Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1856-07-18
TO THE OLD WIGS!

]
nal, an article on the famous bargain and
coalition slander, which embittered the
whole life of Henry Clay, and no doubt kept
him out of the Presidential Chair. For
this article we ask the candid and unbiased
attention of every reader:
As these exciting political events took
place more than thirty years ago, rapid re-
view Of them may be interesting to some of
our readers. In the Presidential contest
of 1924, no candidate was elected by the
people, and consequently the duty of choos-
ing the President from the three persons
having the highest number dcvolved on
the House of Representatives. Mr.. Clay
had been a candidate himself, and had great
influence in the House and could control a
sufficient number of votes to decide between
jackson and Adams, who had received the
greater number of electoral votes, and were
the principle contestants before the House.
Mr.. Clay and his friends voted for Adams,
and he was consequently elected, and Gen.
Jackson smarting under the disappointment
of defeat gave currency to the charge of
corruption against Mr.. Clay, by stating that
Mr.. Clay and his friends had made propos-
ais to vote for him for the Presidency, if af-
ter his election, Mr.. Clay be made Secreta-
rY of State. And Gen. Jackson said he
could prove this by distinguished member
of the House from Pennsylvania, meaning
Mr.. Buchanan. Mr.. Clay with his charac-
teristic promptitude, took issue at once by
denying the truth of the charge and demand
ing to be confronted by the author of it.
Gen. jackson named Mr. Buchanan as his
authority, stating that Mr. B. had said to
him that Clay or his friends had through
him proffered the vote of Kentucky to Gen.
jackson upon condition of Mr.. C.'s having
the promise of the Secretaryship. Mr..
Buchanan, being thus brought before the
public addressed to Gen. Jackson'S organ,
the Washington Telegraph, letter, which,
while it disappointed and offended Gen.
Jackson by failing to sustain the charge
against Mr.. Clay, avowed the conviction
that Mr. Clay had sold himself and his
friends to Mr.. Adams for the Secretaryship,
and was so worded that it might be used
with effect by Mr.. C!ay's bitter and remorse-
less enemies.
In the article referred to the reader will
find the proof that Mr.. Buchanan himself
made the suggestion to Mr. Clay, in the
presence of Gov. Letcher, now living, that
''he, Clay, could be Secretary of State un-
der jackson, if he would vote for him. y
This bargain Mr.. Clay promptly declined.
When Gen. Jackson made the charge against
Mr.. Clay, and gave Buchanan for its author,
he named the very man who had attempt
ed to make the bargain; and to crown the
infamy of his conduct Mr.. Buchanan so
worded his letter of explanation, as to fas-
ten the suspicion upon Mr.. Clay, which that
great man endured to his dying day.
The most remarkable fact in this strange
political drama is, that Mr. Clay had it in
his power to free himself from the vile
charge at any moment provided he could
consent to break the seal of private inter
course and correspondence. Mr.. Buchanan,
with unapproachable meanness, descended
so low as to appeal to Mr.. Clay not to dis
close what took place between them in the
presence of Mr.. Letcher, and when Mr.. Bu-
chanan was appealed to in 1874, to consent
to the publication of such truthful state
ment as would relieve Mr.. Clay he refused
his consent. The letter will be found in
the articles alluded to. In that letter Mr..
Buchanan confesses all that is necessary to
prove that he did make offer of bargain and
coalition which Mr.. Clay rejected. In a
subsequent article on the subject Louisville
paper says:
"The country now knows that the ques-
ton whether Mr.. Clay should publish what
occurred between himself and Mr.. Buchanan
in 1925 was subject of both conversation
and epistolary correspondence between them.
Mr.. Buchanan's letter to Mr.. Clay in rela-
ton to the matter were confidential and
have never seen the light. But Mr.. Clay
often spoke of them to his especial friends.
Here Is statement which was put forth
from high source during the lifetime of
Mr.. Clay, that is in 1848. The writer,
speaking of the bargain and corruption story,
said: $40 add further testimony, oCe state
and let it be denied if 1t ca1-that Ar.
Clay has aow an his possession letter,
whicb, if published, to tie Vorld, agould
place Mr.. Buchanan in an embarrassing po-
sition. The letter comes from Nr. BUcban-
an: and no call on Ir. Clay can indUce
Tin, to giUe 1t up save one from his country
that as tie Senate Of the United States.
TIE bargain and sale conspiracy aOith this
expose lCo2d place Mr. Buchanan aUitbOm
the pale of Democracy, totally unuCorthy
the place he holds and the s,gfrages Of the
people.
We are not informed whether the letter
here mentioned still remains among the
posthumous papers of Mr. Clay, or whether
he caused it to be burned before his death;
but there are hundreds of persons, some in
this city some in Lexington, and some all
through the country, who heard him speak
of it. He always said in his conversation
on the subject that, however much the pub
lication of the letter might contribute to
his own and his party's advantage, he never
would publish it except at the call of the
U. S. Senate or with the consent of Mr..
Buchanan. Mr.. Buchanan's consent was of
course out of the question, and the Senate
although Mr. Clay's political friends in that
body were aware of the existence and the
general character of the letter, never thought
it proper to call for it. But it may be, and
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