Washington telegraph., 1856-08-20
Gen. Jackson's Testimony--Look at This.

When we first heard of Buchanan's NOM
nation for the presidency, we said, without
moments hesitation, that full revelation
of his course during the tendency of the
presidential election in the house of repre-
sentatives in 1925, would kill him with
the American people. We have already
developed upon him, in connection with
that affair, enough to kill half dozen
men of more vitality than he ever pos
sessed.
And now we have another document to
lay before the public, document that will
attract and rivet the country's attention, a
letter written by Gen. jackson near the
close of his eventful life Important lead
ing facts connected with Mr. Buchanan s
extraordinary movements in the presiden-
tial election of 1925 are already before the
world. He went to Mr. Clay, and to in
duce that distinguished statesman to sup
port Gen. jackson, assured him, as If by
authority, that Gen. jackson, if elected
would make him Secretary of State
Without receiving the slightest encourage
ment, he then went to Gen. Jackson, told
him, that Mr- Clay, if promised the Secre-
taryship, would support him, and earnestly
solicited permission to say from Gen Jack
son, that, if elected, he would appoint Nlr
Clay Secretary. Gen jackson treated Mr.
Buchanan's proposal as contemptuously as
Mr. Clay had treated Mr.. Buchanan's pro
posal to himself Both Gen. jackson and
Sir. Clay scorned all thought of bargain
and sale, and both alike repulsed their self
constituted gc-between in his attempts to
get up corrupt bargain between them
And yet, the go-between, on being sum
moned by Gen. jackson as witness,
meanly expressed belief that Mr. Clay
had been guilty of bargain and corruption,
and from that time, for more than twenty
years, humbly supplicated Mr.. Clay to
spare him by not vindicating himself-by
continuing to submit INTERESTINGLY to the
most cruel and bitter of calunnies
We have said that we have another
document in comnexion with this matter
to lay before the public, letter written
by Gen. jackson shortly before his death
The letter was furnished three or four DAYS
ago BY the Hon. Allen A. Hall, editor of
the Nashville Banner, who SAYS that the
original manuscript is in his possession,
and can be examined by any gentleman
who will call upon him. Here it is:
HERMITAGE, Feb %, 1915
Your observations with regard TO Mr.
Buchanan are correct He sho,-ed a ,cGat
of mora! courage in the affair of the in
trigue of Adams and Clay-did not do me
justice in the expose he then made. and |
am sure about that time did believe there
was perfect understanding between Ad-
ans and Clay about the Presidency and
the Secretaryship of State. This | am
sure of. But whether he viewed that
there was any corruption in the case or
not, | know not, but one thing | do know.
that he iriShed me to combat them tCih
their oiCn t5eapons-thGt ecos to let my
frieeds say, y 1 tgas elected, ! arc rid
make HI CEay Secretary Of Slate
This to sne appeared gross corruption, and
repelled it with the honest Indignation
| thought it deserved"
Let the public mark that. Gen. Jack
son says that he knows that Mr.. Buchanan,
when he came to him, wished to get him
to say that he would give the Secretaryship
of State to Sir Clay for his vote, and he
adds that Mr. Buehanan's proposition ap-
peared to him gross corruption, and, that
he repelled it with Indignation. Here we
have it under Gen. Jackson's own hand
that Mr. Buchanan made to him what he
considered grossly corrupt proposition,
one which he felt called on to repel with
scorn and Indignation, and charges be-
sides that Mr. Buchanan was guilty of
moral cowardice in not daring. when called
on by him, to confirm what he had pri-
vately stated to him. As the Nashville
Banner remarks, a strong point to be
pressed is, that Mr. Buchanan, it is now
conclusively proven by Gen. jackson him
self, did want the General to practice the
very corruption which Mr.. Buchanan's
political friends charged upon Adams and
Mr.. Clay-that Mr.. Buchanan did, of his
own accord and ON his own individual
responsibility, go to Gen. jackson and
urge him, with the view of buying the
support Of Mr.. Clay's friends, to let his
(Gen. Jackson's) friends say, if he was
elected, he would make Mr.. Clay Secretary
of State-a proceeding that Gen jackson
thought involved deep corruption. -
That proceeding ON the part of Mr.. Buch-
anan ought certainly to deprive him of the
support of every man, of whatever party,
that ever made the charge of '.bargain,
intrigue and corruption against Mr. Clay
ground of objection to him.
This strikes the scaffolding from under
the feet of those organs that have been
attempting to excuse the proposition of
Mr. Buchanan in his interview with Mr.
Clay upon the miserable pretext that it
was only jest. The language that Mr.
Buchanan used to Mr. Clay at the time
and his abject entreaties afterwards to be
spared the modification and the iniamy
OF an exposure. render the very idea, that
his corrupt proposition was but jest
perfectly ridiculous and, if these consid
erations were not enough, it certainly would
be enough to refer to Gen. Jackson's writ
ten testimony in the last days of his life
that Mr. Buchanan excited his scorn anC
indignation by endeavoring to prevail upol