suni(’ii.'!it understan'iinjj; llie intent of
the ; ol cfrarliaiiiCMit, the coiiclitioiis
ofilNM’re liol accepLcd by the Uiiitetl
Sfnter..”
I have already shown you how far the
bill was from meetinor the intent of the
■Qct of Parliament, although drawn by
(Ten. Smith forthat purpose. You will
therefore feel the awkwardness of your
position, in saying that the rejection of
that bill w'as a rejection of the proficr of:
your act.
But what if I should say that the bill
was not rejected? I will not say so ;
but I will quote you Gen. Smith, whom
I presume you w’ill admit to be compe
tent authority, for it was his own bill:—
“I took my own course,’^ says
tlieGeneral, in his speech last winter, and
“moved that the report of the commit
tee on comminrcc should be recommitted
v.’ith instructions, and I succeeded by a
large majority of the Senate. It was
.bent to the committee of finance, r'.nd I
xeportcri a bill zr/i/r/A would have
hut for irnrj of time. It was not
■rojectcdy an Mr. Van7iing has staled.
The Senate simply refused to consiiler
it, because members had other bills
which they were anxious to set on.*’
If, then, Gen. Smith is rip;ht, the Se
nate, instead of rejecting this hill, mere
ly laid it aside for want of time to act
on it, in the press of business at the
close of the session.
I designed, sir, as far as possible, like
n patriotic citizen, to make no allusion
in these letters to oiir parties in Ameri
ca. You had committed errors enough
to fill all my spacc, without making it
necessary for me to adve^T to what I
mie;ht think the errors of iny man or
body of men at home.
You, Ittwever, have looked at our par
ties ; you have calculatcd on our divis
ions. You know which side Gen.
Smith has taken in this controversy,
and I therefore commend to your spe
cial notice his declaration, that but for
want of time his bill would have passed
—and that “it was not, as you state,
rejected.”
This topic will, however, require ano
ther letter.
Till when, I have the honor to be, &c.
AN AMERICAN CITIZEN.
MR. CLAY k GEN. JACKSON.
ron THK CATAWBA JOCHNAL.
Mr. Bingham : You will oblige a sub-
acriluT by giving publicity in your Jour
sal of Tuesday next, to the accompany
ing letter of General Jackion, which I
have extracted from a Washington paper.
This letter refers to certain overtures
rnadc to General Jackson during the pep-
dency of, and a short time previous lo,
the late presidential election. Although
these overtures are said to have been
made by Mr. C\iy's friends, yet the cir
cumstances under which they weie made
induce not merely a suspicion, bui a strong
belief, that Mr. Clay himself was not ig-
rorantof the part which his agents were
playing in the interesting drama then go
ing on : (fl) it is perfectly in characier
vith the well known talents for intrigue
and management which has for some years
past distinguished that gentleman, and
for which lie has justly been held up as
ftii object of scorn and indignation to a
large portion of the people of this coun
try. (b)
ii is notoriously known, iliat Mr. Clay
lias always professed to maintain, as a fun
damental principle not to be departed
iTom, that in a government like ours,
“ the representative is bound to obey the
Avill of his constituents j” in fact, it was
by a scemi.nf^ zealous adherence to this
principle, iha; much of hisj early fame
and character was acquired. How far
his udions have corresponded with his
professions, facts will show.
When Mr.Clny \yas excluded from the
presidency by the vote of the electoral
college, his restless and scheming mind
began immediately to look out for means
to repair the injui y sustained by his re
cent defeat. He was not long in fixing
Ills views u])on tlic oflice of Sccrct?.ry in
the Slate Department; (r) naturally e-
nough thinking, that if iliis important
station could once be secured, it would
place him in the direct line of lei'imnate
succession, fiom whence, according to
liie (locirine of s:;fe jiretedents,” tliere
•Tas but one step to the glittering goal of
his» ambition : this was a consuuinution
»1e\i)utly to be wished.
Clay v.as \v( II aware that he held the
Inlance lu his liands, and th.at it was in
liis power, by throv/ing his intei-est irito
the scale, to r;lve a preponderance to
wl-iu‘.ever side he j.'leused. 'I'his was a
delicate dilemma to be placed in;—a ;;reat
rnd sacr^'d obiig'ttion rested ujK>n him.
'Ihen it was that “the note of preparation”
bv’gar. I'o iieighten the scenick effect, a
njystcrious silence was obseiyed by the
party :—all eyes were turncri to the-{;reat
arbiter, whose voice was to decide the
important (juestion •—public expectation
•w as on iipioe the most iiittnbc anxiety
v,ai on all sides manife.sted j and truly i_t
V'f.4 a period of grvat in:e;est lo every
Ai4i»‘r!ran, for the rr/ii,s had at length arri-
ted, whcr. the question vt'j - to be dccidcd,
uheinct fnt i •/ :/*'■ (o’) or tue
niachiiiulions of un itn/;(i!i/ couUtivn should
triumph. Auiidst all this anxiety and
suspense, the great magiciar., by the wav
ing of w lu'Se w and the issue of the con
troversy depenfied, was silting behind the
screen coolly calculating chances.
* General Tarkson weni into the Hou«e
15 votes ahead of Mr. Adams. He w-as
fvukntly the clioice of the people; (c)
and it i» glaringly apparent, that li' Ihcir
wishes had been fairly rei>resented, his
t-lection would have been cc; tain. Ui.der
these circumstances, honor and duly both
pointed cut lo Mr. Clay, in characiei i, as
strong and awfiiily iirii)re.-.;>ive iis “ilie
hand writing iipon tlit- wall,” ti.e
course he could coniiislently take: (/)
this was to add his strrngth to that ol'iiie
people, and thcrrl.y scc urc to them the
election of the man of tluir choice.
To suppose, for an ir.staitt, that ?’r.
Clay was not ful'y aware of all the cir
cumstances by winch he was surrounded,
their naiine, and the probable bearing
they were likely to have on the approach
ing contest, would be doing injustice lo
the well known sagacity of that wily pol
itician. He knew' that if he could bring
about a coalition with Jackson, such as
he wished, it would be by far his most
politic course. Such a union, he was ap
prised, would best accord with the views
of the South and Wesf, whose favor he
was anxious to retain : besides, he had
received exj)licit instructions from Ken
tucky, by ihe only legal organ thro’ which
that stale’s wishes could liave been made
known, namely, its legislature, that Jack
son was, next to himself, the man of their
choice. Under such circumstances and
considerations as ihe>:e, how was it pos
sible for him to vote for Mr. Adams,
without violating the sacred obligations
he was under to the state whose repi esen-
tative he was? an ol)ligalion, too, made
fif possible) more binding by his previous
professions.^ (g)
The truth is, Clay had resolved before
hand to leave nothing lo the precarious
issue of chance. He was willing lo vole
for Jackson, but wiih a condition annex
ed, that is to say, he must be paid for it.
For some weeks before it was ascertain
ed what would be Mr. Clay’s final deter
mination, certain meetings and conver
sations took place between the friends ol
Jackson and Clay, in the course of w hich
propositions were made in a half serious
half jesting way, that -f Jackson would
make Clay Secretary of State, they (Clay’s
friends) would make Jackson President ;
finding this plan not likely to succeed,
the expedient alluded to in Gen. Jackson’s
letter, was resorted to ; and this also fail
ing, Clay at once adopted the alternative
of transferring his interest to Mi*. Adams;
and verily he hus met with his rewai d. (A)
When we see a man who once occupi
ed so high and distinguished a place in
the hearts and confidence of his country
men, guilty of so flagrant a dereliction
from duly, of so open a violation of the
most sacred moral obligations which a
sense anl knowledge of right can im))ose,
language, becomes feeble and inadeciuate
to express fully t\»e strong indignation
with w hich weuie animaied. The jour
nals of our country have been rarely stain
ed by an act of such glaring, s,uch culpa
ble inconsistency, of so shameful an aban
donment of principle. (/)
It is now apj;arent that all Mr. Clay’s
dibinterested ]>-ofe%ions concerning the
subserviency of the representative to hi's
constituents, was a mere prelcnce, mac’e
use of to conceal from the world the sel
fish and inordinate ambition that lurked
at his heart; and that they were only put
on as a cloak, lo he thrown off whenever
an opportunity of advancing his interest
presented itself; but the act by'which be
attempted (but loo successfully) to burtcr
away as transferrable properly, the sa
cred trust reposed in him, has unmasked
him to the world, and his hypocrisy now
stands fully exposed in all its hideous and
naked deformity. (/)
Cien. Jackson’s letter is now before the
people. It IS for them to draw the infer
ence which its contents so evidently point
at; and to them I cheerfully submit it,
convinced that their candoi- and good
sense will give it a fair conviruction.
