WES
VOL VI. J
HAUSDUnY, C.....TCr.ilMV,'JiXji H IIM.
NO, 2CJ.
. Df WILO WMTLY
TV tawj of WUf Ca.ni lfl
S4 M JU1 I 7VN
uliUI H SnMCO. - '
M m:' Ww.wd, the tUe
. H tU Mtil all aiaM' M4.
- jymwBW wUt be imn4ft ttj rvwti
Mf M 4lx rt UwrWi , 14 WW? t
trtUMbilMMwt MtlM editor, -aws be
ft f4, or Ovy WU oo
NATIONAL POUTICB.
f. KMtMUea JDOMUS
T the Electors as if Kwth Cefvweael
District of the tUM rM9 Ivaaia.
; You are fully aware, fellowKitiieai,
of the occurrence which took place io
the lIovM of Rrprcieouiit es, relative
toccrtsio charges ag.intt Mr. Clar,
contalecd in a Utter of mine which
tat published in the Columbian Ou
server of Philadelphia. I seed But
repeat the rrssoot which (mally iodew
ced me to decline suominang to me
jurisdiction of committee of the
House of Keprceentatives, and of my
preference to appeal, through you, to
uwTt,VWVWemftrpWif
aire heretofore made, by establishing
the truth of the allegata os, contained
is my letter, sgilnst Henry Clay.
And while, oo the other naou, I leei
a deep sense of the responsibility un
der which !" act, 1 caoo-Mi butfeclat
the same lime, profoundly impreaaed
with gratitude to ao overruling Pro
vidence, that it hu fallen to my lot to
Ue the humble inurnment of cipoting
to the view of an Injured People, one
of the moat daring and dangerous coo
ipiraciea gaioaUheir righta and liber,
tita that has ever been mptrdiincjc.
the foundation of ibia govcrnroenu..
That you may the more distinctly
perceive the grounda upon which 1
proceeded In miking up the opinion I
eiprened in the letter which appeared
in the Columbian Observer, and which
tubscauent events have strengthened
and confirmed, f wiH Rive.vqu a view
of the actual position woich Air. Clay
occupied to the Presidential cont,
io reference bth to his principle! and
personal predilection j and i brief hi
tory-of hit deportment here,' from the
meeting of Congreaa until he publiahed
hi determination to aupport John
Q.iincy Adams., And I will here
uke occasion to premjae, that no per
Htfcaareaionably complain of the
harshness or severity of the sentence
of condemnation that shall be awarded
against him by his own avowed and
acknowledged principles and yet
such7you'viU percrtvevW thcluuwJi;
tion of the iudemeut vou are called
- - J - J--- ;r" "'"." ri
uponrtet pronounce against ..nr. ,iaj
You may aiy whim, with etrictpror
pricty, .M .out of thine own mouth wiU
1 condemn thee."
It is a politicsl fact, and of general
notoriety, that Mr. Clay has uniform
ly and invariably recognized, ever
since he commenced hia course in Con
gressas a fundamental principIeY the
right of the people to instruct their re
presentative!, and the corresponding
obligation of the Representatives to
obey, not only the instructions, but the
known will of his constituents, how-
eyjtr. ascertained. In a speech which
he delivered, in the year 1817ron the
proposition to repeal tne celebrated
Compensation Imw, he used the follow,
inr' words t " 4 car not how. I ascer
tain the will of mv constituents, or
what is the evidence of it: it is suf
ficlenOor me that 1. know it. 'In
alL questions of expediency, that will
is the role of my xondoct." 1 Such is
the "principle to-which - Mr; CUy de
Tlsrea-hlntlepiancr: It remams-to
be inquired, whether he has not viola-
tea tnat allegiance, as soon as u
became doubtful whether Mr. Clay
wouldT Be . -TreturnedTTto the IIouaeToI
Kcpresentativet, as one or tne tnree
highest candidates for the Presidency,
the inquiry naturallyr arose, howas
'the-gecond choice of those -Western
states that had given him their jelecto
TdVinieiriUpoa'ihis J b
lie;:theeaVfi
ion-Jsaliadmiued, thatJackion.would
be referred to either of the other
' candidates? by an i Tvef wlielminrnm-
jority. As to Kentucky,, especially,
there was no semblance ot a doubt ex
premsed. The gentlemen from the
Uate, admitted that, in a contest with
Mr. Adatni before the People, Crs'
Jackioo would receive lea votes to hit
one. la coolrmarioa ef this opiaieo,
the legislature of thai itate, by a vote
w fiDf4 r,H pstdM
Iwtions Imiructicg i irurcnuiivit
in CoogtcM to aou fur C. J
Those who opposed tin ef.rrioTutlooi
ia the Kentocky irgialature atttd upon
thar avowed grouad, that the, pinion'
of thePeoTlt Bf Ietjtotky;trai tx
notoriously in favor of Cea. Jack too,
that such instructions were unnecessa
ry and that it was i reflection oa the
principles and integrity of their mem
bers here, to suppose, for a moment,
that they would vote against them.
