Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1844-06-06
WAsHIyoTey, May 6, 1914.

M Dear Sir i have received your n"ss.
bringing 10 my notice a certificate subscribed
bv FIVE gentlemen, members of The present
House of Representatives, all Of them my Po-
lircal opponents, which you inform me Is go'ng
the rounds of The Loco Foco papers. The M
iect of that certificate seems 10 be TO verify the
correctness Of an extract taken from The Ma
tonal lneIigencer of the Isl of July, 1890
In that extract am stated by a former MEM
Der of the House OF Representatives believe
no, now livins) TO have remarked, in debate
which occurred year before, to the following
effect " If gentlemen will not allow Us To have
black slaves they must let us have Uhife ones,
for we cannot cut our 6rewooj and black our
shoes, and have our wives and daug HERS work
in the kitchen"
think ypu attach an importance to this mis-
erable a,emp, 10 prejudice me which II does
mol merit Here is All extract from The files OF
the lnteligencer, under date near twen'y-'eur
years ago, not from any speech OF mine, hut
from speech of another member oi Congress
He does mol undertake TO give my rordS, but
merely states his impression of The effect Of GER
tain words used by me year before.
During the long and arducus discussions OF
what was called The Missouri question. was
so engrossed with the importance of The sub
ject, and so deeply apprehenslre OF the awini
consequences which ii involved, that never
wrols on, or corrected any speech of mine
made during the progress of the debate On
The lasi and most important occasion Of the agi-
,aton of that question, made an elaborate
speech Of several hours duration, no part OF
which, believe, was ever reported by any oi
the stenographers as it certainly never was by
me.
certainly will mol undertake TO reclie what
were the precise words used by me on the Oc-
casion Of The numerous speeches, short or long,
which made in Congress on The Missouri
question but rhs will undertake 10 assert.
with the most perfect confidence, that | never
used the words, or any words which would bear
the import, Of the abstract TO which | have al
luded | am confident of it, because | never
entertained such sentiment in my l:le. new
er conceived a contingency in which would
favor or countenance reducing white men To
slavery. To such an impulalion may oppose
the Tenor of whole life, during which my hum
BILE exertons have been constantly directed 10
the preservation of liberty at homs and The en-
couragcment Of its establishment IN foreign
countries. If have not been able 10 extend
these exerlions 80 the black race held In hon
dage in this country. it has been because OF
considerations and convictions, sincerely and
honestly entertained, embracing the peace and
happiness of both the white and black races.
which have been often presented 10 the public.
1t is quite possible that, in arguing upon The
existence of the institution of Slavery in this
country, may have contended that the black
race supplied those domestic Offices. which, an
der The names of help menal servants and
domesiics, are TO be found in every state OF
civilized society, and consequently relieved 'hn
white race from the performance of those OIL
fees If have ever employed such an argu-
ment. (of which have no recollection, tits APP
parent how erroneous differences may have
been drawn from i, which it did not authorize.
have no desire To dispsrags The industry ot
the wives of any OF the ceriers TO The extract.
nor to boast of that in my own family; but |
venture 10 say that no one of them performs
more domestic industry with her own hands
than my wife does at Ashland.
am, with great respect, your friend and
obi. servant. H. CLAY.
Hon. JOHN WHITE.