Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-05-15
HENRY oIAY's MISTAKE.
How the WING Leader Defeated Himself in
1874.

How the WING Leader Defeated Himselfi in
1874.
Cor Cleveland Herald
Your editorial in the Leader of the
23d, commenting on the paragraph
copied from the Boston Advertiser. is
only part of the truth of history. It is
true that Mr.. Clay, who had been. the
idol for years Of the old Wing party, was
nominated by reclamation at Baltimore,
and his election was regarded as a sure
thing. The Texas question, involving
the question of slavery, was then the
letter Of Mr.. Clay on that question was
satisfactory to the Wings of the North.
They were opposed to the annexation of
Texas. So was Mr.. Clay. The canvass
was opened against "Polk, Dallas and
Texas" and the Wings were everywhere
driving the Democrats to the wall, and
the election of Mr. Clay was thought to
be certain. But in an evil hour MIR. Clay
was tempted to write the famous Gala
bama letter." in which he said, ''the
slavery question was only a temporary
one," and, personally, have no objec-
tions and should be glad to see Texas
annexed" etc. These words defeated
Mr.. Henry Clay as the Wing candidate
late Archbishop Hughes and the Cath
Ole vote in New York. It was the I'M
fortunate, i'll, timed and unwise letter of
Mr.. Clay, that from the time of its pub
LEGATION, put his party on the defensive
in that canvass.
You will remember the feelings of the
Wings in Cleveland, on the morning of
the day when that Alabama letter of Mr..
Clay was received in Cleveland, in an
extra of the Ohio Statesman. It was on
the 30th Of May, when mass meeting
Of the Wings CT the Reserve" had been
called in Cleveland. Mr.. sCorWin, Mr..
bury Ford, Judge Reuben Hitchcock and
others were in room No. 20 at the old
American House, where Mr.. Burknell
White came in and handedlMr. COrwin
the Alabama letter of Mr.. Clay. Mr..
COrWin read it and said Gentlemen,
may as well take my hat and 90 home.
We are defeated, as from this hour we
must fight on the retreat, and up to this
hour we have been driving our foe" He
was right.
The late Mr.. Thomas Ewing told me
''that after Mr.. Clay's nomination, in
company with few of Mr.. Clay's most
trusted and intimate friends, he visited
him at his home at Ashland, and there
the whole question of the canvass was
discussed. Mr.. Clay said he must write
one more letter in reference to the charge
| that had been made against him that he
had made bargain with Mr.. John
| Quincy Adams, as to his election to the
Presidency in 1925. Mr.. Ewing told him
such letter was wholly unnecessary, as
he could add nothing to the force of the
| disclaimer in that matter made by Mr..
| Adams, in his letter to the New Jersey
committee, in which letter he said: "Be-
fore you, my cOuntrymen, and before
high heaven, l pronounce that charge
absolutely false; and if I could meet it at
the throne of the Eternal, [ would pro-
nounce it false there" All agreed that
letter from Mr.. Clay was unnecessary.
Mr.. Clay in his own parlors, with the
gentlemen then present, agreed that he
would not write any more letters. On
all the great questions of public policy,
for long years, he had declared his opin-
ions on the floor of Congress, and on the
Texas question his Raleigh letter" was
satisfactory to his party. Mr.. Ewing
said che returned home, and in few
weeks entered upon the canvass in
Southeastern Ohio, and was speaking for
Clay and Frelinghuysen, until the Ala
bama letter was published. Then he
took his carpet-bag and returned home,
and did not make another speech, as Mr..
Clay had not kept his promise" Defeat
came. Mr.. Ewing said, che never men
toned the canvass of the Presidency to
Mr.. Clay after that; and if Mr.. Clay had
been nominated in 1848 or in 1852, he
would not have voted for him."
It was the Alabama letle that lost
Mr.. Clay the vote Of the anti-slavery
Wings in New York in 1874. See the
Albany EUeY1ing Journal of November,
1843, after the election, as to the cause of
the defeat.
Mr.. Clay defeated himself and ruined
his party He was the great cOmpro-
miser, and his compromises were always
in the interest of slavery.
And now as to 1913. You say "Gen.
Taylor, the Wing candidate, carried New
York against his Democratic competitor
by majority of 104,285." You do not
say that Gen. Taylor had two compel
itors in 184S, in New York. Gen. Cass,
the regular nominee of his party, and
Mr.. Van Buren,, the nominee of the new
Free Soil party. Mr.. Van Buren, was
nominated at Buffalo in August, 1913, for
the purpose of defeating Gen. Cass, and
his nomination elected Gen. Taylor and
gained California and New Mexico from
the NAV of slavery.
The Free S0jLer was power in the
election in 1913 for good. The indepen-
dent voter is to be power in November,
| 1884. His vote had better be looked
after at Chicago in June, 1884.
JAMES A. BRIGGS.
THINKS SHE Is BEWTTCHED.