The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-09
rur,u,a fAla ! Ian. % 1881

EUFAULA, (Ala.) Jan. 20 1851.
GEgrLrMEN Your note Of this date is
ceived For my own part, never recognized
any obligation of secrecy in relation to the
Clemens affair. ! supported Mr. Clemens Gas
| is well known with extreme reluctance, and
with the reservation Of the right to make any
explanation of the reasons might think proper /;
and besides, heard of no pledge of secrecy in
the caucus. would not however, have volun-
teered my testimony in this matter, nor have
given it, but for the reasons stated in your note.
On the eve of Mr.. Clemens election to the
United States Senate, there was a caucus OF the
Wing party; did not contemplate attending, but
went at the urgent request ofmy colleague, Mr..
Gardner. When we arrived we found the caucus
organized--tlc only question was whether the
Wings, II, party, should support MIR. Clemens.
Some of bis friends gave verbal assurances that
he would il elected, act with the Wings, and
said they were authorized by him to say So IL
was objected that it was unsafe to support him
without written pledge, and the caucus being
unable to agree, member from Greene stated
that pledge could be obtained, and called on
Mr. Rip Davis, from Limestone, who rose and
produced small scrap # paper, and read 1t as
near as can remember in these words:
"'lf elected to the United States Senate,
pledge myself to sustain General Taylor's ad-
ministration JERE. CLEMENS.
GA good many gathered around to inspect
the paper and some seemed to question its be-
ing in Mr. Clemens hand writing, when Mr..
Davis said iIWubstance, 81 pledge my honor as
a gentleman It is Mr. Clemens hand and written
by himself
The same gentleman who had called on Mr..
Davis, as above stated, then took the paper, and
holding it up, read it in louder tone, and in the
same words.
"Yours, &c, PAUL MCCALL"
For the Advertiser and Gazette.
WAsm,GroN, Feb. 2lst, 1851.
SIR | notice in your paper and several 9TH
ers, that the old charge of corruption between
myself and the Wing members of the legisla
ture of l849 has been revived in the form Of
letter from Jefferson Buford, and sustained by a
similar letter from Paul Mccall Mr.. b. alleges
that he makes the present publication because
he would be trihing with his own character to
maintain longer silence. He did something more
than trne with his own reputation when he
made the charge. According to his own show
ing he made a corrupt bargain with me-alded
in carrying il out, and then upon the first sug
gestion of interest betrayed his confederates.
cannot relieve him from willingness to do all
he says he has done, but in point of fact he is
less guilty than he represents himself lie made
no bargain with me, and he did not betray me-
for he had nothing to betray. Mr.. Buford's
memory is bad one, and he should have learn
ed to dstrust it long since. He undertakes to
give The exact words of paper which he saw
but once, and that more than two years ago
Mr.. Mccall, who never saw it at all, but only
heard it read gives it precisely word for VOID
and syllable for syllable as Mr.. Buford does
Now, this is little too accurate. 1t is sus
tanning friend little too strongly, but am
willing to suppose that both of them are honest
ly mistaken. The precise charge is that ad
dressed note to the Wing caucus in "nearly or
exactly these words :"
IF elected TO The United STATES Senate, / pro
mise 10 support The administration Of Gen. Tay-
lOr
Signed, JEEE. CLEMENS.
The slip of paper which Mr.. Buford saw, and
which his imagination has converted into the
above pledge, contained no pledge of any sort;
no expression of opinion even. 1t was short
note addressed to l.. r. Davis, esq, authorizing
him to state ho,o far would consider myself
pledged to support Gen. Taylor. Mr.. Davis
was my warm oral friend, he is gentleman
of as high character as any in the State, he was
perfectly familiar with my opinions, and knew
he would have an opportunity of explaining
them when would not. In accordance with
the authority had given him, Mr.. Davis stated
that if elected to the Senate, would oppose to
Gen Tsylor's administration no factious party
opposition. That | believed the time had come
! when it behooved Southern men to look rather
to satisfactory settlement of the slavery ques-
ton than to old party divisions. That if found
Gen. Taylor true to the South, would sustain
him--if | found him under Freeso influences
| should oppose him. This pledge and no other
was made by Mr.. Davis He has so stated again
and again. Messrs. Baker, Gardiner, Aber-
crombie, Gum, Blevins, Murphy, and others, all
concur with him. No one believes that either
of these gentlemen would utter an untruth, and
it is impossible that they can be mistaken about
a matter in which they all took so warm an in
terest.
The charge rs made by Mr. Bnford is absurd
on the face Of it. NY first act in Congress was
one of opposition to General Taylor, and that
opposition continued undated up to the day of
his death. No two men sustained me in it with
more zeal than Jefferson Buford and Paul Nc
Call, which establishes beyond controversy that
neither of them asked or expected me to sus-
tain any man whose course was not entirely sat
islac'ory to the South.
do not consider it necessary to write another
l syllable upon this subject. For my own vindi.
cation would not have written so much, but |
foresee that it is to be used in aid of certain
, schemes now connecting in Alabama, and there.
fore, choose to put it at rest
, Very respectfully,
JERE. CLEMENS
| Col j. J. SEIBELs.