The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1893-07-25
A Letter From Henry Clay.

The Detroit Free Press, of late date,
publishes letter from Henry Clay
written to his friend, Frank Thomas,
of this city. The letter is especially
interesting to Mt. Sterling people be-
cause it refers to those who were well
known to our older citizens. Mr..
Thomas was the father OF Mrs. Louisa
French, whose property the letter now
is. The editor referred to is a Mr..
Bowling, who was Jackson Demo-
crat, and whose death occurred only
year or two since in Washington, City.
Ashland, October 5, 1929.
Dear Sir--Since my return from
the Green River Country, Mr.. Smith
has shown me sketch, by whom
made I know not, of my speech at Mt.
Sterling, which appears to have been
addressed to you. 1t is in general re-
markably accurate and is certainly a
much fuller as well as more correct
representation of what said on that
occasion than was published in the
Mt. Sterling paper. Still 1 do not
wish its publication, for two reasons,
first of which is that do not think it
ofsufficient importance and the second,
that l do not mean at any time to be
forced to publish any speech by the
garbled accounts of it from an ini-
mical source. One of the conditions
on which I consented to address the
meeting was that my speech should
not be published. To that L adhere.
My indisposition to the publisher docs
not proceed from any objection which
1 have to my expressions or even my
thoughts being known to the whole
world, but because 1 do not wish to
present myself too frequently before
the public. | have in the course of
the last three weeks made some half
dozen speeches, two of which occupied
more than three hours in delivery.
None of them have heen or will be
published. And yet 1 never made
one in my life that appeared to give
SO much satisfaction as the two did at
Russellville and Hopkinsville, to the
whole audiences. / caused a para
graph to be inserted in the Reporter
denying the correctness of the sketch
published at Mr.. Sterling, with that
/ am content. There were several
gross inaccuracies in that sketch
which could point out if had it and
it was necessary, One was in relation
to the time the offer was made me of
the Department of State and my mo-
tives for accepting it. Another was
in attributing to me the sentiment
that would give up the union sooner
than the American system. l said
that if minority could at any time
run upon any subject and in any part
of the union and by threats of its dis
solution control the majority that the
union would not be worth preserving.
Much as prize the American system
/ love the union still more. There
was nevertheless enough of truth in
some parts of the sketch to deceive a
careless reader who heard the speech
1 am sorry to trouble you so much on
little affair really not worth it. AS
to anything the editor of the paper at
Mt. Sterling q forget his name) can
say, write or do, it is absolutely be-
meath my contempt. / will thank
you to make my respects to the gen.
tleman who furnished you with the
sketch, and to inform him that it is
my will that it should not be publish
ed. Be pleased also to communicate
my regards to Mrs. Thomas and Mr..
and Mrs. Howard, and believe me
with constant regard.
Yours Respectfully,