(a) It is yet to I)C provi :i tlir.t r.n;. piopo ,;
lion was muilo by Mr. I'lay’s frif'ud'^. \\ ti'-n
jiroof of this is a(l(li;ci-(l, tlitn it inu.st lie sliuu ii
tliat the pro|)()siiion was made with tlie kiiowl-
or i.trmissldn (if Mr. Clay. Ncit'.ifr, io
our op.nioii, v.lil t vcr be Jotu-, to;' the v.-ry
gcjuil reason, tiiut no proof c\ist.s.
(fi) U ho Iia\ (■ tlius held him Tip DiiH''>'’rn,
abi.vkrupt in foruim;, il'not in churartrr ; a m.in
tt)tallv iinkno\%n to a \(ry portion i|' Mu'
Aiiicricaii pcojilc, until he took tluir^e. of (lio
'I'oh-giMph ; Joliii Itaiitlolph, and others of like
stanip, with all tlie retainers, who, parrot like,
crtii buw 1 “ mma^v^-nient, intrij^ue, rori Mption.”
Hilt th;i’. Mr. Chiy ia “an ob;tct of :,torn ami
indignation to a i)ortioii '.’f the people of
ihi.s country,’* i^ an ;«'iS'Ttioii v';.oliy prat'-itons.
'I'lie “ scorn and indlf^irition” )f the people will
fall heavily on Ihelicadi of iiis caluuiniutor;..
(t) How docb “‘a sub.^i riber” knov; what \vi\%
|)'issing in Mr. liiind at liint time ^ llus
Mr. clay told him f !t is to he presumed ii(;t.
Wiieiice, tiien, docs he ikiive his luteriiution ^
Until lie tells us this, ve fire c(,mpelled to plate
tliis assertion along side of his others, as nothing
worth,
('/) One winld suppose, that, tho^c wlio are
so loud in Uieir I'enunci itiniiS of Mr. C;J^.y for
disreguniing’, as liiey s'.y, the “voice of the
jieoplc,” would, under aii circunistancc;.'., bow
to it with the Utnio.-t defc;\uce. Hut alas ! for
the iiiconbistency of iiiau, Kuth i.s not the fact.
'I'he, loiwiebt (leeluiniers against .Mr. (.iuv now,
for ilisregarding (as it is asserted) the voire of
il.e peoj;le IT. h'-., voV. fc7 rr'jsVf;-t wc
ici;.‘. to P jy S'-'V .*«• lo It. •' A s I..
scnbcr,” rit the last clectio.i. was a most
ous and d( voted iriend of Mr. (.r;fwiovil, umi
np to the lust nioini.iit, was anxious tiiatilie
Hon.:e should ck ct his nian, noiH it’-.standing hi
was returned the lowest on the list, unrl the
“voice of the pmplc” was decidedly against
him ; aiid had .Mr. Ouwford bceu elected, our
wn;.' for it, •• a ^ub-^critnTl’ would never have
lifted up his voice like a trniiipct, :i,u';^inst Mr.
Cl.iv, nor any oin? else.h)’’ ^' ting lor him in d;s-
rej^ ard of the “ rofVe of tlie people.” And so
Van }tur n, Thomas Kitchie, Uon.nhis .M.
