Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1849-07-18
LETTER FROM MR.. CLAYTON.
W~AsuISGToM, Julv ., 1919.

GENTLEMEN | have this day received
vour invitation to attend the (esliyaI. Of The
iVhig citizens Of Wilmington aud Now
Castle county, Delaware. who arc making
preparations for a patriotic celchration Of
The coming anniversary Of American Indo-
pcndcnce.
The pressure Of public business neces-
sarily consequent upon The advent of a
.ucw administration, owing lis existence To
skMhich has virtually been pros.
clibtd s6r twenty years. has occupied all
my time during the last four monthsr~i ind
will probably continue to occupy il to the
exclusion of all other matters during The
period for which | may remain in my
present station. No man who ever held
the uflice Of American Secretary of Stale
has slept for ono moment upon i bed Of
roses.
The leisure If one to visit my home in
Delaware, which | have not seen in four
months, though within seven hours travel
Of it, would he u luxury TO me Of which
you who enjoy the pleasure Of locomulIon
daily can hardly have any just conception.
Chained down TO a spot from III 10 IL
hours Il day, and laboring all the time,
while every act | do or can perform is not
only liable to MISREPRESENTATION but certain 10
be nisconslruch from some quarter brother,
Il man in my situation is compelled 10
throw himself upon the charity Us well as
the Justice Of bis cuunIryincn, or abandon
his position. cannot be mistaken when
| say that from the origin of our Republic
down to this present writing there has
never been u period during which greater
difficulties have 5csel The path Of u public
man, than that which comprises the fuul
first months Of The new Administration.
The Departments at Washington have
been crowded by Il host Of the expectauts
of ~ollice, never before exceeded. not even
in the first year Of the advent of Jackso-
nism. This is no disgrace 10 that party,
which has been excluded from office for
nearly 20 years. During all that lime
these men have been virtually DISTINGUISHED
so far as regards tho right TO hold offices
of either trust or honor. The principles
they have prulcssud aud praclised have
been avowcd as The ground of their en-
~clusion, and now when The first attempt is
made 10 do them justice, sheer justice, by
admitting them 10 equal privileges as
American citizens. from which they have
been 50 long excluded, it is not surprising
that many of them should rush forward 10
claim an equal right to share in The service
and the hnnors of their country. But by
tllnsc to whom is assigned The painful duty
of hearing the applications, and deciding
upon their relative claims, difficulties and
cln0arrassncnIs which can be better felt
than described, are absolutely unavoidable.
Oppressed by The weight Of these and
other responsibilities inscparably incident
to my position, my first aud most natural
appeal for relief and support is Ia my old
friends, and the ciIiZens Of my native
State. Mex, to the appreciation of my
own conscience, is that Of those with whom
have been associated in the land OF my
forefalhcrs aud the hume Of my own boy
hood. And although the Stale 10 which
| owe my humble origin is The least OF all
The sisters in The great family of American
Republics, yet to mo her encouraging
voice, which has clecred Inc through all
the vicissitudcs Of a long and laborious
public life. would be among The sweetest
consultations, as it is among The highest
rewards, 10 which my ambition will ever
ASPIRE
For the reason already stated, every
hour OF my lime being anxiuusly devoted
to public duties, | cannot join in your fes-
Iival though my heart will be with you all,
while the memory of your own gallant an-
c%cstors, whose blood was freely she'd on
more than Thirty battle. fields Of The Rcyo-
luton, will
BE in your lowing'cups freshly remembered"
Allow INC Tic pleasure Of offering the
following scutilnenl:Un the occasion: