Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1848-09-30
LETTER FRnM MR. CLAY.


over, (Va) nominated Mr.. Clay sometime
since al the Sash Church in that County. for
the Presidency. ,he following letter decIisiag
the nomination, appears ia the Richmond
Enquirer of Saturday.
Ashland. 18th Sept. ISIS.
Nv dear sir duly received your very Kind
official letter. transmitting the proceedings Of
a public meeting. held az the Slash Church in
Hanover county. al which rhey did M the
honor 60 pTaposa my name as q candidate fer
the Presidency, in terms highly fltterjng aud
complimentary.
] recognise among the persons assembled on
that occasion, many names with which. in
my youthful days, ! was very familiar, and ex-
iremely Iutimate-associates to school. play
mates, %neighbors. friends. The Slash Church,
too, y here the essemblage took place. recalls
many early and agreeable rcco,lections, as
being that at which | received a large port ct
my imperfect education.
Regarding those proceedings as the eilec-
tlonate expression OF the esteem. attachment
and confidence Of my old companions, or their
defendants, | have never received any SIM
lar document with more Qualification or with
sentiments OF more profound gratitude; aud |
presume That ii was in that sense that the
proceedings occurred, and were transmitted 10
YOU by me.
Considered as a serious and formal presen-
tation OF my name TO tie people of the u.
States, as a candidate for the Presidential Of
fee am sure hat you will be surpnsedat my
saying that il IS impossible Tor me TO accept
the nomination.
My name. With my consent, was submitted
to the consideration of the Philadelphia Con
.- IT.
%vention, which assembled in June last, mat
body thought proper to nominate a distlug-
ished citizen of The United States, and not
me. Ina view OF the relation in which | stood
20 the Convention. / don't think thutl ought
10 pass a Judgment upon It's proceedings. II
is sufficient for me to know that 1t qua mol
deem it expedient to nominate me. In this
decision ! have entirely %acqulsced. ! have
q%uitely submitted 10 il, and given no en-
eourgement or countenance to any inrther
use or connection OF my name with the Tres
idency. To this effect, ! hive uniformly
| written 10 all associations and individuals
who have addressed me on the subject. |
hope that my good friends of Hanover will
approve Of my adherence TO this resolution,
dictated by my honor, by a regard to my char.
acter and by ms desire of retirement. Tell
them under what great obligations they have
placed me: and that / shall cherish the proofs
Of their friendship and confidence, which you
have sent me, among the most gracious trea-
sures OF memory.
Nor can | conclude without tendering 20
you personally, my grateful acknowledge
msnts for the kind aud fattcrlng terms III
which YOU have addressed me, and especially
Tor your touching allusion To the venerated
memories OF my lamented patent.
am, with high respect.
Your friend and obedient serv't.
II. CLAY.
Thomas e.. Clarke, Esq.
In publishing this letter, the Richmond
Wing well remarks:
Iii is "a matter of no little establishment to
us, that any man who is. at heart, the friend
OF MIR. Clay, should never had thought OF
placing him in the Illuminating attitude in
which he would have stood had he accepted
this and similar nominations The view
which he has taken OF the case, is precisely
such as we should have supposed every man
OF honor would take. His claims, along with
others. had been submitted to a Convention
with his express appreciation. That Conveh-
ton had preferred another. Had he not ac-
quiesced I'm its decision, his faith would have
been compromised. Why should any friend
WISH hltn 10 dlsnohor hlinsellt
This is a case, we are willing 10 believe. in
which '%'piol6at ioue oulran the pauser reason"
But MIR. Clay understands This matter fully,
as viii be seen by all the letters OF his which
have been published on the subject. He IS
firm in his declension. bat is. at the same
tine torbearing towards hose who would
place him III a wrong position. he would not
even seem to doubt their true friendship by
chardcterizing THEN efforts, as 10 his judgment
he regards them, as looking to his being cap
able Of compromising his honor, In the above
letter TO the Hanover meeting, he has not
heen so chary OF his words. but has said so in
almost direct terms. We trust we shall have
no more OF these movements, unworthy, as
we must insist, OF any true friend OF Mr.. Clay,
and dangerous, at this time especially, to the
success Of the great effort making TO redeem
the country from the hands OF the spoilers.
We trust we shall have no more OF them,
and that The advice given in the following ex-
tract from the Lexington Ky Observer,
printed at Mr.. Clay's home, and which was
attached TO the publication made in the Louis
vile Journal, announcing Mr.. Clay'sdetermin-
alton not to suffer his name to be made use
ofas a candidate for the Presidency.
The Observer says:
1--WE trust our friends in New York and
elsewhere will not insist upon making Mr.
Clay a candidate against his express wishes.
II they will now practice a little OF that self
sacrificing spirit which so emiuently disiin-
cuisines the man whom they delight 10 honor,
we believe the election Of Gen Taylor is Sc
cured. All now depends upon the concilia-
tary spirit OF The Wings themselves.