Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-08-16
WAsn,xoroS CRY, April, 1873


WasH,SGToS Cry. April, lS2S.
Sir In reply 10 Your letter requestin. such in
formation as NAV be possessed oi, relative 10 the
Presidential Election in 1919. have but LITTLE
10 remark Concerning the events of that peri
Oh. | have no material facts 10 communicate
opinions are OF little value, and wiihal, are nol
asked for shall do no more, lleleiorc, than no
lice a few oil the statements contained in Mr.
Clay's late pamphlet, and 70 state their want OF
accuracy.
It's NOT true. as Mr.. Clay has asserted. that
wrote the letter arowed BY Mr. hiemcr 10 he his,
and which was published in the Columbian OBJ
server. in January, 1875, in which it is charged
that Mr. CLAY would vote for Mr.. Adams, AM. as
compensation for his vote, was 10 lie, and would
be, appointed Secretary of State. Directly or in
directly | haG 10 agency III ii and never saw, nor
heard of the letter until had it III The columns oi
The Columbian Observer.
II is mol uue, as asserted by Mr.. Clay, that 4
dinner was gotten up with view to produce re-
Cancellation between himself and General Jack
son, where. as h says they met, exchanged sa-
luta,iors aud dined together and where. dinner
being o.er he was followed 10 the door by Gen.
Jackson and Mr.. Eaton, who insisted my TAX
ing /; seat in their carriage These statements
ana assertions are worthy 10 be maveed at
They are incorrect.
In the first II ice, this dinner pai;:, 10 which
he has referred for effect Was intended rs mere
cicility 10 those who were matchmaking more
had the honor Ia lie one oi tie GUESTS on The &C.
cusion, and 81 considered il. MI lsacks and Mr.
Blair the oEIy members from Tennessee. now
present. who then were here kaow j, 10 have been
designed in no Other way. ana 50 declare. Nei-
her of them possesses The slightest recollection of
the conversation charged ~ Nj Clay 10 have Ia
len place al The time they called 10 see him; YET
liz viii have it, and nsinualcS tina, the call ana
the dinner were mere matters G8 cGjt0f,0fGi: ioT
lays ne, there eve met, exchanged sa!utaiionS
aud diued together" His memory, either through
accident or design mas, Indeed h. short, noi Ia
have remembered that some time before The hap
peniag III this mOi,rc dinner he had actually seen
Gen. Jackson-vcs, me, and exchanged saluia-
rionS."
A few days after the meeting of ConsrcS in
December, 1879, | was requested b: Gen Jack
on 10 walk with him Ia So Mrs. Watson an az
quainance Of his, widow lady, i'll this city
Vcig shortly ae, enieIin. tac house, and hcn"
sea,ed Mr. Clay came in. From the Very limited
i.uie had been in the house ! felt confident h.
had seen Us enter an3 knew General Jackson 10
h. there. advanced and spoke 10 hun, and ina
iae'iiatcly MIs Watson Introduced HIM 10 the
General. Here thcy luc', and exchanged Sai;'-
Iation>. nav more convcrsetl freely and friendly
together ana vel Nir Clay win have it, ,hcirdii-
ference ahdcd, and that Il was nat until this cleo
ioaecring Dime. was eoiieli up al Mr.. Clayon>
inat they me, and exchanged >a'u'a'ioas."
Bu,, from the dinner il seems. H. was "iol-
lowed 10 the door Dv General Jackson and Mr.
Eaton who insisted oil my taking Il sal in their
carriage" and this is presented Is evidence OF a
disposition 10 WOO and win his tarorS and good
opinion.
Let it be horne III mind tina, at this period Of
The Presidential history January 1924. Mr. &.