AM accounts concurred, and still
concur, io establUhinr this to be the
general sentiment of the Western
stairs. Neither ,Mr. Clay nor hit
friends have ventured to deny it : The
fact Is incontrovertible. What, then,
is the posiiioa which Mr. Clay occu
pied, la the presidential contest, in
reference to his avowed principles f
He was a representative from Ken
tucky, and consutuUooaU bound by
the will of his constituents, and yet,
knowing that the wishes, not only of
his own constituents, but of almost
all those who supported him in the
west, were io favor of Cen. Jack woo,
and in a peculiar marine against Mr.
Adams, he pursued a course in direct
opposition to those wishes. Jle sin
ned sgainst light and knowledge, and
ttanda self-condemned by his own
principles.. He has sot only violated
what I believe, but what he has sol
emnly admitted, to 'be the principles'
tf the constitution and the rights of
the People. But what was the opin
ion he held out as regards his person,
al predilections I It is notorious, that
the whole of the canvass for the Pre
sidency, until some time after the
meeting of Congreaa, Mr. Clay aaau
med a position of peculiar and decided
hostility to the election of Mr. Adams.
For the last eurht years be had spoken
of him. not only in terms of disrespect,
but even ui cW-.empt ana riQlcuie.
At the commencement of Mr. Mon
roe's administration, he had. fixed an
envious eye upon the State-Depart
ment, which is believed and known by
many, then in public life: That ap-j
pointment, however, could not be ob
tained; but the Uepartment oi war
was offered to him, which he declined
accepting, and has frequently given a
reason fonso doing, that he could not
serve under an apottate ftdcralitt.
In the course of the canvasr,
nanrnnhlrt- andxAJJVS of rreat labor
and ability have bteo puSfiihedLV his
friends in Kentucky with . a .view to
expose the conduct of Mr. Adams in
the negotiation at Ohent, ana to prove
the tei dency of that conduct was to
sacrifice the interests of western states
to the eastern fishing privileges. In
adJiuoo to all this. Mr. Clay s pre
tended Jrienda. hejer and those, too,
who have since joined in voting for
Mr. Adams, had admitted, that in
canvassing for Mf. Clay before the
people of Kentucky, they had urged
the argument that it Uay was not
presented to Congress as one of the
three from whom a choice should be
made, Adams would certainly be
elected. Thus holding up Mr. Adams
as the most odious of all the candid
ates, a sort of bug-bear,- to frighten
the people in the support of Mr. Clay,
All these facts are jveU known, and I
challenge Mr. Clay to contradict them
-a hundred. witnesses, would me up
to confront him if he should his own
conscience," that flexible and delu-
sive euide which he "interrogate
on all.great occasions t even that would
confront him.
In determining to - support Mr.
his constituent! and violu those fun
damental principles by which- Be. had
admitted himself to be bound to them,
but he threw the whole weight of his
influence in favor of the msn denoun
ced by him as peculiarly hostile to the
interest of the west,ajjd of whose pre
tensions to the Presidency he had spo
ken in all places and upon aUoccaU pas.
in language of contempt.-
Having thus known the position oc
cupied by Mr. Clay in the Presidential
election, as regards both his avowed
' t
politlcaj principles and kti o.
litical Mtipaihiei, sh!l rc-ei to
gift yon a brief history. of bis wt
meat here, iloct Ue wectlof JUe
grt as so far as that de prtmeMs 41.
culated to tipUia umkti6t
Mi iff tne suLjtct of Ufcoua)ol.
Cf tK'tl IT'Jt Leu IdroevKn'iM, lt
candor and openoefs tji tsar k ad, in
a. peculiar ananarr, thetbaiactertwd
depomnrot of thr tnimbeTi from the
west end cone tace so than Mr.
