Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-06-01


 the convention, to whom Mr. Clay alluded when he said, "tAat he had lost Me noni,aa- 5y Msir conduct" though protesting to be whigs in principle, lis friends or lis enemiess
 Qiu1he seven members of the convention wfI he first ballot cast theirvotes against him R of the whig members of Congress of that day, Senate and House, all without an exception, who have lived in Kentucky. and taken prominent partIn politics. have been either members of the know nothing party, or have always given 1t their sup port, and some, both of members of Con gress and of the delegates, have been promi nent as leaders. As to the other leaders of the party, many never even pretended to be Mr. Claws friends Their candidate for the Vice Presidency in 1859 made no such prctense, nor did John NJ. McC ala, nor any predecessor from the Ashland district.- Most certainly you are not mistaken when you say :" that many of the leaders of the know nothing party were not friends of Henry Clay"
 Iou appeal to me as whigs of the old time, to advise you what you onght now to do? do not like to advise others. Nv own course has been taken honestly and conScientiously, according to my belief of what was best for the country. Although l cannot hatter myself tha1 very much of my short political career has oaAiue con- sideration, vel believe it A.u aen nlaiu and without ambiguity. Ioit hrafsg you. l believe that the oil whig pa ty k saa '-- past resurrection; that 1t was destroyed at the moment when it adopted the doctrine of availability in preference to light / hope not Me sliqhtsst ideo Mot he uQ0qe ot IT,. JoShuo BeU c0n be spell potelt eaouqb t0 raise c poyty lchjch H1ebSter and Ciog could not sQret cannot vote for him for Go vernon becauso bv whatever name he may choose to designate himself, l have seen him, while denouncing the principles Of the know nothing party, with great uniformity supporting their candidates for office, thus doing all in his power for the advancement of doctrines which he proie~Sad Q abhor; and because, although in his letter accept ing the nomination, lie prole,ses to De in- dependent of the know nothing party, and running on his own platform, 1 do not be- lieVe him able to create a persono} porty, but regard him as neither more nor less than the leader of the know nothings having ac- cepted the regular nomination of their con ventiOn.
 You say that having been in Congress, l have doubtless watched party movements at Washington My eyes certainly have not been closed to what was passing around me. In Congress there were Out two par ties-the democratic and black republican, The kn0Wnothings were not distinct party there, and believe that. during the last session, they gave united vote upon one single que>tion-that Of the admission of l Oregon Upon almost every other ques- tion the members from Missouri and Ten nessee voted with the democrats, and those from Kentucky sometimes with the demo- crats and sometimes with the black repubE- cans. In fact, theirnUmber in Congress was so small as to renler;t impossible for them | to have any weight at all, except by uniting with one or the other of the great parties, which were always opposed to each other. | It was asserted in Washington, and I be- lieve with truth, that throughout the greater part of the winter, that know nothing lea ders were in the caucus and consulting with the black republicans, with the object, bya union of the two, to form an opposition to the democratic party. What fate those consultations finally had l cannot pretend precisely to know; but this 1 have seen, that the party in Kentucky with wonderful cclerity, has changed its boasted name Ame- rican. and now styles itself the opposition party.
 In conclusion, gentlemen, will say that l have seen no reason to doubt the correct ness of the positions which assumed three years ago. l believed then, that the only great political contest in the country was between the black republican party and the democratic party-that the stake played was for the Union itself. | believe that next year. under whatever name the oppo- nonts of the democrats may be alraved we shall have the same battle over again. Whilst i cannot expect every measure of the democratic administration to accord precisely with my judgment any more than could the measure of any other party be ex- pected to accord fully with the opinions of each individual member of 1t; and whilst in the selection of men, 1 shall feel myself free to vote, according to my own choice, 4 js nly intention Jy epery Honorable means mithjn ny pom6r. to spstoin and support t5e demo- cratic proty. as He niypolN.ql organization acbjc6 has the aciU ood He po,cer 70 ,1reserye Ie Union from dissolution.
 am, gentlemen, with great respect
 Your ob't serv't, JAvgs B. CLAY.
 McsSrs. w. T. Knight, w. E. Cook, J. N Easlev