Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-07-30

stances. what was bis obvious duty !iad nc oe-
c,,ned The canvass, and postponed bis pre'en,,
sions 10 a mere proplious period. he "ou'h
have elevated himself in the estimation oi lhe
American teop,c. Eat an oserwecnli.s anio.-
lion suggested 10 him different course, anu Ia
\ fatal moment. he Suffered himself to be ms
led hy lis bright illusions. What he could mol
. cai, hy the yo:cs Of The people, he now Ge'er-
mined 10 achieve by bold and arttu manage
mcnt. III he cou,.i but reach The House oil lie
! representatives.. he battered HIMSELF that through
his pcpuari,y ard inn cncc in that BODY, nc
I should be able 10 overcome all competition ana
place himself in The Pr idcntial chair. bu' IL
! he failed in reaching that body, the same power
would enable him TO control and prollt ny .ie
/ event OF tao election. These views were us
closed with sufficient clearness III the commune
cations cf his friends at Washington 10 every
part Of the Union, early in lo2l, a1'isihe rs
adherents TO remain irm III their sEFP II -
viii be sufficient for our purpose, 10 quot o'.!
The language which was used on thls poi'l ;"
official documtniS. The frenGs oil MT Iiay d.
Washington city, in May, 1924, published a CiF
GUAR, from which Ike following IS an extract
"Ent- rtaning the highest respect for me o.her
candidates, they (Mr. C.s friends at Nashlns
tony will not indulge in any nvdIou' co'nPar'-
I
assumed, that. if, from ans cause, Mr.. CRAWFORD
should M. rccciyc the vote of New York II
General Jackson should not receive the sipproi
orsome Of the doubtful States-or, if Mr.. Adams
should not receive the vote of New orR, sir.
Clay must be returned 10 the HonEe without
! c,lcuia.in. any OF the contingent or probable
events that nav render that vote certain.
"If, contrary 10 all probability, Mr.. Clay
should not be returned to the House, his friends,
having done their duty, Will be able by con,
csntration, 10 control tie erent. hey WIN hoiu
IN their hands the balance. They will deter
mine between the opposing aud conflicting III
eres's and secure TO the country hePaoHea"
Administration.
Under all the views ,aken, il is determined
10 ice cmmend 10 lis friends 10 adhere to hun
steadily, and 10 await the issue now depending
before the people.
This address, we have good authority for
believing. was written by Mr. Clay, and copied
by Mr. Francis 'chasoa and lis reference TO
the Importance Of securing TO tho country
Republican Administration, was evidently aim
ed al Mr.. Adams, who was habitua!y charac-
terizsd Nv Mr. Clay and his friends As the fede'
raj cand date
Thus. in May, 1924, so rrecarious were Mr.
Clay's prospects, that he doubted whether he
would reach the House Of Representatives, as
one Of the three highest candidates, and vet he
advises the supporters OF his cause 'fo adhere 10
him sieadiiy." What was the object lie DIS
tinctly avows tit was "by concentration to
control the event. in the House of Representa-
lives. lf Mr. Clay friends. on finding ms pros
poets hopeless, had divided Of, and given thrir
support 10 other candidates, they would not
have been concentrated in the House; which
would have left him az power!ess as any other
individual. a rally was therefore, necessary, not
with any sanguine hope Of securing his election,
but TO enable hin ''to controt the Grant
On the 18th OF the following July, meeting
was held by Mr.. Clay's partisan. at Columbus,
in Ohm, who published an Address 10 prevent
detection among his friends in that state, in
which, as we have ALREADY seen, il is declared
that The object Of nominating him was TO pre-
vent the Secretary succession, and that 'it is the
clear conviction of his supporters, that the OBJ
iect Of nominating him can Only be attained by
adhering tn him; that, 10 abandon him is 10
abandon that object, and up'!er this conviction,
they have adopted the resolution TO adhere 10
him, as the dictate Of duty and patriotism
1t this time the tide OF Iacksuns popularity
was inundaiing the whole Western country,
threatening TO sweep away. BY depriving him of
last hope OF being able to control TIC ereat'
His Committee in kcnlucIy, alarmed at the
por!cnt around them. thought il necessary TO
raise the dropping spirits Of his friends and
confrm them in their adherence 10 his falling
fortunes The result Of their deliberations was
another Circular. issued in September. 1921,
which ha. become celebrated, "a well for de-
velopng the object of Mr.. Clay as for the pro-
phcii. spirit with which it foretod the means
by which The contest would be finally decided.
In relation to the former point, the Committee
thus speak:
1--WE do not hesitate TO avow DIR belief thai
the fullest and faircst investigation and conside-
ration must lead 10 the CONCLUSION; that no one
Of the four candidates will unite a majority of
the Electoral votes; that the election must de-
vo!vc upon tho House OF Representatives; that
nc orc single candidate can ont.nuinber the vote
Of iIr. Clay in that body; and that he is dcci-
dedly the choice of a majority Of the people, as
well as a majority OF thu States"
Again: in fine, Mr.. Clay considers himself
wholly in the hands of The people; and we, as
his friends and supporters, believing him worth
Of our continued exertions, aod tina. his pros
poets of success are still unclouded and bright
cning, avow Our determination, and we believe
We speak the language of ail his friends, To
abid' by Our preference 10 the last II he should
be returned 10 the House Of Representatives, We
have little doubt &C his final election, with the
appreciation and applause Of the majority Of
the nation; but if any uutoward circumstance
should prevent his hc'ng one Of the three high-
est. lis friends in Congress. BY throwing their
weight into the scale OF the most Republican
and National candidate, will have il in their
power TO defeat tire ends OF political manage.
hot cfo;n in
jury"
From this language, i! is notorious, that al
mos, the only hope of Mr.. Clay's friends was to
enable him "to control The ereat." 1t was not
little singular, that men who were obviously
laboring t. throw The election into the House Of
Representatives. that Mr.. Clay might profit by
the result should have declared, at the same
time, the manner in which the election was to
b, decided in that body. On this point they use
the following strong language:
"And let them (the people) remember, that,
after the choice of Electors once takes piece,
their voice will be no more heard in the contest.
All viii be carried By influence and intrigue
bargain aud management He who has the most
extensive means Of Influence, and will promise
the most favors, vii! have the best prospect or
success; and the nation will receive the Pres-
dert, not from the pure hands OF the people,
but from club of political managers and in
triguers.'
MIR. John j. Crittenden, the private and conf
dental friend Of Mr.. Clay, has admitted that he,
aided by friend, was ths orier Of this ad-
dress, and ii has been charged, and never yet
denied by Mr. Crit,enden or MIR. Clay, that it
was written after consultation of his friends
at meetiog held at Harrod,burg for The pur
pose of deyising means TO prevent the utter
abandonment Of Mr. Clay BY the people. Of
this meeting, Mr.. Clay himself was member
Taking this circular together, and considering
its declarations in connection with the princi-
Plies it ovows. it is explicit rs words can
mate it, that the ultimate object then was to
enable Mr. Clay to head the "can Of political
managers TO avail himself of "promised ia
vors," and give the country President by Gin
luence and intrigue, bargain and management"
This prediction, SO well verified by the event,
could not have flowed from the pen Of any con-
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