The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-08-12
WESTERN DEMOCRAT.
90 CHARLOTTE 05e
Tuesday Morning, Aug't IL, 1856.
TIE SON OF HENRY CLAY.

The following extract from letter writ
ten by James B. Clay, and dated Ashland
July 8, will show that he is for Buchanan,
and, though an old line Wing, will vote for
him. We hear a great deal from the X. N
presses about Mr. Buchanan having ISLAM
dered" Henry Clay. If this charge be true,
would not his son James B. Clay, the own
er of Ashland, know it!--and if he knew
or believed it, would be vote for Mr.. Buch-
anan! Of course not. Mr. Clay, after re-
ferring to the fact that the old line Wings
of Kentucky had declined to commit them
selves to Ar. Fillmore's support says:
nThere is also o statement copied into
the Observer and Reporter of the 9th in
slant, 'thet had been heard t" say that l
was not for Buchanan may have said
that Mr.. Buchanan was not my candidate
or was rot my choice for the Presidency; but
have not said that | should not vote for
him. ] prefer Mr.. Fillmore personally
and if he stood on the same principles he
did in 1850 ] would vote for him in prefer
ence to any man know. But expect to
cast my vote for that candidate who in my
opinion NAV have the best chance to defeat
the BLACK Republican party, and. as at
present advised, think Mr.. Buchanan has
the best chance to do SO. | wish 1t, never
theless, to be distinctly understood, that If
| shall think it my duty to vote for Buchan-
an shall vote As an old line Wing, making
a choice of what | believe to be evils, Tor
the good of the country"
In the course of the late speech of James
B. Clay, son of Henry Clay, at Demo
cratic mass meeting near Maysville, Ken
lucky, he made the following conclusive
vindIcation of Mr.. Buchanan against the
charge of having done injustice to his father
in regard to the old bargain and corruption
affair
81 have fully and carefully studied the
whole history of the bargain intrigue
SANDER, with the express purpose of ascer-
| tanning the truth or the falsity of the char
ees against Mr.. Buchanan, and the result of
my research has been, that, as an honest
man, am bound to acquit him of having
| done nv father any wrong, when he was
summoned before the public as witness
| against him. am bound to acquit him up
| on the testimony of the very person whom
he is said to have wronged and slandered !;
and however little partisan editors and par
| tisan orators may esteem the evidence OF my
! father himself, it is abundantly sufficient for
me, his son. The charge of bargain and
! intrigue was first made by Mr.. kremer, in
an anonymous letter, subsequently reiter-
ated by Carter Beverly, in his celebrated
Fayetteville letter, and finally asserted by
General jackson, who assumed the respOn-
sibility of it, and to prove its truth SUMMON
ed Mr.. Buchanan before the public as his
only witness. Mr.. Buchanan promptly res
ponded to the call for his testimony. Did
he sustain Mr.. Kremer. Carter Beverly, and
! General .Jackson-the last of whom had
| summoned him? On the contrary, his evil
dence was clear and distinct, and fully ex-
o~lpotod Mr. Clay from the charges made
| against him. So Mr.. Clay regarded it him
| self. and he, the person accused, testified
| publicly and privately that he considered
| Mr.. Buchanan had done him no wrong"
After quoting from his fathers public and
private letters, Nh. Clay proceeded:
THUS, fellow citizens, We have the pri-
vate and public opinion ofmy father respect
| ing the testimony of Mr.. Buchanan upon
the character of bargain and intrigue. l
know that my father would not have express
| ed such opinions unless he belived them To
| be true. He satisfied with Mr.. Buch-
anan, and so expressed himself privately
and publicly that is enough for me, and,
SO far as | am concerned, it is the smallest
possible consequence what may be the
| opinion of those partisans who are now en-
| deavOred to strike down their political OPP
| ponent with weapons, dragged from the
| tomb