Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1844-10-11
LETTERS FROM MIR. CLAY.
AsnLAsD, Sept. 90, 1914.


N May last, by the Wing Convention a candidate
for the Office Of Pre- dcnt of the United States, have
received many letters propuundlng 10 me questions
On public affairs and 9TH may have been address
ell to which ne' CT re elved. To most OF those
which hav.oI ached me, have rtpllcd but some
hnue ao,, because either the subjects Of which they
trentel were such as that IN respect OF then-ny
opinions, thought, had becns Efficiently promnlg I'd
or that they did not possess, IN my Ndg melt, SUI
fcient importance q require an answer from me. ]
de ire now to say 10 the public, hIoueh YOU that
considering the approach Of the Pr, sldenlia
Election, shall hrnceurwatd respectful " derlne To
transmit for publication any letter from in answer
TO inqu rrs upon public matters
Alter INV nomination, doubted the proprlety. as ]
still do, Of answering any letters upon new questions
Of pubic policy. One who may be candidate for
the Chief Mrgstracv Of the Nation if elected ough,
TO enter upon the discharge of the hish duties con-
nect,d with that Office with his mind open and I'M
committed upon all new que tons which may arise
in the OF hls administration, and ready Ia avail
himself of all The lights which he derive iion his
Cabinet from Congress, and above all from the pub
lie opinion
IT, in advance, he should commit himself 10 indi.
vluas who may think proper I" address him, he
may deprive the public aud himself If the benefit, of
those great guides. Entertaining this view, il was
intention ait,r my roinlnatlon, To decline an
swering for publication all Incs'inns that mllht be
ptopoundtti to me. Put, hr,hcr reflection, APP
pcnr-n To that if i'nro-ct This silence upon NV
self might, contrary Ia The unii rn tenor vi my HE
seem TO be unwilling frankly md fenrle.svto submit
nv opinions To the public rgtnen, therefore Sd
far deviacd from my first purpose as to respond TO
letters addressed To me- mnknl inquiries in regard 10
sublects which ha been mach .agi'ated. or an
swprs which 81 transmitted some were in tended
exclusively Tor the sat snron Of NV correspondents
without any expectation On my part of their being
deemed worthy Of publ; 'li,n. In regard In those
which have been pres 'nted tn the public. mscuncep-
tons and erroneous constructions have been gwen III
some of them. which think they diI not authorize
which, at all events, were contrary 10 my ln,cn
tons.
In announcing my determine ion permi no 9th.
or letters To he drawn from on public affairs,
think il right 10 avail myself d" the occasion to cor
rect the erroneous Interpretation of one two of
those which had previously written. In Apt,l last
addressed vou from ltnrInh letter in respect Ia
the proposed Treaty annexing Texas 10 the United
Stntcs, and have since addressed two letters 10 Al.
ALBANIA upon the same subject. Most nnwarran'ed
allegations have been mn1e that those letters are m
consistent with each other, and 10 make II out par
tcuar phrases or expressions have been torn from
their context and meaning attributed 10 me which
] never entertained.
wish now distinctly to say that there is not a feel
ing. n sentiment. or an opinion expressed IN my R1-
leigh letter To which d, not adhere | am decideily
opposed To the immediate annexation of Texas 10 the
United States. | think II would be dishonorab'e,
might involve them in war, would he dangerous To
the integrity and harmony Of the unon' and nd. IT a.
according to anv Information po' srss upon lst and
admissible conditions
II was not my intention, in either of the two let.
tiers which addres ed 10 Alabama, TO express any
contrary opinion. Representations had been made
10 me tim, wa. consi Tered ms intlexlhv opposed 10
the nnncXllon of Texas under any circumstances;
md that nv opposition was so extreme that would
not waive it, even if there general consent To
the measure by all the States OF the Union replied
in my first letter to Alabama, that personally Ind
no objection to annexation. | thought that my
meaning was sufficiently obvious, that had no per-
sona private or individual motives for opposing. as
have none for espolsng, the measure, my rdgmen:
being altogether influenced by general aud political
considerations, which have ever been the guide Of my
public conduct.
In nv second letter to Alnbnm1. assuming that the
annexation If Texas might be accomplished without
national dishonor, without war, with the general con.
of the states of the Union and upon fair and rea-
sonabe terms, stated that | should be glad 10 see
It. did not suppose that il was possible could be
misunderstood ina 2lned every body would COM
prehend me nleniino that, whatever might be nv
particular views and opinions, | should lie happy 10
see what the whole nation might concur in desiring
under the conditions stated Nothing further
from my purpose than 10 intimate any chHnge Of
opinion ~ long as any cons 'ernb'c and respectable
portion of the Confederacy should continue TO stand
out in opposition TO the Annexation Of Texas.
In NIL three Of my letters upon the subject Of TeXps
! state that Annex ,iio, was nndmssibe except up
fair and reasonable terms, # every other objection
removed. In sreeth which addressed to the
Senate Of the United Sa'cs, mole than three years
ago, avowed my opposition, for the reasons there
slated, To the assumption hv the General Govern
nient of the debts of the States II was hardly,
therefore, be presumed that could be in favor OF
assuming the unascerained debt Of foreign State
with whic,l have fraternn. lies and whose bad
faith or violation OF its engagements can bring no re-
proaches upon MS.
Having thus gentlemen made the apology which
Intended, for nv OMISSION 10 answer any letters of
inquiry upon public affairs which NAV have recev-
ed announced my purpose IN decline hencefnrwari
transmitting answers for publication to any su"h let.
tiers that may hereafter receive; and vndirared
some of those whirh | have forwar I'd against the
erroneous constructions 10 which they have been u
posed, have accomplished The purpose Of this note.
and lernain respectfully your obedien' servant,
ii. CLAY.
Mcssrs. GALES & SEAToS.
Mr.. Clay OF the Assumption of State Debts.
The Courier and Enquirer gives the OUT
etus to the SANDER which has been set anoat
by Ely Moore and other of the least scru-
pulous Locos. that Mr.. Clay and the Wings
are IN favor Of AN Assumption Of the State
Debts by the Federal Government. Some
body thought this Of sufficient importance to
write to Mr.. Clay about, and six weeks
since Mr.. Clay replied:
ASHLAND, Aug. Goth. 1914
MY DEAR SIR,-I received your favor of the
s'h inst. If you will be SO good as TO turn Ia
nv speech on the Presumption bill, pages 1S2
and 4s2, Greeley g. McElratl's edition, you
will find strong and decisive expression OF my
opinion against The assumbilon OF the State
debts. ] have never entertained or expressed
any other opinion. The only relief which
have thought ought to be afforded to The States,
in the payment of their debts, was that which
would incidentally arise out of distribution OF
the proceeds of the Public Lands among all the
States But that distribution has no necessary
connection with the existence of State debts
1t was proposed by me prior to The contraction
of most of them. II is proper TO add, that for
the sake of the credit of our common country
] fervently desire to every State honoraby
fulfilling all It's obligations.
am, with great respect,
Your friend and obi serv'i,
II. CLAY.
EXTRACT
Sand here let me say that, lacking to the patriotic
object OF these State debs and the circumstances I'M
der which they were contracted saw WIN aston i
- d1.laI.u Ihii HE (.II.