Clay. " J t
LTpoa this ouaioo. howlver, he
enveloped hiamy U profoUMl mys
tery from the bei(nniag of th) seaaioa
until the 24th of January, wieo ail at
once, it was announced tbatva weau
ere stiles had determined 0 vow for
Mr. Adams, aad that he f ould be
elected, and Mr. Clay be Sretry of
State. The questioo nskuy sug
gested itself, Why thli anoge re
serve oo the part, of Mr. W f The
Presidential elccuoo haa K toog
before the nation the three bomioeot
candidaus had been as looglnowa to
him-rthe sute of public pion U e.
VaYKlBewrrVttew":
tber to know, before he made UhW
opinion aa to the course he aWld
puraue t The very fact of his holing
back his opinion, when it was evlent
that so much depended uporltia
course, gave just ground to supect
thst he was waiting to see whethr he
could not make some political arrnge.
meots that would serve to prcnote
bis present and future eletstion. .But
the conduct pursued by 'Mr. Cly, in
relation to hit friends, was stjllmore
strongly calculated toxreate Unuofa
vorable impresotoa -an to his sooves,
It was' known that some at thosw
rienda, who afterwards votrt for
Mr. Adams, when they first ce to
Washington, yielding to the wyi 0f
their constituents, and the natumW
clinatioo of their own minds, fod dw
dared they would vote lor Otneral
Jackson, io preference to Mr. Alams.
It wss also calcuJated, ana wTT e
utruicu, ut I'll, m nnu put IfcheCK
upon this disposition tor hu frieodi to
com out frankly witft tneir mbii-
menu, and prevailed upon such of
them as he could control (those who
finally voted tor Adams) to remain
uncommitted. What,.! ask.- could
have been! the. motive of Mr. Clay,
in persuading his friends to remao
uucemmiuedf Withcaut the disclo
sures which time has since made,
was it unnatural that such conduct
should excite strong suspicionrira to
his views and motives? But he did
not here; after. he mtde.firm this
nrst position oi ois, oy muunug u
rienda- - to-remain . uncommitted, he
ventured upon another advance, and
prevailed upon them to come to the
preliminary agreement that they would
all go together, before they ahoulJ de.
termioe en the candidate they would
finally aupport. Nothing could be
moreartfaVntrthing' Tii ore character'
istic of the designs which were soon
after developed, than this manage
ment on the part of Mr. Clay. 13y
prevailing on a majority of the repre
sentatives of five' Western States to
agree that they would all go together,
two important points were accomplish
ed. In the first place.it gave their
representatives a sort of artificial
courage to co in opposition to the wiu
of "their" constuuentsT Stf important
was it. io this point of view, that it is
an undoubted fact, that one at least of
the western members, (the sole reprcr
tentative of state.) was Induced to
vote tor ii r. Aaams oy wit cwn&iucr-
ation- alone, according to his ogn-dc-
, ...... . ' j -.:.Z. u:-
curauon, anu tomiry io . p.-ou.
determination to Vote for General
Jackson. In the Sicond place, this
orellminary deterainattcnr- of the
Hmnol Irayftia
go together, demonstrated b the com- J
peting eandtdates,:the extnt ol the
power whidi wfts in the haida 'of M r.
Clay, and taken ia connexU with the
fact: that they remained unmmitted, i
I i il . mm m i i i. . n 1 . . S itHMlt . tA I
come and make a bidr TVhat other
possible" mode could " MpCtaf have
iiv bringing hia4f lends ti thatdcter-
m mat ion f "'" I N
If this awament is propVrly
ed and anilized. it will beibund preg
nant svlth inferences iUustativCof the
teniluct sni molrfcf Mr. CUj. Put
U order that it my U more fully bo
dersuJod, I'ni sdfirt ff tnoroent to
soiKr pit f svlJtnca, Kka atrst
If falls Into thl part of any tjtrrsil".