S.aunders, ami rdl tlio gooii people’s luen uoir,
would bo .-IS sill nt as the trravc about the “ vo.ee
 r the jjeopie —tlie pubhc can judge Ironi
till', vUiat their protossions are wortii.
n) Whytlidnot Mr Crawford’.s frirnd.s, then,
vi.fe foriiic people's candidate Why ilid they
show bucii c*;nreuipt lor the of the
p.-ople, bv adhenitg, to the last, to that candl-
(iat>“ •who had I ss of the people's conhd-nf(r
;!ian f-ither of the otl)» rs J.ei ‘‘a sut>scriber”
clear hl..iseWV»iid his n-lctuis of tills sin a^ain>t
th" “ wi.shes «tf the people/’ before he agfain
whispers aiij;ii! against :n,y one el^e. It is a
sinpuhu' fact, that iVorth-Curolina was the onl)
state.whose delegation voted directly rontrar>
to, and in contempt of, the \otc of the pciipL in
the electoral eolletje; and yet, nianyoftlie.se
dele^-atrs arn now loud in their denunciations
of .Mr. Clav for voting against a candidate whieii
his state voted against! M'hy does not “ a suli-
scriber” denounce these men ? 'I'he rea.son is
ob^ious. and it will have its due weight with the
honest and unprejudiced portion of the rommu-
ni^v, w hf) havt“ pursued a uniform and consistent
course, and arc actuated by no new-born zeal.
As to flen. .lackson’s beinir the choice of the
people, it is an old story a thousand times re
peated and MS often refuted. If he had l)een the
eimire of the people, the people vvouhl have
fin ted him : htit instead of this, he obtained but
a fraction over nnr.-t/urd of tiie elcctn*al votes.
.Mr. ,\d'ims n ceived a fradion less than one-
third ; the representatives of the people, there-
fore, were then left to the exercise of their best
judgni( n!s in ninkiuf;;' a selection ; and they
chose Mr. A-l^nis, honestly and tairly.
(f) What course dill “honor and duty” point
out to ?,ir. Crawford’s friends !* Will “ a sub*
•5cril)cr” answer us that ^ Jtut “ honor and duty”
plainly pointed out to Mr. Clay the course he
should pursue ; and, true to his principles, he
did pursu'j it.
(if) Mr. Clay never bound himself to obey
the in.structions of the ki'i.s/uttirc of Kentucky—
•bey had no ripht to instruct him—he was not
their representative, and in no way amenable to
them. He alway.s professed to be l>ound !>y the
“ will of his co7iK'fifiicnfs;" and he did obey their
will. After the lejcislature of Kentucky had
assumed to themseh es a rig;ht which did not
he1on,£f to them, of instructing the representa-
tires in Conpres.s, Mr. Clay’s conntituenis took
the matter in band, and sent him iustmctlons, of
which tlie folhnvinp is a copy :—“ We, the un-
dersiernel voters in the Congressional district,
having viewed the instruction or refiuest of the
I-eg’ iature of Kentucky, on tlie subject of
choosing a President and Vice-President of the
U. States, with regret, and the said rerjuest or
instriictioii to our representative in Congress
fiom this district, being w ithout our know led^'e
or consent; 've, for many reasons known to
ourselves, connected w ith so inoinentou.s an t)C-
rision, hereby instrwt our representative in
Cong^ress to vote on this occasion agreeably to
his ow n judgment, anvl by the best lig-hts he
may have on the subject, with, or w ithout, the
consent of the l.egiiiature of Kentucky.” Here
was an express in.^inu'tion from his constituents;
and Mr. Clay was bound by it. .And, as anoth
er evidence that he did represent the wishes of
his constituents, they elected in his place a
known personal and political friend of I is. So
inuch for thin attempt of “a subscriber” to de
fame Mr. Clay’s character,
(/;) This paragraph is, like the rest, a mere
tissue of assertions, unsupported by jiroof. The
charge against ,\Ir. Clay is now in a train of in
vestigation. It has been met by his positive
and unqualified denial, anl,(ien. .fackson will
be called upon for the name of his informer.
If 'Ir, Cby be guilty, let the public 'indignation
rest on him; if he prove himself innocent, as
we have not tlie least doubt he will, then let
hi5 calumniators meet with that indignation,
scorn and contempt, which they will so richly
deserve. In the mean time, why attempt, by
preposterous inferences and bold’ assertions, to
sustain .a charge, the falsity or truth of which
will soon be established to the conviction of ev
ery one .' The reu.son is plain—(ien. .lacksi n’s
letter has disappointed his partisans—they see
how it will terminate—that Mr. Clay will come
out of this fii ry trial like “ gold scvtn times pu-
rilled and they wish to forestall public senti
ment and shield theniselvea from the fate which
awaits them. Hut the “ h.ind-writing is on the
wall” against them, and they must abide the
issue.
(i) This may p.iss as a pretty specimen of de
clamation and unfounded as.sertion, but for noth
ing more. Wr would again ask, is “a subscri
ber” equally as indignant against Mr. Craw ford’s
hiends who did vote against the wishes and ex-
pre.ssed w ill of their constituents, as against Mr.
Clay, who did not 'y Answer vis this.
{j) Tliis paragraph ha^already been fully an
swered in note Wc will only add, that
Mr. ('lay has he^'u in the service of his country
l)r v. cen VO and .'0 ye.nrs—his name is honorald’v
I'lemilied with the history of his country dur
ing: the moat ol that period—his services have
been neither few n'ji- small : during the most
f;loon.y period of tiie hist war, he stood firm and
tmdaunted, while many who are uow his caium-
niat.or.>, were tln'n as bitterly ojiposed lo the
l^overnnient as they are at this time : and is be
now to lie liunted d;.v. n anfl his eliaracter blast
ed by hirehng edit(U’s like I'riJ)'ilrr' I or by
men, wlu :>e S'„i’k'iee , when coinpared to his, are
ks a nr.isfi’d --eed to a .nioutitain, and v. liose ciiar-
arters and i.rini'iplr.s, if not quc:;tiona!d-, have
not hem te. ted •’ Are John ilandolpli and Duff
(ireeii m'.'re wortii} ilie confnienee of ihe [leople
than llenrj. ! Cantlie people trust (i,or>,'-i;
I»re;.u r, uiuul li. Ingham and l.'omulu.. M.
Sannd'TS, iis they v. nuld, they hnve trust-
( d, Mrni " Clay ^ \Vr !eli-_vc no'.' Nor do we
believe th;)t they will saret'on the vil^ and n!-
nio ,t unpariilleled CKluinnies henpr 1 upon an old
and faidit'il [mbhc s.,r\a:.l by tuch men or iheir
agents and in'.ltator.s,
(tthcral fu Ihvcrhjj.
II i-.i!’*; i.,r,T;, jft.K. 5, ] 327.
I)’. 'R Sir:—Your letter, of the 15th
ult. from Louisville, Ky. is just received,
and hi conformity with your
address my answer to Wheeling, V*a.
Voer innuirif’s relative to ihe proposi
tion ot bargain m.ide llirough Mr. Clav’s
cf tliv
ihfQ pending P?'« bluciUiui
uisweieil ftd.’/QiiJ jrnnlihj at the linie ,
but Without any calculation that Uiey
were to be thrown into the public joiir-
nals ;—but facts cannot be altered, and
as your leiter seems not to have been
written for publication, I can assure you,
that having no concealment mysell, nor
any dread arising from what ! may have
said on the occasion and subject alluded
10 ; my fetdings lowai-ds you are uot the
leuat changed. I always intended, should
Mr. Clay come out over his own name
and deny having any knowledge of the
communication made by bis friends to my
friends and to me, that I would give him
the name of the gentleman through whom
that communication came. I have not
seen your letter alluded to, as having been
published in the Telegraph ; although
that paper, as I am informed, is regularly
mailed for me at Washington, still I re
ceive it irregularly, and that containing
your letter has not come to hand, ol
course I cannot say whether your state
ment is substantially correct or not—I
will repeat, however, again the occur
rence, and lo which my reply to vou must
have conformed, and from which, il
there has been any variation, you can cor
rect it. It is this. Early in January,
IS-5, a member of Congress ot high re
spectability, visited me one morning, and
observed, ^hat he had a communication
he was desirous to make to me—that he
was informed there was a great intrigue
going on ; and that it was I’ight I should
he informed of it—that he came as a
friend—and let me receive the commu
nication as I might, the frie^dly motives
through which it was made he hoped
would prevent any change of friendship
or feeling with regard to him. 1 o which
I replied, from his high standing as a
gentleman, and member of Congress, and
from his uniform, friendly and gentle
manly conduct towards myselt, 1 coultl
not suppose he would make any commu
nication to me, which he supposed im
proper. ’riierefore his motive.'; being
pure, let me think as I might ot ihe com
munication, my feelings towards him
would remain unaltereil. The gentleman
proceeded. He said he had been iiilorm-
ed, by the friends of Mr. Clay, thai the
friends of Mr. Adams had made over
tures to them, saying, if Mr. Clay and
his friends would uiiite in aid of ihe elec
tion of Mr. Adams, Mr. Clay should be
Secretary of State. That the Iriends ol
Mr. Adams were urging, as a reason to
induce the friends of Mr. Clay to accede
to their proposition, that if 1 was elected
President, Mr. Adams would be contin
ued Secretary of State, (inuendo ; there
would be no room for Kentucky.) That
the friends of Mr. Clay .«tated, the West
ditl not wish to separate from the West;
and if I would .say, or permit any of my
confidential friends to say, that in case I
was elected President, Mr. Adams should
not be continued Secretary of State, by
a complete union of Mr. Clay and his
friends, they would put aa end to the
Presidential contest in one hour. And
he was of opinion it was right to fight
such intriguers with their own weapons.
