Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-06-01
Letter from James B. Clay to, Old Lin e
 Whigs

Wu1SS.
 Three of the old line whigs of Shelby county, Kentucky, recently addressed let. ter to the Hon. James B. Clay, in which they say:
 We h every reason to believe that you havt |iuch respect for the memory ot your n0ofe father as we, or any others could probably have, and we appeal to vou as whigs, to know what we shall do in tbe present crisis. We have watched vour course as representative in Congress, and we are proud ofyou as the noble son of an lllustrious sire. We believe, and have req son to believe, that the present leaders of the know nothing party, though once pro- fessedly wings, were enemies to your father. and remembering as we do, Meirinqratitude, we cannot choose them as our leaders You have been in Congress, and doubtless yon have watched all the party movements m Washington, and we are willing to be- leYe whatever you may say, because we contlde in your honor and patriotism.- Please write us your views in regard to kentuckp politics, and what you believe the wings should do, and we will thank YOU.
 In reply to this letter Mr. Clay wrote the following letter, which is published, with his consent, in the Louisville Courier:
 ASHLAND, near Lexington
 March 2G, 1859
 Genhemen: I have received your letter of the lGth inst. Personally unacquainted with any one of you, yon refer me, if de- sire to know who you are, to any one in Shelby county whom l may wish to con suit. Such reference is unnecessary; you write as old line wings of the Henry Clay school-your letter bears the evident i'm press of candor and sincerity. Inever have been accustomed to disguise any ofmy opin- ions, and it gives me pleasure to answer you in the best manner that am able
 l cannot too highly appreciate the com pliment which you pay me, when you say, :" that you are willing to believe me, be- cause oi your confidence i'll my honor and my patriotism" To deserve such opion- ion has been my aim rhrougI life I should deem myself unworthy of it did I not re- spond to you truly to the best of my know ledge and belief.
 You say that you have ever regarded those who prolessed to be the friends of wing principles, and were the enemies of Henry Clay, as hypocrites, ;" and !" thatvou have reason to believe that many of the present leaders of the know nothing party were his enemies" {"
 In the first of these positions, you per haps express yourself too broadly. MT. Clay, like all other men, may have had per- So@ol enemies who yet agreed with him in political opinion, and were not hvpocrites. 1 cannot conceive, however, how any man, not his personal enemy, agreeing with him in principle, could be his political enemy without being a hypocrite.
 agree with you, that many of the leaders of the know nothing party were his political encmies." Mr. Clay was essen JialIy man of principle. "Iwould rather be right than President" was his motto. No chord of his heart ever responded to other sensations than that of patriotism and of principles; in the language of one not al- ways his friend, he was the veIv embodi- ment of whig principles" Were there in Kentucky any men, who protesting to en: tertain his principles, were politically his enemies? Let us glance back over the pages of history and sec
 The last opportunity that the whig party ever had successfully to assert their princi- pies, and to carry them into practical ope- ration, was in le4S. At that time the con- dition of things was such that whoever was the nominee of the Philadelphia convcn- tion, would be successful. Mr. Clay was old, almost worn down by services rendered the country, and by the,p political conflicts fol advancement of his principles through means ol party which he had more than once saved from utter destruction. Against his own desire, he was induced to suffer hi, name to go before the Philadelphia conven. tion. Kentucky, beyond doubt, as wa. well asserted in the convention at Frank fort a short time previously, was for him; in- deed, since 1895, there was not time when She was not for hea own distinguished son iI preference to any man in the nation. Ken lucky sent her delegates to the convention IL met, 1t nominated General Tayor as 1t, candidate for the Presidency, and it abso- lutely refused to put forth to the world a platform of whig principles at the only time when they seemed almost certain of success Mir. Claws own opinion of the conduct o1 | that convention may be gathered from hi, published letters. l refer you to His pri. vate correspondence, edited hy Rev Mr Cotton. In his letter to James Harlan. dated 9th of August, 1S4S, he says: "How derogatory it is for politicians to attempt to degrade themselves in the prescnce oI General Taylor. And how inconsistent il iS to denomce party in the same breath in which the whig party is called on to sup portthe General, as whig, that is a. party man. l. is mortitying to behold that once great party descending from its lofty posi- tion of principle, known, avowed and pro- claimed principle, and lending itself to tho creation of a new personal party, with s virtual abandonment of its old principles ;
 To Nicholas Dean, August Fl, he writes "1he whlg party presents an anomalous condition. Without any candidate whc recognizes his obligation to conform to thei principles, the members of it called upoI as party to indorse the no-party candi date; and 1 have been urgently and repeat edly appealed to indorse as a whig Gen Taylor, who, while he adopts the name il modified form, repudiates the principles o partyl 1 need not say that 1 have done and shall do, no such thing"
 To Henry White, September 10, 1S48 he says: Although I believe that tn, Philadelphia convention has placed tn, whig party in a hunliliating condition-on which l fear will impair its usefulness, i not destroy its existence, Iacquiesced in it decision il not nominating me, and hay, submitted quietly to it.''
 These quotations show that Mir. Clay thought that the Philadelphia convention of lS4S had virtually abandoned all princi pie, and had degenerated into mere per sonal party, whose decision, as far as h, was personally concerned, he acquiesed in 6ut achose actj0n he Wouid not endure He whose motto, "rather be right than Presi dent" could not admit the jesuitical doe Urine of availability in preference to princi pie.
 And what part in this slaughter-house 0 principles, and of their old neighbor anc friend, did kentuckians bear? Again re | f