The New York herald., 1876-08-17
Ex-senator Clingman Corrects Mr..
Thurlow Weed.
HOW CLAY WAS FOILED.
President Taylor's Military Mad
ness Strong Obstacle.
General ToOnbs Only at the
Presidents Deathbed.
wAsHIyGroS, August 13, 1876.

wAsHIyGroS August 49, 1876.
To EDITOR HERALD
My attention has been called to letter Of the Hon.
Alexander II. Stephens which appears In your paper OF
the Sth inst, in whlc some references made to mo
In connection with Messrs Stephens and Toombs.
understand that there previous letters of
Mr.. Thurlow Weed in which mention made OF my
name The transactions which led to the mistake OF
Mr. Weed were in themselves sufficiently interesting to
justify elaborate article in enc OF the magazines OF
the day; but shall content myself with corcse
statement as can present to make the matter under
stood know much OF the transactions than
any else, but there gentlemen living to whom
the several shall refer known far
they material.
During the session OF $780, at which the compromise
passed, Mr. Clay resided at the National
Hotel l was also boardcr there, and, though OPP
posing Mr.. Cluy's plan, was in constant communca
ton with him. In fact, II several days had passed
without my calling a his room in the evening he
would on casually meeting about the Capitol say,
"where have you been all this whlles expect you
have been in some mischief" He would say fire.
quenty, ~ wish to hear from you all and then will
decide for myself"
REASONING WITH
During conversation evening said to him that
there werc three forces or obstacles to his scheme of
compromise that sufficient defeat v, VIZ -
Firs the opposition OF the antslavery ps.ty led by
such men AS Mr.. seward; second that OF the admins
Eation OF General Taylor and third that of tho South
rights That he would not win the support
HMr Sewards party, because they desired to keep up
sectional agitation for political effect, and OPP
posed therefore to any settlement and that the ad
nnistraon had d plan OF its'Own it would regard It,
,ef defeated II any other form Of settlement
Idoplcd; but that tho Southern men would be in
I'm cia lin
his scheme of adjustment. That OF two iii ngs
Houd bring him Southern votes enough to enable HIM
his bills-ener to cut of the southern portion
II California by the line OF thirty-sx thirty or what
preferred, TO let California come in whole, and,
equivalent, on tho western border OF Missouri, 10
:hange the line of thirty-sx thirty the iorteth
parallel, aud, after running IT back to what was
10 The south and extend it to the Pacific ocean with
The southern boundary OF California. had in speech
made i'll january previously, urged tins plan. Mr.
Clay rejected instantly the proposition TO change III,
line OF The Missouri Compromise. He also "a; fret
said, .You bad well talk Of dividing the
California;" but, alter some further conversation,
seemed to yield somewhat though he left his purpose
unlecded, or at least did not then announceit.
REPuLsED
A few evenings after this, my meeting him, no
said impetuous!v, and with seeming disappointment
"You were mistaken, for The Southern Senators viii
not support my plan even we asree TO The division of
California" lie then stated that Senator Foote, oi MIS-
s'.ippi had 'ha Gay spoken IN to hun. sou,e Ies
such hasty movement as that which he had tred was
vi Judged and certain TO have laileu; that time
necessary to make the preliminary movements which,
felt confident would bring them in. then explained
in detail to Mr. Clay what proposed should be done.
GENERAL rAYLoRs BLuxDKR
General Taylor, II WAS undef Stood was then con,em
plating the use of tho army settle dispute
the boundary OF Texas There alarm at the pros.
pect OF the country being precp,'aed INTO civil
The southern whies especially were excited. feel ns
that they had already gone ~ far In their support OF
lhe extreme Northern views OF their party they
:ouId afford to do. NV colleague Mr.. Outlaw; Mr.