W,.S exclusively for himself and no; To- bc won 10
The Interest OF any candidate, save himself The
dinner over. several had retired into the paror |
AN confident that General Jackson retired first
I.o, that pretend To recollect such iriilin9 and
unmporan matter but because. a most OF his
acquaintance know, ii was his constant practice
20 avail himself of the earliest opportunity 10
ca"c dinuer table. Absiemious in diet and
crinh,ng mol al ALL is, presume, the reason why.
Several gentlemen were about 10 retire from the
p.riol al The same time: the Generals carriage
was 81 the door rs he General Call, Delegate
from Florida, who, think was oil our party, and
.ngsclf were about 10 dopari, Mr. Clay was stand
ing al. The piazza, General Jackson politely offer
~ him seat, AMI il WAS politely accepted. Mr.
tlay was SET down al his lodgings; we proceeded
hone and this is the sum and substance OF that
HnGportan matter, winch MI. Gay has offered
as verI material
rhe interview Of Mr. Buchanan with me is
already before the public, and need moi be here
.gain advcrted 10. In my communications during
The last Summer, on the subject, presented an eX-
Tract oil 4 letter. but gave not the name OF the
writer Ii was written by John AlLanc, who, in
is3l-5 was Senator from the Stale of Illinois.
II is here annexed Very respectfully,
J. H. EATON.
Extrott trom 6 Letter rjiNta by tie IEoa Helm
iTL13,.,, III TiRV;S 10 NJ. EaiOR.
y a l.
ana Clay, / remember well. was freely spoken OF
by many members of Congress, although had
no personal knowledge of any fact which would
warrant the belief tiai tie contract cTScd; besides
The high estimation in which | then held Mr. Clay
forbade my suspicious on any accusations moi
supported by gos,irc proot: that proc! was moi al.
forded me, and held him guiicsS; yet there were
some circumstances OF unidvorable appearance
and which, as the iliend Of Mir Clay, was sorry
had existence The circumstances 10 which al
luie, were The continued silence and lengthy re-
serve OF Mr.. Clay'S friends in publishing or let
ting il be known how they would vote, and The
TACT that the Kentucky delegation, who vo.cd fol
Mr.. Adams had n meeting 10 determine upor
their course rs was informed by one of them
II which, it was said 10 me. that upon the qucs
tion being proposed 10 Mr.. Clay, for whom shall
ue vote? he answered, in substance, that in case
General Jackson should he elected, he believed
That the administration, with lis weight would bt
opposed 10 HIM, 10 PROSTATE him; that, should Mr.
adams he elected he e!t satisfied il would not h
20, but thai he hoped no personal consideration
ior him, would induce them 10 act contrary Ii
their desire Upon these circumstances. have
often remarked, that the first was in character o
kentuckianS; that the last was the strongest ap
peal which could he made to mans friends, ans
the heavieS, requisition which could be levied OF
their attachment"
WASHINGTON. January ;. 1928.
Dear Sir: Your letter of this c;ic. requesting Il
he Informed OF the Substance OF conversation
which passed be,wiyt The Hon MIR. Scot, Of Mis-
souri, and myself, relative 10 I. last Presidential
election. is Just received.
The conversation alluded 10 took place on tht
evening OF The S2i o., February, 1875, be,wixt III,
times Of the election and the accession OF The pre-
sent Chief Magistrate. Before the election, j
had been currently reported that Mr.. Clay was IL
receive the office Of Secretary OF State, provided
Mr.. Adams should be eccied; and that, in consi
Iteration Of this arrangement, the friends Of Mr.
CLAY had determined 10 give Mr.. Adams the
support. This report had no reason 10 diShe
leve, especially as the Hon Francis Johnson Q
Kcntucky, a warm friend OF Mr.. Clay, had tolt
me, short time antecedent 10 the rumor, that h
had determined 10 give blank vote, as he coui'
no, give his suffrage 10 either OF the candidate
which would b. retained; but Immediately on tn
rumor that such was TO he the result OF Mr.. AZ ans
la,,;,, ,,nod hin, Mr. T. Johnson enlisted