Wabash express. [volume] (Terre-Haute, Vigo Co[unty], Ind.) 1841-186?, 1860-08-29

We cilp tnt leHoNluk ifoh thr thioako
Press aud Tribune: Perhaps no eminent A
merican statesman ever suffered more from
the fAlse accusations and vile detraction Of
his political opponents than fell TO the lot
OF Mr. Clay during his long and political
career But Of all the ealumnies heaped
upon him. that which give him the most
pain. and which did more to prevent him
from attaining the Presidency than all 9th
er causes combined. was ths charge. can
sinued from le25 until the day Of his death
of bargain and corruption" in securing
the election Of John Quincy Adams by the
House OF Representatives.. The charge
was that in consideration OF a Cabinet Of
fice, Mr. Clay sold his own vote and that
of his friends TO Mr.. Adams: and it was
sometimes varied by vague intimations
that an indefinite amount Of British gold
had been thrown in to make the trade the
more palatable to Mr.. Clay. Those Of our
readers in Illinois. who were in the habit
of hearing Mr. Douglas on the stump. in
1914, will remember that il was in the lat
ter shape that he most delighted TO prefer
the charge. 1t is not so well known that
Mr.. Bell himself labored hard 10 fasten
this stain upon Mr.. Clay. Such, however.
is the fact. Mr. Bell publicly and pri.
vately ~seribed Mr.. clay's appointment to
the Office of Secretary OF State to corrupt
motives and denounced the administration
OF Mr. Adams, As a coalition formed upon
the "basis Of mutual benefits "to be re-
ceived aud conferred, TO defeat the will Of
the people" In 1897 Mr.. Bell wrote let
ter which was quoted by Andrew johnson
in speech speech in Congress in le4s.
when Mr.. Clay was a candidate for the
Presidency. from which the following ex-
tract is taken:
reiterate that my opinions of the present
administration are In accordance with
what believe TO be those of the great
body of the Republicans In the United
States. Ihaps seen the highest and most i'm
rorfanf ofsee in the 9opr rnmenf filed by means
and under eiyennsfsness esording all the co
sdenee o. a coalition FORMED upon the basis Of
mutual bensffs 10 be reeeiusd and conferred; |;
Independently Of any confrousrfed psinf TN Tie
defaus, that the government can never ex-
pect the light of. in any combination
that has been or may be entered into, To
defeat the will of the people. Ambitious
and aspiring politicians who have great
characters TO sustain, have sense enough TO
guard against the common blunders OF less
practical adopts ia the arts of intrigue and
manag cement in forming coalitions, but
will seldom expose themselves 10 the dan
ger of detection from positive proof. 1t is
not, therefore, In my view, Of so much i'm
poIlance 10 consider whether possibility
OF innocence can be admitted in favor Of
the parties implicated, as to determine
whether the presumption 10 t1elcontrary Is
not great in the present Instance that
their continuance would be incompatible
with the safety and well being of our po-
litical Institutions
About the time this letter was being
read IN Congress, Mr. Douglas, on the
stump in Illinois, was repeating the charge,
but in broader terms aud coarser style
More than that: Mr.. Douglas was also ac-
cusing Mr. Clay of being influenced by
corrupt motives at that very time, relative
to the Oregon boundary question. In g
speech delivered in the court House Square
a, Caroltou. Green County, IN 1874 Doug
/ lasl said:
II denounced him lClay) in the Con-
gress OF the United States. and now de-
nounce him as a rRAIroR-AN OLD BLACk
HEARTED TRAITOR-The first Ameri-
can statesman who ever attempted to sci
his eogafry for British yoldi"
The followers and admirers of Henr,
Clay have not forgotten these infamou,
charges. 1t remains to be seen how far the,
will permit the authors to use them in car
rying out coalition" whose objee; is TIT
defeat Of Clay's lifelong friend and zealou
defender.