Afia ttie ttvw ut ie mm mOu4 ot v r.u
ft is, some ol lbs fitewos of Mr. CUfi
no duiibt.vl'h.Lis korsltcf srdJ spro
totoer, published In Ui N'.iLaJ InislU
Kr, tt Addrest; la whlcti they decla
re rtkel r "del e i iuik Ki"sJh ti Io
him to the end( ondVr stl Hre umiiee"
urgtsg Ids Ms nds tfreuhi,ut the Union
to adWe firmly logttKer, swijnj as an
lndce nl Utf such sdhe refKt 44 lht if
tbey cdy!d tot eUct him, they could, by
acting ldstker, control the etM" The
fct is uMtubt'd1. Uut some of his friends
In Cong re to ad derUrsd (hat they would
bold the hahftca la their binds, sod could
i as re by c4itro the rTint;emeris of lh
new dminWtrailoo." Take these cir
cumstsnccs io connection villi the argu
ment mad y the Brs western allies to
s;o totjtthcr, and what is the unavoidaMe
Infertace I What does that abetment
imply, hut that the psnUs le it were ac
tuated by some common mode and
common Impol f Whit thW common
moritf snd common impulse were. iM
he obvious by considering vht they wrt
eompatt. Sir. CUj was tns oniy con
nccuKs; link which united them and it
waa Mr. Clay tht prevailed upon them
to come to the untUrsiandins:.
In tb roWU or all Ihese circumance,
so well calcuUled to eicite alarminy; sus
picions io my miod, lhal.thera is some
thing rotten in the aute of Denmark,' I
n warned b a member of the House
nf Ranretrniiliva ht the (rtci.is of
Adama h nude oPtiures io thost. pf
Clf preposiny; to make (-lay Sactr
(4 Slate, if they would aid in ihe flrriion
of Adams i and thit we were in fi
jdanirerof bewef defcaled itvlhe eieclioo
c Jarfcsen, sjnlesa we would consens to
fiiit ihem wiib their own weapons. I
soon after met Mr. Francis Johnson, of
Ken. the intimate and confidential friend
of Mr. Clay, who had prelouly often
told tne. that Jackson was his choice next
to Clay, and on one occasion had assured
me, that Kentucky would come out
strong tor Jackson. Upon my enquiring
WLblm a this moment, aa to the Oisnost
seemed to hrutster end eUervad "that
Kentucky ia not dead yet alluding (as
I . understood) to Mr. Clat's exclusion
from the House adding: that we yet
hold the balance in our hands i That if
Jackson should be elected, it ia aaid
Adams will remain Secretary of State,
and in that case nothing could be done
for Kentucky ; and we wish to know if
we aid in electing Jackson, what the
friends of Jickson will do for Kentucky."
A member of Confess from Tennessee
came op at this moment, and though he
did not hear all the conversation, yet well
remembers the concluding remarks made
La! Mr . Jnhnvon.
Doth of us replied to him in substance,
that Jackson's friend could -givo no
pledges; that he must be elected on prin
ciple, or not st all. I added that Ken
tucky would be rewarded by the honor of
haying sided to elevate the choice ol the
nation to the PresiJentul chair.
Here let it bp. borne in mind, tnat per
innfiaiwMd m oracticawhewttorrareVI
v---r ' , . . '
would not themselves consent to be aeen
wouanoiine
in it. Mr. Clay would, of course, seek,
rather thro his friends than by himselr,
to feel, and sift and ascertaio, in the roost
distant and private manner, what Could
be done at euch a time and under such
circumstances i The conduct and actiona
of his intimate frienda are to be consider
dered illustrative of his own views snd
wishes, because a subject in which his
political sagacity might perhaps have
a tendency to restrain bimr
A very active friend of Mr. Clay Vdid,
in substance, say io a friend of Gen. Jack
son' that Mr." Clay could . expect no
thing from the administration of Jack
son; for, if elected, there was no doubt
Dewitt Clinton and Calhoun would be
his principal aeviscrs. , iir. oiorra, ui
t i ' ' j 1 i -. tt !
; - . . - . . f
Drtviouu to the consummation of
n arri0BeiBenr. b, which Clay's friends
f
'r (T iiinrwirt Adama. waa the decided
to Adams i repeatedly within the hearing
of -members, he declared his dctertmna-
tion,
under no circumstances to vote
for A'daftis. : Her on- one occasion, oo-.
aerved. that it waS4Wt-possible tor ; d;
ams to obtain the vote of New York,
unless the friends of Crawford should
vote for himi but," added he,-" let them
do tftftbey. direTT Yer; W loon as Mr-:
CrsyinadsrhbTirrsngemenis - to-eupport
Mr. Adams. M r. btorrs cnangcu nisgrouuo
and became an active partisan in the
san. cause. - Mr. Scott of Missouri; was
known to be openJjTand clewcedJy Oppos-
ed le Mr. Adams. After It wai reported
that City hJ laduced certain states to
leii latteunron of MrrAdimn Mrv
Hcott suted te tw ef lli ft lends
Jackson, that i wis reported thai S
iif s! ftTTT'fiui Js He 14 a ie
Ug afid dete mined e fyiWg AJk- ,
ams that he HI n J ' b
ihey hidTwlikoul iMtVghltrt kiioWft,
be would be 14 1f he woutd not kkkr
epl lhstl.s wjiene of Clay! best Mends,
bwt tUt would s4 be tU4 HU a iheejs
In the ahsmbltti that he was neither im
be tir'gslned for nor sold that he wottU
vete for whom be pleased that ha
was mora friendly to Jackson than to
Adama t end that, Clay out of the
way, his people wero la favor of Jack
fiut Independent of this evidence In
support of ihe declarations contained hi
my letter, the appointment of Secretary
of State hat actually been offered to Mr.