To which, in substance, I replied, “ that
in politics as in every thing else, my guide
was principle; and contrary to the ex
pressed and unbiassed will of the people,
or their constituted agents, I never would
step into the Presidential chair ; and re
quested him to say to Mr. Clay and his
friends, (for I did suppose he had come
from Mr. Clay, although he used the
term Mr. Clay’s friends,) that before I
would reach the Presidential chair by
such means, of bargain and corruption, I
would see the earth open and swallow
both Mr. Clay and his friends and my
self with ihem. If they had not confi
dence in me to believe, if I was elected,
that I would call to aid in the cabinet,
men of the first virtue, talent and integ
rity, not to vote for me.” The second
day after this communication and reply,
it was announced in the newspapers that
Mr. Clay had come out openly and avow
edly in favor of Mr. Adams.
It may be proper to observe, that in the
supposition that Mr. Clay was privy to
the proposition stated. I may have done
injustice to him ; if so, the gentleman in
forming me can explain.
I am, very respectfully, your most
obedient servant,
ANDKKW JACKSON.
Mu. CaRTF.U BtVllHLKY.
The following article from the >Miecling Ga
zette has, no doubt, the bunction of .Mr. Clay,
who was at Wheeling when it was written. We
recommend it to the serious attention of ;dl im
partial persons, v/ho arc anxious to arrive at the
truth, and who would not condemn even the
meanes* individual, until he is proved guilt) by
credible Icttlmony.
[From the Wheeling Gazette.]
e pubioh in our paper to-day, a copy
of a leiter from Cien. Jackson to Carter
lieverhy, esq. who is nov/ in this jilace,
and received by liirn in rej)Iy to a leller
which he addressed to the Cieneral, le-
(piestin,^ a confirmation of the statements,
which wore f:rst published in ‘lie Fayetie*
ville Observer, isi the form of an anony-
mons leiter, of w'hich ^Ir. Ueverley is
now the avowed author. 'I’his letter from
Tien. Jackson was by permi'ision of Mr.
lievei-ley, put into liic hands of Mr. ClavV
on his arrival in tiiis town on the 21st
ult, Mr. (day, in the pi’esencr of alar>M-
of 'he
iiiOit bOiriiiu ufiU p03tiive tiiatitier ti'*
the staiemenis’contained in the letie-
far as it concerned liimEeU', had no
dation in trulbj and so far as his
ledge authorized him to speak in hch'df
of his friends, he could proaounce it
qually false and unfounded.
To thotie, who are anxious to see il,%,
matter more fully developed, this
from Gen. Jackson will be deemed a vah
uable acquisition. The affair has now
assumed such a characier, that ii will^fj
mil a thorough investigation. An i.s^u^
can row be made up, ihat will tcsttho
true merits of the case. Mr. Clay ha-.
never shrunk from the most rigid scrmi!
ny into his jiuhlic characier—he now 1,^0
fe.sses bis readiness, as well as the highc'-*
satisfaction at the opportunity wiiidi i *
afforded him, to meet this reiterated 2nd
degrading attack upon his political hot
or and integrity. He will deem it a clutv
which he owes to himself and the public
to stand forth and vindicate his charur-
ler from a foul and odious charge, ernan
atingas it does, from so distinguished
personage as Gen. Jackson The natn^
of the hero’s resj)ectable informer nius*
now be given up, and he must come for'
ward, and substantiate sa’isfaciorilv the.
