Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-06-30
viii Henry Clay wings support Buc-
han0n,

!
! Will old Henry Clay Wings" support Mr.
3uchananl We have no idea that they will
| heir self respect forbids the idea Of any such
'egradnton. Mr. Buchanan was, in our estima-
nn. the prime mover and the active getter- up
{ that infamous charge III bargain and corruption
tween Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams--
thereby the greatest statesman produced by
he country since the days Of Washington was
cpt on, of the Presidential chair aud the des,i
y of the republic changed perhaps, for all time
come. Lot facts be submitted to a candid
iublie.
II will be reoolleeted by the intelligent reader
Int in 1921 there was election Of President
~ the people. The election, therefore had to
GO before the House of Representatives. The
three persons before that body. according to the
provisions Of the Constitution, from whom Sc
lection had to be made. were John Quincy Adams
General Jackson. and VIM H. Crawford Mes
sra Jackson and Adams were the more prominent
and IL was well known that the conte At would be
decided by the votes of Mr.. Clay and bis friends
How they would vote not generally known,
and, Of course both parties were anxious to So
cure their support On the 18th of january
1913. twelve days previous TO the time appointed
for the election by the House.a letter appeared
in a Philadelphia newspaper, purporting to have
come from "A member of Congress in which it
was stated that the friends Of Mr., Clay had for
sometime limited TINT they, like the Swiss, were
ready 10 fight for those who would pay best
"Oyertures were said 10 have been made con
tinued The letter, "by the friends of Clay. offei-
iag him the appointment Of Secretary OF State.
for his aid to elect Adams And tie friends Of
Clay gave the information to the friends of Jack
ron, aud limited, that if the friends of Jack son
would offer the same price they would close with
them"
On the LIST Of February 1896. Mr.. Clay publish
ed card in the National Intelligencer ,denoun-
cling the author of the statement contained in
the Philadelphia paper a base and infamous
calumnia,or, bastard and liar; and added that
If such person would unyel his name.h he Mr. Clay
would hold him responsible. Two days after
wards another card appeared inthe Inteligencer in
which GEORGE KREMER of Pennsylvania then a
member Of the House of Representatives tender
ed his respects to MIR. Clay and informed him
that by reference to the editor of the Coium.
bia Observer he might ascertain the author of the
objectionable communication.
George kremer simple minded old man, to
have called upon whom for personal satisfaction
would have been perfectly ridiculous, and. be.
tides, he told Mr.. Crownngshield, a. member
from Massachusetts and formerly Secretary of
the Navy and also Mr.. Brent of Louisiana and
William Dudley tDiggens. of Washington city,
TINT he was not the author of the offensive
communication MIR. Clay and his friends were
satisfied that kremer had acted as the mere
copyist aud tool of others, and under these cir
eumstances, Mr, Clay, who was the Speaker of
the House. came down from his Chair and de-
manded an investigation ofihe charge. in order
'hat If guilty he might be suitably punished by
IT, Iiouse whose presiding officer he was, aud
II innocent thel bis character night be vindlca.
ted Mr.. Forsyth Of Georgia, political oppo-
uent OF Mr. Clay, but gentleman of propriety
aud honor. felt the justice of the speakers az.
peal, and moved II resolution that committee
should be appointed. This resolution was zeal.
onsly opposed by those who had their own rea-
sons for wishing 10 smother an investigation, but
was finally passed by Il vote Of l25 To 60. Imlnc-
dately after sir. Forsyth sat down,--when he
had concluded the speech which he made on the
oeeaslon-Mr. Bremer, Surprising that he had
part 10 perform on the occasion, and not hay
ing been prompted by those who had him in
keeping, bounced up and said: IF upon invesii
cation being instituted, it should appear tha.
he had not Sufficient reason to justify the state
mcnts he had maze. he trusted he should receive
the marked reprobatlon, which had been suggest
I'd by the Speaker. Let il fall where it might.
lie war willing to meet the enquiry and abide tho
result"
The committee appointed by the House con.
sisted of =. z. Barbour Webster, McLane, For
syth Saunders, and Rankin. ali opponents of Mr..
Clay In the election, Of 1924; and they convened
tor the performance Of the task assigned them,
but alas Mr.. kremer's courage had all oozed
out of his fingers ends, His keepers refused to let
him appear. He sent along letter declining to act
either as an accuser or Il witness and from tho
language in which it was oouchedit was shrewd-
~ surmsed that it had been dictated by MIR.
lngham OF the Pennsy lyania delegation. who had
made speech IN opposition to Mr.. Forsyth,s
resolution Ihe Committee we're compelled to
report that they had been able to obtain no tes-
tlmony to establish the charge preferred against
the speaker and his friends: and 80 the matter
ended. Nobody could be reached, and no one was
responsible.
The object Of the publication evidently was to
drive Mr.. Clay into the support of General Jack
son. under the apprehension that his fair fame
might be furnished by different course. But
he was not the man to be driven from what he
regarded as his duy. lie supported Mr.. Adams
because he thought him best qualified for the du
ties of the presidency. Mr.. Adams offered him
tho situation of Secretary of State. and he accept
I'D it only in compliance with the earnest solici-
tations of his friends 1t was unfortunate for him
and the country that he suffered their impoitu-
mites to overcome his own nclinatons.
In the spring of 1897 the following letter was
published in the Fayetteville Observer:
NASHVILLE, March g 1927.
have just returned from General Jackson's found
crowd of company with him. He gave me most
friendly reception, and urged me to stay some DAYS
longer with him. lie told me this morning before all
as company, in reply to question put to him
sernhg the election of J. G. Adams to the Presiden-
ey that Mr. Clays friends made proposition to his
lt1ead that, ifthey would promise for I'm General
Jackson not, to put Mr. Adams in the seat of Secre
tary of State Mr.. Clay and his friends would in one
hour make hlm Mr. Jarksonl the President. lie ]Gen-
eral jackson most indignantly rejected the PROPOSE
ton, and declared that he would not CONFRONT him
self and unless most openly and fairly made the
President 10y Congress he would receive it, He de
elared that he said To them he would see the whole
earth sink under hem before he would bargqn or in
:rigae Tor 1t.
This letter had the effect that was doubtless antc-