Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-04-18
VIZ. Claws Americanism.

We republished on the 8th inst, from
the New York Express, a correspondence
between ERAsTUs Books, Esq, and the
Hon. GARRET DAVIS, in which the latter
stated that Mr. CLAY, in 1874, entertained
Native American sentiments. In a recent
number of the Richmond IVA National
american, we find communication from
Mr. Boris on the subject, in which an ex-
tract of a letter from Mr.. CLAY is intro
duced We copy from Mr.. Boris cOmmu-
nication as follows:
think it quite natural to conclude that whatever
confidence may be placed in the v, racity of Mr..
Davis, which, feel assured, has never yet been
impeached, still an endorsement by Mr.. Clay over
his own signature would, perhaps, exert q greater
degree of influence among the host Of friends who
/ admired him in life and venerate his memory in
DEATH than any conversation resting upon the lra-
ty of ones memory only; and having in my pos
session letter from him, written in l844 portion
of which relates TO the Native American party of
that day, / consider due to all those who attach
Importance to his opinions that such portion as
have referred TO should be furnished for publca
ton, as serving to confirm Mr. Davis recollection
of the conversation which he relates.
The circumstances under which the letter was
written were these: was not then myself as fully
impressed with the magnitude of the evil nor with
the necessity FOR that organization have since
become; and my deep socitude for the election
of Mr.. Clay created a natural desire that in the
! very active canvass in which | engaged, |
should have it in my power to remove objections
then made TO him, 10y some of the foreign pOpula-
/ md bv oil naTnpcrocv \ that bo cd
with favor on the purposes of the Native American
! organization. With this view | wrote to him d
letter asking his opinion about a union Of the two
parties, that might gather his sentiments on that
point, without letting him know my object, but
really with the hope, | may say expectation, that
! he would take ground against the movement as be-
! ing premature and unnecessary; but 10 my disap-
pertinent and regret, he seemed to incline strongly
towards it, and no other inference could be drawn
from what he said than that he ready at a
proper time (which he thought for reasons assigned
had not yet arrived,) to cooperate with them in
their efforts to arrest the tide of foreign influence
that had then set in upon the country, and which
has increased with such frightful rapidity since.
made of course, no use Of the letter. The extract
is as follows:
an respect to the Native American party it does
not strike mo to be expedent that there should be,
for the present any fusion of that party into the
Wings, or of the Wings into that party. Such An
association would leave the great parties stand
ing pretty much as they now do. The Wings
would be charged with merely assuming a new
name, adopting a new article in their creed
whilst the other party would retain what it has
and continue TO make accessous from the foreign
population. 1t seems to me best, that the Wig,
and the NdtireS should, for dDliie, AT LEAsT. pre-
their respective organizations, improving ana
culiiUating friendly relations ocith each other"
Ii is manifest from the above extract that he
thought the time would come when the two parties
should unite but that it would be better for a,rile
for each party to keep up its own organizations
improving and cultvating friendly relations, with
al ultimate view to a unity of purpose and concert
of action. give the extract, however, for wha
it is worth, leaving each one to put bis own con
structiOn upon it, | am not aware that Mr.. Clay
has lett any other record of his opinion on thi
subject behind him. / did not see him for severa
years after 1914 and do not recOllect TO have haC
any conversation with bin on that point.