Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-06-25

The Old Charge on Mr.. Clay of Bargain
and Corrupiion--aIr. Bwchanan's com
nectiOn with il.
We copy below from the Republican Ban
mer Of Sunday last, an able article upon this
subject. 1t makes perfect case of Mr..
Buchanan How any man who has the
least yeneration for the memory of Henry
Clay can vote for Mr.. Buchanan with these
facts before him, passeth our comprehen-
sion
GEN. JACKSON-MR. CLAY-AND Mr..
BUCHANAN.
We have lying before US the original manuscript
Of letter dated, Hermitage, May 18th, 1922, adj
VINO was at that time law-studsnt of the Transyl
vana University, at Lexington, Kentucky In this
letter, among other things, Gen. Jackson says:
81 am happy to find you have been treated with
attention by Mr. Clay and his family. Your atten-
ton TO them in return, is certainly proper; and in
all your intercourse with Mr.. Clay and his family,
your conduct ought to be though there never had
arisen GOODNESS between him and myself.
have no enTity against Mr.. Clay now. l have
triumphed over my enemies. | am secure in
peaceful conscience, on a review of all my public
acts. have met with the full appreciation of my
Government and nation, and am willing to be at
peace with all men,"
Thus wrote Gen. Jackson in respect to Mr.. Clay.
in 1922
How the friendly intercourse" which had once
existed, and been interrupted, between these dis
tnguished men, was "restored" and resumed at
Washington, in the winter of 1921, Mr. Clay has
related in one of his publications. He met Gen. Jack
at dinner given by the Tennessee delegation {;
salutations were exchanged between them; Gen.
Jackson took Mr. Clay home to his (Mr Clay's)
lodgings, in his Gen Jackson's) carriage; Mr. Clay
was subsequently invited by Gen. Jackson to dine
with him, and did So and Gen. jackson was then
invited by Mr.. Clay to dine with him, and did So
On his arrival at Washington, at the opening of
the session of l824-5, Gen. Jackson called on Mr..
Clay, and Mr.. Clay returned the visit.
Such were the personal relations existing between
Gen. Jackson and Mr. Clay, when, in an evil hour
for both, JAMES BUCHANAN, then a representative
in Congress from Pennsylvania-now the Demo-
cratic candidate for the Presidency-intervened
WHAT GEN. JACKSON SAID Mr.. BUCHANAN TOLD
HIM.
ain January, 1925, member of Congress of
high responsibility Mr.. Buchanan visited me one
morning and Observed" he had been informed by
the friends of MIR. Clay, that the friends of Mr. Adj
ans had made Overtures to them, saying if Mr.. Clay
and his friends would unite in aid of the election of
Mr.. Adams Mr.. Clay should be Secretary of State :;
that the friends ofMr Adams were urging as a reason
to induce the friends of Mr.. Clay to accede to this
proposition, that if l was elected President Mr..
Adams would be continued Secretary of State Tin
nuendO there would be no room for Kentucky that
the friends of Mr.. Clay stated the West did no
wish to separate from the West, and if would saw,
or permit any of my confidential friends to saw that
in case was elected President. Mr.. Adams should
not be continued Secretary of State, by a complete
union of Mr. Clay and his friends they would put an
end to the Presidential contest in one hour and
he Mr. Buchanan was of opinion it was right to
fight such intriguers with their own weapons"
"This disclosure was made to me Dy Mr.. Buchan-
an, member Of Congress of the first responsibility
and intelligence. The evening before he had com
municated, substantially, the same proposition to
Major Eaton, my colleague in the Senate with de-
sire warmly manifested that he should communicate
with me and ascertain my views on the subject.
To be thus approached by a gentleman of Mr..
Buchanans high character and standing, with an
apology profered at the time for what he about
to remark to me-one who, as l understood, had
always to that moment, been on familiar and frerd-
ly terms with Mr.. Clay assuring that on certain
terms and conditions being assented to Gil my part
then, by an union of Mr. Clay and his friends they
would put end to the Presidential contest in one
hour-what other conclusion or inference was to be
made, than that he spoke by authority either Of Mr..
Clay himself, or some of his confidential friends?
The character of Mr.. Buchanan with me forbids the,
idea that he was acting on his own responsibility
or that under any circumstances, he could have
been induced to propose arrangement unless pos
sessed of satisfactory that accepted ii
would be carried fully into effect. A weak mind
would seldom or ever be thus disposed to act, an
intelligent one never.
Under all the circumstances appearing at the
time, did not resist the impression that Mr.. Blu
chanan had approached me or the cautiously sub
mited proposition of some authorized person and
therefore in giving him my answer, did request him
to say 'to Mr.. Clay and his friends what that
swer had BEEN" See published letter of Gen. jack
son, dated, Hermitage, July 18th, 1921
Here, It will be seen, that Gen. jackson specif.
cally and positively asserts that Mr. Buchanan did
propose an arrangement" whereby he Gen. j.
should be elected President by the aid of Mr.. Clay
and his friends, and Mr.. Clay be appointed by
him Secretary of State-that Mr.. Buchanan did
assure him that on those erms and conditions" an
immediate end.. should be put to the Presidential
contestant that Mr.. Buchanan, referring to the
alleged profers of the friends of Mr. Adams that il
Mr.. Clay and his friends would aid in the election
of Mr.. Adams, Mr.. Clay should be Secretary OF
State-that, referring to these alleged proceedings
on the part of the friends of Adams, Mr.. Buchan-
an said to him, Gen. jackson, that he Mr.. Buchan-
an, twas of opinion it was right to fight such in
triguers with their own weapons" d;fnaly, that
he, Gen. Jackson, in giving to Mr. Buchanan his
answer to the proposition which he understood
Mr. B. to make to him by the authority of Mr. Clay
and his friends requested Mr.. Buchanan ito say to
Mr. Clay and his friends what that answer had
been"
These positive and specific averments Of Gen.
Jackson, the reader is particularly requested to
bear in mind.
WHAT Ma. BUCHANAN SAID He TOLD GEN. JACK
The letter Of Gen. jackson from which the fore
ding extracts given Immediately called forth
one trcm Mr.. Buchanan, which was addressed to
the editor of the Lancaster Journal, under date Of
August sth, 1927. In that letter Mr. Buchanan
says:
"On the I'd OF January 1924, : called upon Gen.
Jackson"
II Their stated to him there was report in circu-
laton, that he had determined he would appoint
Mr. Adams Secretary Of State, in case he were cleo
ted President, and that wished TO ascertain from
him whether he had ever intimated such intention.
That he must at once perceive how injurious his
election such a report might be- That no doubt
there were several able and ambitious men ia the
country, among whom thought Mr.. Clay might be
included, who were aspiring 10 that Office; and il
tbev believed he had already determined 10 appoint