truth of his statements, or he prepared to
fake his station by the side of a kindred
accuser, who cried aloud and spared not
until the day of trial. The confidnici
of Mr. Clay’s friends in his pohiicul hon
esty, is not to be disturbed by vagne and
indtTinite reports, even although General
Jackson himself propagates their circu
lation. He must ofter something more
than his own conjcctures and snpposiiion^
lo persuade them that Mr. Clay is an
unprincipled and profligate politician.
They will call for proofs, in the place oi’
unauthorised inferences and inuendoes.
So much gross and palpable misrepre
sentation has been thrown upon the pub
lic conduct of Mr. Clay by his political
enemies, it cannot be expected that any
new charge against him w ill he received
u itb ready credulity. He has been visit
ed with a measure of calumny and abuse
which rarely falls to the lot of any man.
His public and private character has been
assaulted in every shape which it was
possible for political animosity to sug
gest. lie has withstood the storm of the
most violent and merciless persecution—
firm and undaunted he has braved its fury
—and we feel perfect security in our be
lief that he w ill come forth uninjured by
this threatening blast from the pretended
tranquil region of the “ Hermitage.”
The advocates of Mr. Clav, notwith-
standing their enthusiastic devotion to
him and his cause, and their present im
plicit belief in the rectitude and purity of
his principles, however painful maybe
the sacrifice, are nevertheless prepared to
yield him to public indignation and scorn,
if Gen. Jackson, or his political associate>,
shall convict him for bargain, intnt,'ut
and corruption. They ask but the same
measure of justice to be dealt out to his
accusers, if they should fail in their proof
of ihe charges—if nothing should be found
to authorize their assertions, let them be
visited with the infamy and contempt
which the enormity of their slander mer
its from an insulted and outraged com-
munny. Mr. Clay’s friends are willing
to abide the issue of the investigatior.
which will undoubtedly be instituted by
the production of this letter from tien
Jackson. It is not our purpose to ex
press an opinon at this time, as to tlm
motives which may have actuated Gen
Jackson in propagating statements so de
rogatory to the public character of Mr-
Clay, and sustained by testimony, appa
rently of a loose and uncertain descrip'
tion—nor is it for us to say, what kind or
quantity of evidence, might be suHi' ien"
to produce an irresistible conclusion ir
the mind of the General, that a great po*
lilical rival would”'descend to use t!
basest means for the promotion ol hi'
own ambitious purposes. "Ihe h'tt*'
speaks for itself, and wc reconimcnd a''
attentive perusal of it to our readers
it will certainly lead to a course f^l i'”
quiVy attended with important resnhs.^
Upon looking in the Gentleman’s .M if-
azine for 1753, I find that, a person n’
those days claimed to !)e the inventor c'^
a new hypothesis of the internal frame 0.
the earth, which brought to my recoil^'
lion Mr. Symmes, who perhaps has scir.
it. He supposes that the scmi-HiametC'
of the globe is 4000 miles, which isu
vidcd as follows : I'i-st, the Kartli has*
thick cnist, oJO miles deep, then an
panse 1000 miics deep, which is a p.y-'
dise for unembodied spirits, bcspan.i^j"'
with stars, in wb.ich reigns eternal -a)
and j)erpetual spring; then a crust
miles deep; and then another er.])ansc
miles deep; after this we come to
nucleus of ihe earth, 1000 miles dt’^lb^ *
on fire, atid ib the prison of devils an-
wicked spirits. N. T. Coin.
Leqal Forms.—A young man and
father presented tliemselves at a notai) ^
office to sign a contract. The clerk lirs
addressed the son—“Sir, arc you tuen
ty-one?" “Here, Sir,” answered tn«
young man, “is the certih'ate ol
birtli.” “Very well; and vou,
to ibe father, “are you '
‘‘'I'hat is a pretty (juestion, '
lather, ‘‘do you think I am n.»i
us old as niy own son I" “ ^
answer,” said the notarv,
nr'^flucc your ccrtiHcate. ”