n N.-u oNA.,
disposed to abandon he administration II such policy
Vas insisted on. After hGdng that most If not all
Of the moderate OF the southern wings concurred
In these views, caucus was called composed OF South
wings alone Alter a ull Interchange oil views IT
was agreed that proper effort should be male in
duce General Taylor TO change his policy and III the
event OF failure SO - change his purpose was evident
that The Southern wings probably all with the excep
ton OF Mr. Stanley, would abandon the administration,
loose from the Northern wings and ACT with the
democratic party. Three gentlemen were selected
with General TaylorMr Charles NJ. Conrad. OF
Louisiana a personal friend OF General Taylor and
Representative from his own State Mr Humphrey
Marshall who had served under him in Mexico and
Mr. Toomts who had been OF the most active aud
influential men in bringing forward General Ia, lor
as a Presidential candidate. In order that
,here might be any
implied in the movement, 1t was agreed
ihs; these gentlemen should converse with General
Taylor separately Mr. Conrad hrst saw him and stated
10 the result OF the interview. He said that the
President obstnatey fixed in his purpose, and that
his mind prcJudced that he regarded the oppo
Sition to his scheme factious, and stimulated by
Messrs Clay Webster from chagrin because had
Cass was hostile on account OF his defeat Mr. Marshall
vvon after had interview with similar result
While speaking OF to me he bustin III OF laughter
Iaying 1.-The old fellow takes the military view OF the
question: he SAID he had ninety men rom the North
and only thirty from the South referring to the rela
tive number OF whig members from the two sections
and asked, 'Am TO give up my ninety IN the North
for your thirty in the south I"
TooxBs TAyLoR's DEArHBED
Mr.. Toombs did General Taylor until after he
had been taken ILL., but before he supposed TO be
in danger He became III, 1t may be remembered,
Nli flQ eel of j
and died the 9th About the time OF his death somo
u those papers which were in sympathy with Mr
Needs views had exaggerated statements OF Mr.
Ioombs' interview, and represented him as standing
.he dying President and using threatening an-
guage to him. presume that Mr.. Weeds mistake Is
10 vague rec0IlcctioDs OF these publications.
The death OF the President changed the condition Of
he whole question: anu the caucus did not reassembe
gam. The machinery with which the Southern
wings 10 be detached on tins question from their
.onndeIt that General Taylor Would refuse our
'cqucst, aud was equally confident that in
,uch con, ngency the southern wings would unite
With the democracy North and south, and uuder tho
cad OF Mr. Clay, aided by General Cass, make a
mon the administration. As Mr.. CIay's per.
sonai influence would have brought IN few Northern
wings we should have had about two-hrds OF the
gress, and would easily have carried a substantial
measure of compromise Ii would have been an ex-
tension OF the Missouri line 10 the Pacnc such
modification would have been Improvement. We
should have escaped the mschicvous non Intervention
ambiguity which, its results. verified the then
upprcnended from 1t. We should thus have avoided
,he resulting from the Kansas and Nebraska
uruggc. which expedited the collision between the
ectlons many years. and Likewise the split at Charles
,on, which prccpltatsd the country into immediate
Mr. CLAY cnAxexD HIS POLICY.
The death oi General Taylor threw the issue again
back into hs condition OF uncertainty. Mr.. Clay
changed line OF policy. He had refused to take
amendment OF Norris, though he SAID II would, II
doptcd give him our additional votes the Senate
or his bills. He now, however, decided to accept 1t.
toward the latter yart OF Juy mad some conversation
si.n MIN in the senate. That morning he dressed
all IN srotcss white, except his blue coat, and
looked mUro buoyant IN spirits than had
nm during the session. On my reminding him OF or
mer conversations he said that he would take Norris
amendment and gain votes enough to pass the bill
saia-"Mr Clay, you have been disappointed three
times this session. With an lmpetuous his
hand and u naughty look, he sad-"Thc administra-
ton was the only obstacle 10 the passage OF my
measures and | shall now carry them without dim
sulty." 1 walked across the chamocr ana spoke
10 Hsssrs uunfAr md Soule who were standing to-