Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-07-01
Buchanan and Clay.


Mr.. Swsrr, bis executor, says that he has often
heard Mr.. Buchanan express his admiration Of
Henry CLAY. This was Of course, after Mr. Oay's
decesse. Said he: tOf sll the men ever knew,
Mr.. Clay stood highest in msgnanimity, in con-
scious, positive superiority. he was splendid
leader, largely endowed with the graces, with eo-
ouence, genius, heartiness and soul
It was said by Mark Anthony according to the
report which Shakespeare has left Of his celebrated
speech over the dead body Of Cesar, that
The evil that men do live after them;
The good is oft inferred with their boneg,"
The evil that the late ex President did must live
aftsr him for part of it most disastrous TO his
country at large and most destructive to the South
which he made it the study of his partisan life TO
serve Another and scarcely the lesser part is preg
nantiv suggested by the above extract-the wrongs
of James Buchanan to Henry Clay while living
and so tardily atoned for when dead. We have the
charity TO believe that whatever good Mr.. BuchaR-
an may have done, has not been inferred with his
bones. For one we are more than willing 1t should
ali be carried to his account with posterty TO les
SEN if possible the great balance of evil to be made
up against his memory.
Most of the present generation may have over
looked the facts Of history as connected with the
treatment Of the llustFious kentucky statesman by
the recently deceased Pennsylvania politician, but
there are many Of Mr.. Clay's friends-and no pub
lie man ever had more attached ones-stil on the
given, the triple wrong to which we now make
brief reference.
l. In the winter of 1925, when it was known that
Mr.. Clay was the fourth in the Presidential race
before the country 10 succeed MIR. Monroe and that
he could not come before the House Of Representa-
tives, to compete with Jackson, Adams and Craw-
ford, he and his Western supporters In Congress
were beset by the friends of Jackson and Adams,
for their influence to be thrown in the scale Of their
candidates respectively. It was believed that Mr..
Crawford could not be elected, with the States
that voted for Mr. Clay, as their first choice On
the other hand the personal relations Of Mr. Clay
with Gen. jackson and Mr.. Adams had, at various
times been interrupted. With Gen. Jackson they
were on 5aekson's part Positively hostile But this
did not ahate the efforts of the jackson interest to
bring about reconciliation and the vote Of the
West under the lead Of Geesy1- - scksen,
James Buchanan, then a member of the House of
Representatives undertook the negotiation. It may
be, as was subsequently pretended, that he volun-
teered this Office. AT all events he happened in at
the room of Mr.. Clay, while one of his colleagues,
Mr. Leteher, of Kentucky, was with him. and re-
porting TO NJ. Clay what was said of the pending
contest outside, remarked that the opinion was
rent--meanng, no doubt, with the friends of Jack
son. if not with the old hero himself-thst with An
drew jackson for President, and Henry Clay for
Secretary of State, the country would have one of
the most brilliant administrations on record,
After the contest was ended, and Mr.. Clay had
sense Of what he felt would be best for the country
voted in the House for Mr.. Adams, and most of his
Western friends with him, Mr.. Buchanan told Jack
son that he could have been Presdentif he had ten
dsred Mr.. Clay the Secretaryshp Of State, which
everybody said Mr. Adams would now bestow upon
him. Upon this conversation jackson subsequent
~ founded the charge of bargain and intrigue
against Mr.. Clay and when challenged to the proof
made Mr. Buchanan his witness This ultimately
brought out the celebrated Buchanan letter of 1926
or (ls27), in which the writer was impeed, from
decsnt respect to at least part of the TRUTH TO say
that the General had misconstrued his own mere
opinion for the assertion of fact. Bat he had no
respect the sequel proved, for the whole truth,
and none for that manly fairness which should have
prompted the relation of the part he had attempted
10 play in the way of coalition"
3. The letter of Buchanan failed to silence the
charge of bribery and intrigue. The writer him
self wss willing participant in tho result of this
wicked cutlery. he was to be the favored recipient
of the ho0ors and offices of the triumphant Jack
son party. And when some years after, for the vim
dication of the truth of history, Mr.. Letcher be-
sought Mr. Clay to tell the whole story, his reply
was t hat be was under promise to Buchanan not to
repeat che conversation, from which Re must first
be oluntarily released by Buchanan; and he was
the more determined on this point because So ishad
that most Of bis countTymeD, of the Old Jack
son party had done him justice in their hearts, and
the rest he had every reason to believe, would do
so in good time But when, just before or pending
the last canvass Of Mr.. Clay for the Presidency,
vicious but feeble effort made TO revive the old
charge Mr. Letcher could not stand the injustice Of
longer silence and the whole truth came out. Our
recollection may be at fault to the particular date,
but it must have been about the years 1924.
g. Mr. Buchanan, if ar upright mar, could have
had no good reason 70 object to this long delayed
revelation But his want Of generosity toward Mr..
CLAY soon showed itself on the stump Ia Pennsyl-
vania in the bold decarston-which respect for his
recent decease forbds US to characterize in language
betting the enormity of the wrong-that be knew
Mr. Clay and Mr. Polk well, and their sentiments
on the subject of protection TO American industry,
and of the two be believed Mr. Polk 10 be the bet
ter or safer Tariff man for Pennsylvania How
such speeches in the Iron counties of Pennsylvania,
the one in question. we believe was made at Mil
ton in Northumbe rland county, contributed to the
fraud of - Polk, Dallas and the tariff Of ~, and
how this fraud was goried in, as successful politi
cal dodge and the tariff of - was soon repealed
under Folks administration and by the casting vote
OF Dallas in an equally divided Senate, are well re-
membeFed by the country.
Under these circumstances we need scarcely say,
how little the real opinion and admiration Of James
Buchanan for Henry Clay, as now made known,
awaited the great statesman while living, and how
much they might hzve served the of truth had
Mr. Buchanan, If endowed with even half the
niagnanimity, the heartiness and soul which he
acknowledged in private way, that he greatly i'd
mired in Mr. Clay--svowed them sefoie the world
AID defended his integrity and honor 81 be mad sui
fersd them 70 De most foully maligned We need not
discuss. The facts carry their own commentsry.-
Eei0 Fork Tinass.