Clay, and he has had the extraordinary
boldness to brave public opinion by ac
eepting the offer. Whom Cod Intends
to destroy, he first deprives of under
standing. Surely Mr. Usy most have
ben impelled by some fatal madness to
take this stepi which lays pen the mo
tives of his conduct, and git es the seal of
him. Kol only by Ms own wVi,T5rb
his own arts, does he stand convicted.
It is a matter well worthy or coosid
. I. . i i. .
eration, wbct&er it ia no
spiii! of the constitution for any Member
af Coruiraas to except en eppointisvent'
under a Prealdent for whom he has voted.
Hot whatever doubt may be entertained
upon this question, there can be none,
that any high minded and honorable man,
if placed in the situation and circumstan
ces of Mr. Clay, would not ooly have.
promptly refused the appointment, but
Id have shrunk irom it aa irora te
contact of pollution.
Thero is demonstration in the very
statement of ihecase. What is It f Mr.
Clay, always svowing that the popular
will imposed a constitutions! obligation
ol obedience upon t!re representatives,
m . aa
and atanding lorth, on an occasions,
ihe champion of the loteresta of the
West, after nearly two montns oi auotous
silence and mysterious concealment, on
the Presidential election, with other cir
cumstance's Indicating that he was wait-
the friends of Cen. Jackson had been re
jected, prevails upon the representatives,
not onlv of hU own state, but of four oth- -
cr Western atates, against the known and
admitted will of their constituents, for
give their support to Mr. Adams of
whose political capacity. he had habitual
ly spoken with contempt, and whom la
had denounced as being more adverse to
the interests of the west than any other
candidate. And, as a consummation of
this most unnatural coatd'un, and io Viola- .
tion of every sentiment of delicacy, Mr.
Cljy accepts of the office of prime min
ister under the man whom be had ctuaJ-
j- made President. e my. Wlow-ciU
aenet.it melancholy fact, that.Mr. ...
Clay has made Mr. Adams .President, In "
direct opposition to the known will of the
Ame;ican People an act of daring snd
desperate, usurpation which is only ex
ceeded bv the yielding compliance with
which he receives the rewsrd of bis
muk.ni in kit nan ru Inr it ta and a Kin
i 7 . ". . .7 .?
oonment ol duty to ma conaumrms.
I . ' ,P . .
i. Recurring to the specific charges of
ecurcing to tne specinc cnarges or my
letter, have I not redeemed my pledges,
and made them good f I atated that
" Henry Clay had transferred his interest
to John Quincy Adams. Has not lima
disclosed the reality? Can any human
being, acquainted with circumstances,
doubt that it was by the agency of Mr.
Clay, and by that alone, that the members
of five western states were induced, con
trary to the wUhes of their eonsuMicnts,
to Vote for Mr. Adams I I here is no part
of the Union where the people maintain
their right to instruct their represents
tives, even in matterstf legislation, with
more - jealous: inflexibility'- than " io tho :"
western states.- The doctrine is regard
ed aa so sound, that no representative
ever thinks of questioning it. And 1 will
ventnre to say, there ia not a member
new in Congress from the west, who hat
not repeatedly avowed-il. Can it te be
of the vepreaentatives of such a, jjco
pU, btaing such principles, would have
Thought for a moment of voting for Mr.
Adams, who wss known to be oomi to
the western people, and againstiacKsoni
who was knosm to be their decided choice
if it had not been for. the influence of ,.;;
Henty '"Cttff The thing -is incrediblcv
No, fellow 'citizens Mr. Clay has to an
sw'er Tor"the"d6
wilTof his cohsttlllemitrand of nacrrficShg -his
friends at the shrine of hie own un-
I have certificate in my pcion to prove
.aS these itatemenU '.
1
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