Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1844-10-17

voted for Mr.. Adams with view to
promote Mr.. Clay's future prospects
for the Presidency. o-That IS to say,
to make him in the line of "safe pre-
cedents" for the succession. It was
upon similar idea, that AIessrs. Trim
BE, Francis Johnson, and hlsfcalf, Gall
members of Congress from Nentacky,
acted upon Their own contestants.
But whether Mr.. Blair will nov
think proper to publish his portion Of
the Correspondence, is, Of course, a
question for his own consideration
! Yet certainly we hold him entirely
gulltless of the inSinuation, which the
r. Wing has thrown upon him, that
he has laid by, and suffered suspicion
to fasten upon Mr.. Clay, whilst he had
it in his power to contradict the ru-
mors afioat, Or to clear him by publish
ing this Correspondence.
We do not now wonder THAI MIR.
Clay has been so chary in Withholding
his letters. Tell not the Public, that
it is because he did not wish to vio-
late the sanctity of private correspon-
dence-because he might at any mo-
ment have stricken out the names,
&C., &c, as he has aoa0 done, and
published his own Letters whenever
lie pleased. Tell US not, as Mr.. Bolts
told The Charlottesville Club the other
day, when he read them Clay'S letter
to f. ?. Blair, ''that there is no honest
man of either party, who would not
say, after reading that letter, that it
conlers credit upon Mr.. Clay, instead
of convicting him of "Bargain and Co.
alition" with Mr.. Adams" -Credita-
bic! Why, then, has not Mr.. Clay
published long ago his own letters?-
And they would have seen the light
and passed into the public press, in
1928, if Mr.. Clay had not dreaded
their exposure. Can Mr.. Bolts be Sc
rious? Can lie believe that no honest
man can consider it as discreditable in
Him to take such measures, 10 elect
,llr. Adams, and then owe to his hands
the first Office in his gifta No-the
friends of Mr.. Clay found that the
house was becoming too hot for him
and they, therefore, determined to risk
the publication of the letters them
selves, with such glossaries as their
own ingenuity could suggest.
There was a time, when we did not
believe it possible for .1Ir. Clay to fall
into the egregious blunder, Of which he
was guilty in 1926. We do not mean
his voting for Adams-that is one
thing. The disinterestedness of his
motives might have excused him from
the consequences Of that act But
that, after having made Mr.. Adams
President, he should have taken office
from him, and the BEST Office in his
gift, and the one which he considered
to be the steppirg-store to the Presi-
dency, is very different question -
and no. plea Of patriotism could furnish
excuse or palliation for the blunder.-
L is the second act Of the drama, in
deed, which casts suspicion upon the
first. 1t would be amusing, II It were
not disgusting, to hear M Clay talk
in his second letter about his conscience
telling him, "that public man is un-
deserving his station, who will not,
regardless of aspersions and calumnies,
risk himself for his country" .Nr. G..
might have defed "aspersions and
calnmnies," if he had been regardful
of the position which he ought to have
occupied. But it does really appear,
as if Mr.. Clay considered himself en-
titled to some compensation for the
risk he was about to encounter-for-
getting, in the midst of his confidence
in his own fortunes, and in the blind
ness Of his own ambition, that it was
the last act, and not the first, by which
he rislzed his own reputation, and the
qualification of his own wishes.
We feel oursel5e bound, by the APP
peal in Yesterdays Wing, to make
these declarations at this time. We
are not, so Indifferent as 10 think, that
no honest man can believe Mr.. c. en- |
tirely clear Of all spot or suspicion, for
the course he pursued in 1925. We
shoold do violence to our own con-
science, if we could express such a
sentiment. But we also owe if to our
selves to declare our "sincere" con-
victlon, that wien Mr.. Clay wished |
Mr.. White to vote for J. @. Adams as
President Of the United States, he was
satisfied in his own mind, that MIR. A.
would make him Secretary of State
and that this idea constituted a motive, +
yes, we must say, the leading motive
ofhis unfortunate course. Call this an