The Indianapolis journal., 1893-11-20
OLD LETTERS FROM HENRY CLAY.


Two letters OF Henry Clay have recently
come to light which show how ardentIy he
desired to be President The letters were
found In arranging lot OF old papers or
the late Chief Justice Robertson, OF Ken
lucky, to whom they were addressed, one
having been written prior TO the presiden-
tial election In 1874 and the other three
days before the meeting Of the whig con-
yention in 1915. The first letter. dnted
Washington, Feb. 2S. 1924 marked conf
dential." reads as follows:
There has been the greatest change with
In the last three months on the question to
which your letter relates. Since the demon
stratonS made in the West in my favor all
now agree that i am certainly one or three
persons from whom the selection Is 10 oe
made, and many even OF those who are not
friendly TO me allow that my prospects are
the best Of the three. Mr.. Crawfords
friends already begin to fel and admit that
their calculations have been too sanguine,
and allow that he is on the decline. Maine
coming out as she has done for Mr.. Adams,
the little consolation given him BY the West
ana tie known fact that New York remains
uncommitted 10 him. have removed the veil
and exposed the fallacy of those calcua-
tionS by which his election was with 50
mucn certainty anticipated. 1t is my de-
cided conviction that at this time Mr.. Ad-
ans IS the stronger OF those two. He has
reason reason TO count upon all New England.
while Mr. Crawford can only rely upon
Georgia certainly, with probably the best
prospect at present OF North Carolina and
Virginia Beyond those three States df
they be yielded TO him) he can make no GER
tam estimate. Pennsylvania, il is confident
~ expected, Is more disinclined to him than
even TO Mr.. Adams, and in New York he
is clearly on the wane. Ny friends are very
Sanguine and buoyant.
From Pennsylvania, New York and vir-
ginla our information is very encouraging,
and enough, / think, 10 authorize a belief
that two, If not all three, of the States
VIII ultimately support me. j have from
Nvh hn II clof,n fc In.
the most fiattering intelligence, upon which
L can altogether rely. In the meantime,
our policy is TO make entanglilg alliances
with none and to keep clear OF all enmities
and chickering's. i adhere to the maxim,
from which / will never depart, to make
to no eiI airangenents na 70 FORM no connections.
L am elected or not, to have no cause laid
up for self-reproach.
This was before the era Of nominating
conventions, nominations being made by
congressional caucus. In the election OF
1924 there were four presidential candidates
before the people: Andrew jackson. John
Quincy Adams, William II. Crawford and
Henry Clay. None of them received ma
jority of the electoral votes, and the elec-
ton devolved on the House of Represent
atives. Mr.. Clay, knowing that he could
not be elected in the House, took the lead
for Mr.. Adams, who was elected. Notwith-
he only carried three States out of twenty
four. and received only thirty-sevcn out
Of 26l electoral votes. He was a presiden-
tial aspirant for the next twenty-five years.
and in lS4S felt very hopeful of being nom-
mated, as the following letter, written
from Ashland, June !, 1S4S, will show:
This is the last day when my letters can
reach you before the Whig convention
Notwithstanding all that has been said
a nN
Will lind the only rival contest for the NOM
ination to be between General Taylor end
me; but the friends of General Scott. OF
Judge Mclean and Mr.. Webster will pos
sess the power Of determining the contest,
ana hence course OF great Cancellation to-
ward them will be highly expedient The
points to be attended TO are:
l. To secure the Kentucky delegation. The
loss OF that would exercise very undesira-
bic influence on other States. / would hope
that State pride alone and the injurious
consequences which might result in this
state would prevail with a majority OF
them.
, To obtain majority of the delegation
from Ohio. / have heard Mr. Corwin has
formally declined all the overtures of last
winter. and up to a late period this spring
led me confidently TO believe that he, being
out OF the way, l should have a majority
OF that delegation. If L had believed that
Ohio would not have supported me / would
never have yielded my consent to the sub
mission OF my name to the convention L
still hope that my information was incor-
rect.
3. To prevail on the ma jority OF the Indi-
ana delegation to go for me. ] have heard
that such is it's inclination, but / cannot
vouch for it. / hope that Joseph l.. White,
esq.,, of New York now formerly of Mad
in this object
t. The post of the Pennsylvania delega-
ton will be highly important. I suppose
that more than a third of it are already
for me. and the next largest number are
for General Scott. Over this portion OF IL
Mr.. Stevens will exercise a controlling in
fllanPp of Hof
man l entertain the very highest opinion,
and / have no prejudices against him. OF
course, / can make no promise of engage
ments to any one founded upon the event
Of my election. But short of that, you may
say everything to him that you may deem
honorable and correct
5. The promptness with which my friends
may act After the first ballot, If IL be
successful, some of the faint-hearted may
despair. They should be stimulated to hold
on, for am entirely convinced that when
the contest is confined TO General Taylor
and me must get much the larger number
of the votes in the free States, which in
the first trial, will be cast against both him
and me, including a majority of those from
Massachusetts. These should be appealed
to on the ground of the injury which
resulted TO me from the support gave Mr..
Adams.
The reference in this letter TO "the in
jury which resulted to me from the support
gave Mr. Adams is to the fact that Mr..
Adams appointed MIR. Clay Secretary OF
State, gave rise to charge of political
bargain between them. John Randolph
styled 1t "a coalition of puritan with black
| Leg for which he was challenged by Mr..
| Clay and they fought a duel but neither
| was injured The alleged bargain" be-
| tween Clay and Adams was used against
| the former, much to his injury. But ne
| was doomed to disappointment in 1873. as
he had been before. The Whig convention,
| dazzled by military renown and the plausi-
| BILE argument of availability, nominated
| Gen. Zachary Taylor, the hero of the MeNi-
can war, and he was elected. Mr.. Clay did
not live to see another presidential cleo
| ton. for his death occurred in June. 1852.
| The foregoing letters show that he chased
| the presidential ignis fatuus during nearly
| all his public life without ever overtaking
| it. Read after the lapse OF so many years.
| they show what shadows we are, and
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