Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1844-10-25
From the Lexington Ky, Observer y Re-
porter Extra, Oct. z.
NEr. Clay's letters 10 II. y.
Blair.


We present to our readers to day copies
of the two celebrated letters Of Hr. Clay,
addressed by him now near twenty years
ago to F. P. Blair, relating to the Presiden
tial Election of that period. These copies
are taken from copies certified by Blair
himself, now in the hands OF Col. Edmund
II. Taylor Of Frankfort, KY, where they
have been for about seventeen years, ac-
cessible to aH persons, without dIscrimna-
ton Of party, who might choose to peruse
them. Hundreds have accordingly avail
ed themselves OF the opportunity. Other
copies Of them, for some time past, have
been in possession of Benjamin Watkins
Leigh, Esq, of Richmond, Virginia, where
they have been alike open to public IN
spectIon.
Mr. CIay's dslnclination to the pubca-
tion of these letters, arose out Of the fact,
that they were written in all the careless
ness and confidence Of private corrcspon-
dence; thatparts of them were playful and
sportive; and that they spoke OF lndividu-
ais and classes, in manner which, if ad-
mssible in private correspondence, was
not proper for the public eye. He was
perfectly aware that the letters contained
additional evidence Of the falsehood Of the
atrocious calumny by which he had been
assaiIed, and Of the purity and disinter-
estedness of his conduct, on the memora-
bic occasion to which they refer But, on
that subject the public needed no further
proof and, at all events, he did not choose
to avail himself Of that which they furnish
by giving his sanction to the violation Of
private correspondence.
He has been finally induced, by the earn
est entreaties Of numerous persons, to con-
sent to their publication from two conside
rations. The first is, thai that arch libeller,
Amos Kendall, has ptitously obtained
and published paragraphs of one Of the
letters, which, by suppression OF other
paragraphs, and by bringing into juXta-
position parts Of the letter, which were
separated from each other by intervening
clauses, has given false coloring to the
letter. The way in which he himself states
that he obtained the paragraphs is chaTac-
teristic of his infamous conduct. The let
ters were deposited at Frankfort, as alrea-
DIV stated, with permission to any body to
read them, but under a prohibition against
any copy being taken. Kendall says that
he went frequently and perused the let
ters, until he impressed, on his memory, the
paragraphs which he wished to rccoect,
and having thus puroned them he after
wards published them. Will not every
honest man say that this was just as traudu-
lent a violation of the restriction, under
which he was permitted to inspect the let
ters, as if he had taken a written copy!
The other consideration, which has led
10 the present publication Of the letters, is,
that many Of the friends Of Mr.. Clay have
urged that he owes it to the public, II not
to himself, since the correspondence has
been already violated, to present to the
world the conclusive retutatOn which it
contains, of the disinterred charge which
caluminators have revived against him. 1t
is proper to add that atneithcr Blair nor Ken
dali, nor Richie, nor Boyd, ever made any
application to Mr.. Clay, as we are credhy
assured, for his consent to the publication
of the letters.
Before we close this article, we invite
public attention to the remarkable coiaCi-
dence between a,aages in tie letter of the
9th of Jan';ary and in Mr.. Clay's Address
to. hi5 CONSTITUENTS, OF March, 1926. In
the q.,idrces he says: During the month OF
December, and the greater part Of January,
strong professions of high consideration OF,
and unbounded admiration Of nc, were
made to my friends, in the greatest prolu-
sion. by some Of the active friends of all
the returned candidates, Every body pro-
tessed to regret after was excluded from
the House, that | had not been returned to
il. seemed to be the favoritc of every
body. Describing my situation to dis
tant friend, said to him j am enjoying,
whilst alive, the poathumous honors which
are usually awarded 10 the vcneratcd dead.
A person not acquainted with human ma
ture would have been surprised, in listen
ing to these praises, that the object o
them had not been elected by general aC
clamation. None made more Or warmer
manifestations of these sentiments OF of
teen and admiration than some OF tho
friends of General Jackson" Mr.. Clay
owes a duty to history which we hope ht
will vet perform. 1t is to bring iorwGrC
the proofs, which we know he has in his
nossession, or at his command, to establish
that, ifthere were any improper attempt tc
tamper with his friends in the winter o
1924 and 1926, to influence their vote on
the Presidential election, in the House o
Representatives, it was on the part OF the
friends Of General Andrew Jackson.
We alsoinvte public attention to a care
fuI consideration Of paragraph towards
the close of the letter Of the 9Th Of lanua
rv, 1926; "Ny friends entertain the holic
that their kind wishes. towards mo WI
in TIC end he moro likely to he accomplish
edl by so hestowng their votes. ! hare
Ho,oeper, most earnestly eHtrea'cd them 4
Hrow me mof their consideration, IN bring
ing heb, judgments to q fHaS conclusion
and 10 Look and be guided solely By The pub