The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-10-11
| From the Richmond Enquirer.
'THAT LETTER THAT HANDK ERCH IEF

From the Richmond Enquirer.
"THAT LETTER THAT HANDKERCHIEF.
Our vigilant neighbors of the Compiler pay us the
compliment of saying, that 1t is our /" interchangeable"
efiots which have brought out the famous letters to
My dear Blair" There is more truth in the IT,
mark, perhaps, than he intended TO express 1t was
nothing but the interchangeable call of the press-the
excited curiosity of the pubc-nothing but an APP
prehenson the part of Mr. Clay's friends, that It's
concealment would injure Mr.. Clay more than it
publication, that wrung the correspondence from
their reluctant hands. The 4" Old Coon 1--WE do not
mean to speak unexpectedly Of the great Coon In
bodyment, for the coon is the favorte emblem Of the
sect) was literally smoked out Of the gum treeand
when he assured that his friends would throw
their most plausible VEIL over the whole affair, and
that they would gloss over his expressions that they
would make II, If possible, appear creditable to his
patriotism IN writing IT, and 10 his magnaninity M
keeping it back he TO waive all the delicate
scruples which he had assigned for eight years, for
conceaing it from the public eye. Here, then are
the letters, and Tor the life of us, we do not see the
force OF the reasons which Mr. Clay and his confden-
tal friends have assigned for their concealment
The Compiler, Tor instance speaks Of " the personal
rsfertn made in them to gentlemen which from the
most proper motives, their author did not wish to
make public But 1t was easy for Mr. Clay at apy
time, TO have dashed out the names, as he has ,ioc
done, and strip his correspondence of all persona
references. The Compiler says, that, in 1897 "hey
were rendered in Kentucky to the inspection of all
who had curiosity TO them, of all parties True
they were seen by some persons, but with the ex-
press injunction that no copy Of them to be Ia.
ken or published. =" Mr. Kendall read them, gsrbed
passage OF two TO one, and published it," True
Mr.. Kendall did read them, but he did not garble
them desgnedly-and the wonder is that he shou d
have b. accurately caught its spirit and some of its
expressions. Let the reader compare the two YER
soDs, the copy and the original as we have arrayed
them IN parallel columns, in another article Of lhs
days paper-and he will al once how little inus-
uce Mr.. Kendall has done to the author. "1ney
have heen accessible nere fer sone time to all who
chose to read them.n True, again but upon what
terms were they accessible' Were copies to be Ia
KEN or sentences TO be copied-or would the priv
ege be given even of comparing Mr.. Kendall's YER
sion with the originate No one knew. And we
sbrewdy suspect, that the expectation of such
comparison being made Of KS version with the
original letter, which finally contributed to lead to
the publication of the whole
But here are the letters. Here is "the filthy DO
ker," the other Irishman says and what is Their
character? Does ii urn out as the other Irishman
says (accordng to the Compiler) to be exactly what
we do not want" The public will look at them
through very different spectacles from. those of the
Wing or the Compiler either. The gentleman to
whom they we're addressed In 1926 (Mr + Blair
certainly regarded them with a very different vision
What he thought OF Mr.. Clay's views and wishes suf-
hciently appears fIom what he did immediately after
their reception. The fact is Mr.. Clays devoted
friends were anxious TO elect him the Pre,id in
1924 and they egregiously failed. But they were
not satisfied with their defeat-nor was Mr. CLAW
They only became the more eager TO clutch the
prize. They believed that the Western country was
anxious 10 obtain Western Pre-. ident-and they
wished Mr.. Clay and not Genera Jackson to be the
man The events Of the times gave Mr. Clay con-
trolling influence the election in the House
when he saw that, with General Jackson President,
he stood little chance of supersedng Mr.. Adams as
the Secretary of State but, with Mr.. Adams as the
President, be could not only become the Secretary
Of State but thus upon his own expression be placed
IN the line OF safe presidents TO the succession
Mr. Clay and his friends could not resist the tempta-
ton. The friends Of Mr.. Adams were the only pe r.
sons who came with promises of reward in their |
hands. Crawiord's and yackson's fought too sby |
But Mr.. Adams's not only appealed TO Mr. Claws |
regard for the public good"-but "uotr ocn future
in the breath that :" MIR |
Adams has had always the greatest respect for
you, and admiration Of your talents There
no station 10 which you are not equal
( Secretary of State, Of counsel most I'M |
doubtedly you were the second choice of New
England cot course that next time she would be will
ling to choose HIM as her PresdentO AMY friends |
(thus runs the letter. entertain the belief that their
kind wishes topdrds will in the end 1.-THE next Pre- !
s'dency, oil course,) 'be more likely TO be accom-
pshed by so bestowing their votes,n (that is upon
Mr.. Adams)-end then comes the flourish about
throwing him "out of consideration and TO look and
be guided solely by the public good And finally like
the moral TO the tale rather like the postscript of
the lady's letter "If know myself that alone has
determined me. Your Represe ntative is inclined 10
concur with us in these sentiments and views and II
they should meet with your APPRECIATION as I know
he has great respect for your opinions 1 would no
glad II you would by the return mail address letter
TO him, to strengthen him in his inclination. BE
pleased to show tbs letter to Crittenden alone
The ancient philosophers say is very hard for one
to know hlmsef;" bot if Mr.. Clay did not know
himself his friends at least knew his wishas sufficient,
ly, and they acted upon THEIR knowledge. Mr. Blair
shows us distinctly what he understood bv Mr. Cav',
letter. He tells Mr.. Kendall that If Mr. Adams
we're elected, he would make Mr.. Clay Secretary of
State" lie tells Mr.. Dudley, that "if MIR. White
could be induced 10 vote for Mr.. Adams he W ould oh
tain the vote of Kentucky, and wlrs IT the votes or
the most of the Western States winch WOULD rIror
HIM, IN which case, Mr.. Clay would obi ain the an
poin'meni OF Secretary Of State" Within eleven |
days ait,r the dale OF Mr. Gays letter TO Mr. Rial,
Mr.. b. writes to White, to promp, him to vote for
Adams and to disregard the resolutions of the O.
glsature IN favor of Jackson upon the ground thai
II II bad been certain that bi. (Clay'D futur. mos
poets would be materially affected by it. | do no, |
believe that the vote IN the fesouIisns would hsv, |
passed On the same day, also, 18th January
io<o,l my 'nepd Crtenden' writes also to White
how highly important (t wss) the public in,ere.,
that he Cay should occupy a distinguished s,a,;on
in the Executive Depaument'-and a tboupb his
"hrs, wish would be, that Jackson could be the Pre.
dent and Clay his Secretary OF State vet al really
do bel eve that The common good = mere concerned
IN Gays bang SECRETARY, than 1t Is in the question
whether Jackson or Adams should be The pres,-
dent ihis letter also sbews how Mr. Crtenden
the letter. MIR White show. in nj. l.,,..
how much he was affected by his num.rou. corr.
pondspts,' and freely acknowledge that (be) yo.
ted for Mr. Adams with a ris,n 70 prorno,. NJ fyu.,