The southern press., 1852-03-23
From the .4labauo Stale Register
~ SENATOR CI.EMENS.
Letter from Hon. b. h. Baker, State Sena-
tor from Russell County.
CRAWFORD, March /,

4 Letter from Hon. b. III. Baker, State Sena'
tor from Russell County.
CRAWFORD, March 1, 1852.
GEHTLEMEH: have recently seen two letters
going the rounds of the secession papers, charg
ing Jere. Clemens with having pledged himself
| to the Wing caucus on the eve of his election
to sustain, if elected, Gen. Taylor's administra
ton. The first of those letters was written by
Jeff Buford and the other by Paul Mccall
Major Buford has also. thought proper to ust
| my name TO sustain in part the charge, in con.
necton with letter which appeared in the Co.
lumbus Enquirer soon after Col. Clemens was
! elected, over the signature Of 3d." the writing
of which he attributes to me- Under these cir.
cumstances, justice to myself, as we'll as to Col
/ Clemens, demands reply. The charges thus
specifically made by these gentlemen are the
! only communications have seen which, in my
/ Judgment, demand contradiction. | was d
i Wing member of the legislature of 1880, and
i was member Of the Wing caucus about which
these gentlemen write. i was chosen and acted
as secretary to the caucus. The papers con
tanning the proceedings Of the caucus are in my
possession
j Major Buford, in his letter, says
i A small strip, containing written pledge
/ was brought in the caucus by Mr. Rip Davis, Of
Limestone. II was nearly or exactly in these
words--'If elected to the United States Senate
| promise to support the administration of Gen.
Taylor.
(Signed) JERE. CLEMENS"
Mr.. Mccall, in his letter, says:
/ "Mr. Rip Davis, of Limestone, produced a
! small scrap of paper, and read it, as near as
can remember, in these words--'If elected to
the United States Senate pledge myself to
support the administration of Gen. Taylor
(Signed) JERE. CLEMENS" (.
So far as my statement goes, shall dispose
Of these charges uery plainly and in a fe,o pords
1 state positively and emphatically that no such
strip Of paper The one described, ,oas produced
or read 10 The caucus, in my hearing, mar was
there one read "nearly or exactly like a." was
in thereon when the caucus was organized and
remained until il adjourned. am quite certain
| saw and heard everything of interest that
TRANSFERRED, yet will not permit myself to be-
ieve that Major Buford or Mr. Mccall would
knowingly and wilfully make statement gross
! ly untrue. can only attribute the error in
their recollection to a treacherous memcry,
which error has probably been confirmed by the
existence Of strong party bias against Colonel
Clemens. They have evidently, in this case,
overreached themselves
Mr.. Mccall says he supported Mr. Clemens
,oith ertreme reluctance as tcas nell kno,Dn," DC
Let US see if he did. Among the papers con
tanning the proceedings of the caucus, | find one
in words as follows, to wit Names of those
uho ,oiH pledge 10 uote for Col Clemens" Fifty
names are signed to this pledge The 34th
name is Buford." and the Add name is :. Nc
| Call" Nobody forced them into this pledge
They took it Of their own free will. II does
not then occur to me that either Of them sup.
ported Mr.. Clemens with extreme reluctance
Several caucuses were held by the Wings dur
ing these elections, at one of which Major Bu-
ford and Mr.. Mccall pledged themselves in
i0ri.ing, to support any Northern Democrat
who would bring strength enough to the Wings
to elect their nominee, and yet Mr. Mccall says
he supported Mr. Clemens "w 18th ertreme re-
luctance." Maj. Buford and Mr.. Mccall have
filed their declaration and have alledged that
Col. Clemens did pledge, in writing, if elected,
to support Gen. Taylor's administrations To
this allegst on, again reply: Colonel Clemens
made no such pledge 10 The caucus, nor did he
pledge himself 10 sustain or support The Wing
party"
Now TO the letter written by aBn 10 the
Columbus Enquirer. The portion of that let
ter necessary to be noticed, reads thus: .About
fifty of the Wings voted for Col. Clemens.
The result of this election will / have no doubt.
prove to be the talest lick the Wings have
struck since the organization Of the State
There are the best reasons for believing that
MIR. Clemens will support the administration,
and, not only SO, but will go further. | am not
at liberty TO write all know upon this subject;
suffice it TO say we have accomplished much.
| The chvalry are'completely discounted. Their
brightest star has been eclipsed, and il may be,
their sun has gone down among clouds to rise
no more"
/ wrote this letter soon after the election. By
1t intended TO be understood rs meaning that
it was tall lick for The Wings, because l
thought the result would put the chivalry, Fitz
patrick and his friends-and the old pannel
Clemens and his friends-by the ears that Il
would open still wider the breach already exist
ing between these two wings of the Democratic
party, and would consequently offer the Wings
much better chance to secure office. | be-
| lieved Col. Clemens would sustain the admins
tration, because he had said, as had been in
formed, in his public speeches in North Alabama.
ard publicly in the streets Of Montgomery, that
the great question was the controversy between
the North and South, growing out of the insti
tuition Of slavery, and that in all probability this
would continue TO be The controlling question
during Gen. Taylor's administration that Gen.
Taylor being by birth and interest a Southern
| naii, WOuiu host Hhel1 Oe IOu0d on the side OF
his section; II so, upon this question he would
give him his support. This much believe Col.
Clemens not only said but has written. | be.
lieved Col Clemens would 60 further than merely
give TO The administration luke warm and cold
support on this great question. felt assured
| If the course Of the government was truly
Southern, he would sustain 1: with all the force
Of his powerful mind. Ia,o believed he would
open bis battery upon the chvalry, the result Of
which might possibly inure 10 the benefit of
the Wings. ! riainly never meant 10 be nm.
derstood as saying or meaning that Mr.. Clemens
had made an unconditional pledge 10 support
the administration. ! knew nothing of any
such pledge further than already stated Neither
did suppose he would sustain The Whip party
as party, nor did think be himself would be
come Wing. said al was not al liberty 20
write all knew upon this subject" and most
as urcdly was not at liberty TO write in detail
the modus operandi by which the election Of
Col. Clemens was secured. The resolutions.
speeches, reptrs, &c, were not desipred for