Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-05-06
Letter from James II. clay to Old Line
VE1,iws

appeal 10 yeu SIS HhsgS 70 know What shall do 10
the present crisis. We have Watched your course
as Representative in Congress and We are proud Of
you as the noble son ef illustrious sire. We be-
leve, and have reason TO believe, that the present
! leaders Of the Know Nothing party. though once /
| professedly Wings, we're enemies 10 your father;
and remembering do, their iugTatitude can
not choose them cur leaders You have been in |
Congress and doubtless you have watched ell The
party movements in Washington and we willing |
/ TO believe whatever you may say because We con-
| fde in your honor and patriotism. Please write us
your views in regard TO Kentucky politics aud what
you believe the Whigs should DO, and will thank
you"
In reply to this letter Mr.. Clay wrote the follow
ing letter. which is published with his consent in
the LOui.ville Courier:
ASHLAND, NEAR LExIEGToN,
March 26th, 1859
Gentleman: have received your letter Of the 10th
| instant. Personally unaequained with any one OF
you, you refer me, if desire TO know who you are,
| to any in Shelby county whom | msy wish TO
consult. Such reference is uunecessary you write
as Old Wings Of the Henry Clay school-your letter
bears the evident impress of esndor and sincerity
l never have teen accustomed to disguise any Of my
opinions and it gives pleasure TO answer yOu in
the best manner that | am Gble
] cannot too highly appreciate the compliment
which you pay me, when you say 'liat you ere vii
ling TO believe me, oeesUse o. your confidence in my
honor and my patriotism To deserve such opin~
!
myself unworthy Of it did not respond you truly
to the best Of my knowledge and belief
/ You say that yOH shave regarded these who
professed TO be the friends of Wing principles, and
were the enemies of Henry clay, as hypccres,"
and that you have reason TO believe that any of
the present, leaders Of the Know Nothing party
we're his enemies "
In the first of these positions, you perhaps ex-
press yourselves too broadly. Blr. Clay, like all
other men, msy have had personal enemies, who yet
l,rsfb - Lii "a ~
hypOcrtes j cannot conceive, however. how any
man, not his personal enemy, agreeing with him in
principle, could be his political enemy without being
hypOcrite.
d 1 agree with you, 'qhat many of the leaders Of
< the Know Nothing party HE political enemies
. Mr.. Clay was essentially msa Of principle 81
' would rather be right than President" was his
' | motto. No chord Of his heart ever responded to
other sensations than that Of patriotism and o. prn
cipe; in the language OF always his friend,
;, che was the very embodiment of Wing principles.
a We're there in Kentucky any men, who protesting
IS TO entertain his principles, politically his enc
mics Let US glance back over the pages of history
and see.
The last opportunity that the Wing party ever
had, successfully to assert their principles and to
= carry them into practical operation in 1913.
At that time the condition of things such that
whoever was the nominee Of the Philadelphia Con-
;, vention, would be successful. Mr.. Clay was old,
d almost down by services rendered the country,
II and by the political conflicts for the advancement
Of his principles through means Of party which
he had more than saved from utter destruction.
Against his DESIRE ne vas induced to suffer his
name to go before the Philadelphia Convention.
Kentucky, beyond doubt, as was well asserted in
the convention at Frankfort short time previous
" ~, was for him; indeed, since 1925 there was no
b time when she was not for her own distinguished
son in preference to any man in the nation. Ken
of lucky sent her delegates TO the convention met!
:. it nominated General Taylor its candidate tOI
~ the Presidency, and it absolutely refused to put
D. forth to the world platform Of Wing principles al
lg the only time when they seemed almost certain ot
,v success. Mr.. Clays own opinion of the conduct Of
: that convention may be gathered from his publish
- ed letters. refer you ms private correspond
~ ence, edited by the Rev Mr. Cotton In his Letter
"a to James Harlan, dated oh August, 1Sl8 be says
is How derogatoTy it is for politicians to attempt Il
degrade themselves in the presence Of General Tay
W lor And how inconsistent it is TO dGn0unce parry
re in the breath in which the Wing party is caec
r. on to support the General, a Whig that is par
"a ty man. 1t is Notifying TO behold that grea
=, party descending from its lofty position Of princi
0 pie, known aVoWed, and proclaimed principle snC
ng lending itself to the creation of new persona
CT party with virtual abandonment Of its old prin
I'M ciples."
- To Nicholas Dean, August oath, he writes: 9TH
aN Wing party presents anomalous condition-with
&C. out any candidate who recognizes his obligation
conform TO their principles, the members of it ar
of called upon party endorse the party can
: didate; and have been urgently and repeated
," appealed to, to endorse Wing Gen. Taylor, who
while he adopts the name in a modified form, repu
to dates the principles Of party l need not So
that have done and shall do, no such thing"
To Henry White Sep ember 10th, 1913, he says
Gu "Although believe that the Philadelphia ConVen
ton has placed the Wing party in humilisting con
dition-one which ! fear will impair its usefulness
an if not destroy its existence, acqaiesced in its dec
- sion in not nominating me, and have submitte
Z" quietly to il"
These quotations show that Mr.. Clay thought tba
the Philadelp hia Convention CT lS48 mad virtual
abandoned all principle, and had degenerated int
al q mere personal party whose decision, for
was personally concerned, he acquiesced in, 6a
Is, rhose action he r0Ud endure lie, whose mott
I'm was "ralher be right than President" could nc
in admit the Jesuoal doctrine Of availability in pre-
~ ference to principle.
"" And what part in this slaughter house Of priuc
X ples and of their old reghbOr and friend did Ken
ed tuckians bear? Again l refer you TO Mr.. Clay
lid own opinion expressed in his letter to cOmmite
= of Louisville, dated 2Sth June, 1S4S. After tellin
them that the Philadelphia Convention refused t
re- recognize proclaim its attach to any primo
he pies measures, and actually laid the table re
he solutions having that object in view, he goes
say, 81 lost the nomination, firmly believe Jy II
~ conduct of the GjoTites ia the delegations from Ken
raj tueky an Congress and IN the Convention and l al
IN called upon to Tatfy what they did, in contraYen
ton, as 1 also believe, of the wishes of large ma
:. jOrity of the people of Kentucky; l am asked t
sanction and approve the course of the seven dele
gates heAIuChy, VINO, OF the ueblI
err of their constituents, voted against me and virtual
wv ly to censure and condemn the five who voted fO
- me-" Well might the cid statesman excaim in tn
st. bitterness of his heart, 'Whst have done to los
the friendship and confidence of kentucky"
it'll We're these members of Congress and of the Cor
NJ vention, to whom Mr.. Clay alluded when he said
'thGt he had lost the nomination 6y their conduct,
ne though protesting to be Wings in principle his eno
m or his eRemiss2
ri Of the seven members Of the convention who o
Pm the fret ballot cast their votes against him, and
= the Wing members of Congress of that day, Senat
VI and House, all without exception, who have live
ng in Kentucky, and taken prominent part in politics
have been either members of the Know Nothing par
in ty, have always given it their support and some
- both of members of Congress and of the delegates
w have been prominent leaders AS to the othe
Ill leaders of the party, many pretended
A be Mr. Csy's friends. Their candidate for the Vic
leS Presidency in 1856, made such pTetence di
=. John NJ McCalla, any predecessor from III
w. Ashland District Most certainly you are not mis-
OF taken when you say ''that many Of the leaders O
the KnO-Nothing party we're not friends of Henri
Clay"
You appeal to me as Wings Of the old time, to ed
OK wise you what you ought now TO do do not lik