rally very much surprised to learn that the
reverend genteman's public life is comprised
not in ''twenty long years and MORE but In the
enormous short space Of ten short months! in the
capacity of chaplain Of the lower House Of Con-
gresa.
Of the reverend doctor, Mr., Clay has ever been
quasi patton, and was his supporter to that office;
and if the report of that day be true backed his
claims to that office with the somewhat novel but
singular Recommendation, 'that he could produce
! preacher who could preach them all to hell and
back again" That argument was irresistible to
members--the reverend doctor was backed against
Satan; Mr. Clay endorsed for him then; the doctor
was elected; and he, not forgetfhl Of past ayoms,
and chershing a very commendable gratitude,
now backs Mr.. Clay and endorses for him to the
full extent, and s'leeGe over.' The doctor
| preached, and preached wen; but whether he
quite came up to the letter, or filed the measure
Of the recommendation, we regret TO say history
does not now afford to US the slightest record
When the doctor counts again he VIII doubtless
discover that ten months are not "twenty years
and more"
Take the doctors statement as true to the letter;
grant that he was 'in intimate and confidential pub
lie Intercourse with Mr.. Clay Tor "twenty years
and more" and then ask him how he k,,otcs that
Mr.. Clay neither "desecrated the Sabbath, profane
ly swore, nor gambled' in that time? Was he at
Mr.. Clay's elbow all the timer When he was
preachingin the halls Of Congress, does he knoto
that Mr. Clay was not desecrating the holy day
elsewhere? Was he by the side OF Mr.. Clay day
and night, to kno,o that he neither swore nor
gambled All men would suppose thata a minister
OF the gospel would be the last man ''invited to
such an entertainment, to witness the gaming ON
which Mr.. Clay staked his thousands, ay, even
during the doctors brief tenure of public station.
And yet the doctor kno,cs that Mr.. Clay did not
gamble, or swear, or break the Sabbath
But the scene is shifted The intimate and conf.
dental public intercourse of "twenty years and
more" closes in ten months; hutthe ''private one"
is still maintained with so much fidelity that the
reverned doctor is enabled to '.know;" and does
know, and affirms that he does positively and un-
equivocally "know" that Mr. Clay never swore
nor gambled, nor broke the Sabbath, from the be-
ginning of the "twenty years or more," up to the
Goth day of July, 1874, the date of his certificate.
Now, unless the country is willing to admit that
the reverned gentleman is endowed with ubquty,
that, by some supernatural agency, he is enabled
to "know" what Mr.. Clay is doing in Washington
city at all hours of the day and night, on the days
ofthe week, and on the Sabbath, when the revern.
ed gentleman is some hundreds of miles distant,
they certainly do not forfeit their claims to common
CndIlty' Wheu they quesuon very much whether
the doctor does ''know" with as much certainty as
he processes to affirm in his certificate or endorse
ment. and justification of Mr. Clay's claims TO that
morality with which he is SO ready to invest him.
But to proceed with the doctors own history af-.
ter the close of his ''pubc" life and intercourse.
His tenure of office abruptly ceases, and he be-
comes anitinerant preacher, travelling through the
length and breadth of the land and never having an
opportunity approaching TO Mr.. Clay, or touching
at any point where he passed his time more than
once in several years, until he settled down, and
became connected with the college at Augusta,a
town distant about 600 miles from Washington city
were MIR. Clay spent the greater portion of his
time, and about 100 miles from Lexington, the
place of Mr.. Clay's residence.
Under this state of facts we resnectfiillv nro.