The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-28

viii, that he could only rise on the strength OF
greater and better His scheme was
by subsefycnoy 70 them to appropriate their power over
public opinion IL Is remarkable that by submission and
wnng, after bis frs great failure at political seduction
he saved himself from Mr. Clay wrath and dcnuncation
until sort OF amnesty growing out OF length of time
protected him that by depreciation he not only induced
Gen Jackson 70 take upon himself the quarrel originated
with Mr. Clay but by solicitation through Gen Mullen
berg and other steadast friends Gen jackson he pro
cured honorable exile in Russia to cover him from
shame and By seeking on Bea'oa r mpaiats agaiua Mr.
ftk and tie rest Of the cQbind dplorag has oonneIioa ASKING
ddrce for lbs conduct and making racf proes hons Of has
doton 70 n, uAo he had dpoiisd of The honor
o. he ha@ Meriem campaign. flanei by him he Obtained the
fogiesiess and hold the eong oil senator and
DIR mat afforded the opportunity ef The lat betrayal Of his con
fdeace.
The purpose of my comment on Mr. Bair's letter is
not to discuss the charge of bargain but state fact
within my own knowledge, explanatory of the relations
between General Jackson and Mr.. Buchanan showing
that the letter to Major Lewis spoken of by Mr. Blair
written in moment Of great excitement during the
vass before his first election else that it written in
the childshness OF decayng age proof of his nsGceri
ty and that his resentments stronger and ouved
his sense of propriety and justice.
Mr. Crawford was the regular candidate of the Con-
gressional caucus. Mr.. Clay, Mr.. Adams and General
Jackson were independent candidates The friends of
all OF them opposed Mr. Crawford upon the ground that
the congressional had become agency through
which designing dispensed the patronage Of govern
ment Mr.. Clay had been with MIR. Adams at Ghent
anu MIR. under prompting had charged Mr..
Adams with wishing to barter the navigation OF the Mis-
sssippi for the fisheries This charge had been with
bold and defiant contradiction and direct question Of
veracty created between Mr.. Clay and Mr. Adams. Mr.
Crawford, Mr. Adams and General jackson were re-
turned to the House General jackson having received
the greatest number of electoral votes The choice it
was soon asccrtaned, lay between General Jack
and Mr.. Adams. Mr.. Clay and his friends hay
ing the casting vote, and after their had become
the subject Of comment it charged by George Kre
ner, that they had ut length decided to vote for Mr.
Adams, il being understood that Mr.. A. would APP
point Mr. Clay Secretary of State This Indignantly
denied by Mr. Clay, and at his request committee was
appointed who Of course under the circumstances, &c
quilted Mr. Clay OF the charge made by Mr. Kremer In
due time however, Mr. Clay and his friends did vote for
Mr.. Adams and MIR Adams did make Mr. Clay Secretary
of State This by many believed to DO conclusive 10
prove previous understanding between the parties and
tey charged with intending dispense the patron
age to the election Of Mr. Clay AS the sue
cessor of MIR. Adams.
derstanding between Mr. Clay and Mr.. Adams General
Jackson said that friend of Mr. Clay member Of Con-
gres had urged him to agree to appoint Mr. Clay Secre
t,ry OF State and, an nducement had referred to the
that Mr.. Adams would do if he should be elect
ed General jackson did not pretend that the member
of Congress had assumed to be the agent of Mr. Clay
but minated that he believed him to be So saying that
he could say whether he was not TO and
others he gave the of Mr. Buchanan but under
such restrictions that it not publicly announced for
than two years, and then published in letter
written by General jackson himself to Carter Beverly
Anticipating such announcement, had and CON
versed with Mr. buchanan the subject. He had
told Of the conversations with MIR. Clay and
said that his suggestions to each as a personal
friend, without any knowledge Of concert WITH the
other. did not rely on General Jackson's charge,
the suggestion made by Mr. Buchanan, to prove the
bargain. 1t but incident, the merit OF which
was to show that when such ntmation was made to
him General jackson had said that he would not say
whom he would appoint and therefore rs soon as i
Carter Beverly, seeing that it did not admit that Mr.
Buchanan authorized by Mr. Clay TO negotiate with
Gen. jackson, and fearing that General jackson would
danounce Mr. Buchanan for failing testify as he ex-
pected him to do, / wrote To Major Lewis, who was
of the Nashville committee aud corrcsponded
with me such, urging that neither the committee
Gen. Jackson should make any comment Mr.. Blu
chanan letter until they received my paper of the next
day, in which / would review it. / was informed by
Major Lewis that, upon receiving Mr. Buchanans letter.
Gen jackson wrote a letter denouncing Mr. Buchanan
charging that he did make the proposition to him the
authorized friend of Mr. Clay, which letter was In type
vice. they withheld the publication until they received
my paper, and upon reading my comment Gen jackson
letter suppressed.
am not and never was, the partisan OF Mr. Buchan-
/ advocated his election because / believed as
Col Benton says he did, that 'Me election of Fremont
tcoud ogead sectional parties fatal 10 The preservation
of the Union y and deem it my duty to yindicate
his character asperscd it is by Mr. Blair because the
facts within my knowledge show that there was no
occasion for Mr. Clay's wrath and that therefore there
occasion for submission and fawning to save
himself from it, AS to the letter said to be written by
General jackson and published by Major Lewis it may
have been the letter written under the circumstances
which have referred, and which, at my instance was
suppressed may have been written the verge the
grave crafty his pride Of patronage the solicitation
of OF those who have made merchandise Of his
and influence greatly to the prejudice of his character
Like Benton he was selfish and yndictve Like Ben
he carried his resentments into the grave lie had
often, in his peculiar way, charged that Mr. Buch
authorized agent 81 Mr. Clay, and the proof
that he had become important in the personal
issue pending between him and Mr.. Clay and he had
been long surrounded by accustomed to crafty
his wishes that the refusal OF Mr. Buchanan to testify as
he had expected him to do sufficient cause for him
to write the letter imputed TO him and his resent
ments with him 'eterna " the date of the letter is
not material have reflected much upon this subject
When came TO Washington the editor of the Tele-
graph, young and inexperienced and such my
confidence in his integrity that believed that General
jackson thought that Mr.. Buchanan WINS authorized
BY Mr. Clay to negotiate for the State Department and
that he had Indignantly refused to accept the presidency
upon the condition of making Mr. Clay his Secretary of
State; and, believing this, contributed much to give
him the character for stern integrity and Roman virtue
which for him the confidence and affections OF the
people; and which more intimate personal acq,iaint
satisfied unmerted Since then my inter
with public men has enabled me better to Judge
Of their motives and conduct, and il it true Mr..
Blair charges that rrtated Mr. Clay and Gen jack
were by the accusations and recrimnations growing
out of Mr. Clay's vote for Mr. Adams, they both did
charge Mr. Buchanan with "a corrupt attempt to in
fuence presidential election by bartering offices,
the relations between him and them