The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-09-06
VOLUME /. NUMBER 2S.

only to find consolation in the reflection that from
; the seed time of 1914 to the. harvest of 1922 tn
} contest was never of my seeking, and that since
have been drawn into it, whatever have said
written, done IN it, has been in the face of da,
and under the responsibility of my name.
"Had Mr. Clay thought it advisable, nay II
specify any error OF fact or of imputed opinion
which he thinks contained in the appendix to m,
pamphlet, or in any other part of my share in tn,
publication, it would have given me great pleasur,
to rectify, by candid Acknowledgement, any suci
error, of which, by the light which he would havt
shed on the subject, should have been convinc
ed. At whatever period hereafter, he shall deem
the accepted time has come to publish his promis
ed narrative, shall, if yet living, be ready witt
equal cheerfulness, to acknowledge indicated errol
and to vindcate contested truth.
"But, as by the adjournment of that publication
to period ''more propitious than the present to
calm and dlspassionate consideration, and when
there can be no misinterpretation Of motives" il
may chance to be postponed until both of us shall
have been summoned to account for all our errors
before higher tribunal than that of our country,
| feel myself now called upon to say, that let the
appropriate dispositions, when and how they will,
expose the open day and secret night of the trans
actions at Ghent, the statements both of fact and
and opinion in the papers which have written
and published, in relation to this controversy, will
in every particular, essential or important to the
interests of the nation, to the character of Mr..
Clay, be found to abide mistaken, the test OF
human scrutiny, of talents, and of time.
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.
Washington, 1874 Dec. 1922"
Mr.. Adams here evidently considered Mr.. Clay
an actor in this attack upon him, "from the seed
time of 1914 to the harvest Of 1925" and he seems
to have been inspired with prophetic spirit as to
Mr.. Clay's exposition. 1t is likely to be postponed
not only until those gentlemen, but all of US shall
be summoned before that higher tribunal. Wheth-
er his opinion Of Mr. Clay's conduct, was well or
i'll founded may be inferred from the following
circumstances:
In the summer of 1922, somewhat elaborate
attack on Mr.. Adams was prepared by the editor
of the Kentucky Argus, after, as he stated to the
public in 1928, a consultation with Mr. Clay at
his house in Frankfort The manuscript was sent
to Mr.. Clay al Lexington, and by him transmitted
to Cincinnati, Ohio, where it was published late in
the summer; or early in the fall, in newspaper
called the "LiJe,ty Hall and Cincinnati Gazette"
over the signature of ''Wayne.''
Mr.. WHITE desired to know who the writer Of
"Wayne" was?
Mr. BOYD said, he had always understood him
10 be Mr.. Amos Kendall.
Mr.. WHITE. Certainly.
The numbers OF "Wayne" were written with
the obvious purpose of promoting Mr. Clay's
views upon the presidency, particularly in the
State of Ohio. How they speak of Mr.. Adams,
then considered his only dangerous rival in that
State, few extracts will show. In the third
number are the following passages, viz
"Ohio presents no candidate for the presidency
at the approaching election" CAT the
head of those whose pretensions are entitled to our
serious consideration is John Quincy Adams, the
present Secretary of State. Will Ohio choose
bm;" $3.50
''Instead of opening new avenues for our COM
merce, is 1t not 10 be feared that, in some future
treaty, to secure some paIy privilege to an eastern
interest, he would render those which already
exist, curse rather than blessing' Our frontiers
can testify that we want not those men at the helm
of the nation, who would for any consideration,
open new channels for British influence among
our northern and western Indians. The horrors
of past wars not iorgotten; and you will pause
and count tine value of many brave mans life,
before you raise to power one whose uDfeeling
policy would crimson your fresh fields with the
blood of your border brethren, and light the
midnight forest with the flames of their dwellings
Men who would think of concessions so disastrous
are unworthy the support of Ohio: much more so
are those who reduce them to a serious PROPOSE
ton. The navigation of the Mississippi is too
important to be barered for the privilege Of fishing
in British waters. 1t is giving our wives and
children for fish, and bartering the blood Of our
citizens for money. Conceal, explain, and sophis-
ticate as he will, this was the tendency of the
proposition which was agitated at Client. But
was this surprising' Under the same auspices,
one Of the most fertile and extensive provinces Of
the west, adequate to the formation Of two States
was given to the Spanards; the State of Louisiana,
one of the most important and weakest points in
the Union, was made frontier and exposed to
sudden invasion from the adjoining empire. Is it
matter of deepest concern with US to exterminate
the British influence among the northern and
western Indians? The blood of slaughtered
friends cries aloud TO us from the ground, IL Isl
The policy of Mr. Adams introduces the British |
trader to their wigwam by opening to him, under
he guardianship of treaty, the navigation of the
Mississippi. Shall we sanction this by sustaining
him Is it matter Of the last moment to US to
protect our own navigation of the Ohio and Mis-
ssippi! OF what value is the Ohio or Missssip-
ii to us, if Louisiana be occupied by an enemy'
Yet Mr.. Adams is of the administration which, in
he traffic of territory has made Louisiana from
ier With such principIes John Quincy Adams