Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-09-08

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ed at the first general election, and presented q
full opposition to the new President. Mr.. Ad.
ans himself was injured BY it, and at the ensu.
ing Presidential election was beaten by Genera
Jackson more than two to one-l76 to SO. Mr.
Clay, who took the lead in the House for Mr..
Adams, and afterwards took upon himself the
mission of reconcIing the people to his election
IN series of public speeches, was himself Grip
pied in the effort, lost his place in the democrat.
ic party, joined the wings, (then called national
republ'cans,) and has since presented the dis
heartening spectacle of a former great leader
figuring at the head of his ancient foes in oil
their defeats and lingering on then rear in their
victories. The democratic principle was again
victor over the theory of The constitution, and
great were the results that ensued 1t vim
dlcated the demos in their right and their power,
and showed that the prefix 10 the constitution,
" We, the people, do ordain and establish" &c.,
may also be added to its administra ton, show.
ing them to be as able to administer as to make
that instrument 1t re-estabished parties upon
the basis of principle, and drew anew party lines,
then almost alliteTated under the fusion of par
ties during the EZRA of good feelings" and the
efforts OF Lending men to make personal parties
Tor themselves. II showed the conservative DOW
er OF our government to lie in the people, more
than in it's constituted authorities 1t showed
that they were capable Of exercising the fuDc.
tion OF self government 1t assured the suprem-
acy Of the democracy for long time, and until
temporarily lost by causes to be shown in their
proper place. Finally, it was caution to all
public men against future attempts to govern
Presidential elections in the House Of Repre-
sentatves.
1t is no part the object of this Thirty Years
View to dwell upon the conduct OF individuals,
except as showing the causes and consequences
of events; and, under this aspect, it becomes the
gravity Of history to tell that, in these Two strug.
giles for the election Of President, those who
struggled against the democratic principle lost
their places on the political theatre, the mere
voting members being put down in their states
and districts, and the eminent actors forever os-
tracised ffoms the high object of their ambi.
ton. A subordinate cause may have had it's
effect, and unjusty, in prejudcng the public
mind against Mr.. Adams and Mr. Clay. They
had been political adversaries, cooperated in the
and went into the adtninistrati IN to.
gether. MI Clay received the Office of Secre-
,ary Of State from Mr.. Adams, and this gave
rise to the imputatioa of "a bargain between
them.
1t came within my knowledge, for was then
intimate with Mr.. CIay,) long boforo the election,
and probably before Mr.. Adams knew it himself.
that Mr.. Clay intended to support him against
Gen. Jackson, and for the reasons afterwards
aserred in his public speeches. made this
known when occasions required me to speak of
it, and in the presence of the friends of the i'm
pugned parties. 1t went into the newspapers
upon the information of these fiiends and Mr..
Clay made me his acknowledgements for it in
letter, of which this is the exact copy.
81 have received paper published on the Goth
nllimo, at Lexington in Virginia, in which is
an article stating that you had, TO
gentleman Of that place, expressed your belief
of charge injurious 10 me, touching the late
Presidential election, and that had commune
Gated to you unequivocally, before the 18th Of
December, 1924, my determination to vote for
Mr. Adams and not for General Jackson. Pre-.
sd,ning that the publication was with your au-
thority cannot deny the expression of proper
acknowledging for the sense of Justice which
has prompted you to render this voluntary and
faithful testimony"
This letter, of which now have the original,
was dated at Washington City, December 9th,
l827-that is to say, in the very heat and middle
of the canvass in which Mr.. Adams was beaten
by General Jackson, and when the testimony
could be Of most service to him. 1t went the
rounds of the papers, and was quoted and relied
upon in debates in Congress, greatly to the dis
satisfaction of many of my own party. There
was no mistake in the date, or this fact. left
w ashington the 25th of December, on visit to
ny father in-law, Colonel James Mcdowell. of
county, Virginia, where Mrs. Ben
on was and it was before left Washington
that learned from Mr.. Clay himself that his in
en,ion was to support Mr.. Adams. | told this
1t thai time to Col. Mcdowell, and any friends
hat CHANGED to be present. told It as my belief
10 Mr.. Jefferson on Christmas evening of the
same year, when returning to Washington and
making call on that ll>slrious man at his seat
in Monticello, and believing then that Mr.. Ad-
ans would be elected, and, from the necessity of
the case, would have TO make up mixed cabi-
net expressed that belief to Mr.. Jefferson, US
ing the term, familiar in English history, of
). broad totiomed )" aud asked him how it would
do? He answered: Not a, all---would never
succeed-would ruin all engaged in it," Mr..
Clay told his intentions to others of his friends
from an early period, but as they remained his
friends, their testimony but little needed. Even
my own in the violence of party, and from my
to Mrs. Clay, seemed to have but
little effect The imputaton Of "bargaiu'' struck,
and doubtless had an influence in the election.
In fact, the circumstances Of the whole affair
previous antagonism between the parties actual
support in the election, and acceptance of high
office, made up case against Messrs. Adams
and Coy which it was hardly safe for public
men to create and to brave, however strong in
their own consciousness Of integrity. Still, the
great objection to the election Of Mr.. Adams
was in the violation of the principle demos kra-
leo and in the question which it raised Of the
capacity of the demos to choose a safe President
for themselves. A letter which wrote to the
from Missouri heEore ha o.va tho