A , ItliagglNNll 2 9 l CI lie Coalition of 1825 ; OR win with John Quincy Adam, which the latter. in defiance a t will of the people, was made ~,eat ofthe United Slates, and ono? corruptly secured to him the office of Secretary 'of State. to the people orthe United States, i e Young Men's Democratic State Cep- Committee ot Ohio. '1 , . t v•CrrtzEws....—littiory . Clay is gain a candidate for the high of. !Chief I'dagistrate of this glorious a , Twenty years have now elem. ~a s he was first an unsuccessful date for ibis same office, and his d defeats 'and disappointments r h sufficiently evident that with ;ass sf the Ameridan people, his rat unfitness for the station is no theme. But that act of his life,_ ch has been rightly considered of a , e rhae and a more damning charac un any other, is one to which we Indy call your especial attention. igs to an era, since which an en !aeration has passed from the Inman salon ; and though the 'its author Itid otherwise been nit spot Cif blemish," it should suffice forever 'to debar him the exalted place to whMh he 'tering upon a detailed exposi-. 'At foul transaction, we do but. trselves of a right which belong's ).rican citizens—the rigtit, free tscuss the character -and quail& of every _man who asks ; us for, tes. We Shall endeavor-to give, nom. with perfect fairness and We have ever been taught, a most Sincerely believe, that no tod cOnim of any use 17t a free rion before .a free people. if we err In a 'single statement, the ill not only be unintentional, but , oce4 in spite of our most anx r3caut ion• All important facts ,be'stated with the utmost partici]. We will give names, times and and all our quotatlons shall 'be ie most , authentic sources. - We iellow-citizens. to lay nothing ou which will not not safely mur severest scrutiny. May we refore fairly solicit, and cons :Rest, the candid attention of ionest man into whose hands this may fall, no matter what may 'a his previous political bias ? • The Charge. charge against Mr. Clay, in the •ution of which we now wish loin; is briefly- this : he—while the "election for Pre was before the ,House of Repre nes, in the winter of 1824-5, be representative from Kentucky, Raker of the House,, entered into vitt toalitio - n with John Q. Adams, to whom he had previously been tonallf atei politically opposed, if summation of -which coalition, in - defiance of the will of the people he Stale mif Kentucky and of the led States, and 'also in direct oppo to his own professed principles, kdams President of the United mod Adams. in return, made him. !retary of. State and placed him it he afterwards termed the line precedents " for elevation to the leney—o r , to state it still more r, that, so far as in him lay-- _ SOLD HIMSELF, 1118 CONSTITUENTS is COUNTRY TO A POLITICAL AND 11, ENEMY, FOR THE CORRUPT SIM PURPOSE OF.OBTAINING THE OF SECRETARY OF STATE, AND THE SUCCESSION HIGH! ?ICE IN THE LAND, 101 i of len and Parties in 14. lanford- Convention; the 'victory of the peace of Ghent, prostrated The federalism.. Its votmiries - abluidoned it lame and mortification, acid now call republicans." . Such was the lan. Thomas Jefferson, in a letter written, !Ls Fayette. near the close , of the —stew. vol. ofJeff.v7io7l'B Corr& 384. 45 indeed true that federalism had Illy ceased to exist. There were iUr candidates'for the Presidency field, all - eeekin i ,o_ support from mblicati patty . Three of these. Jackson. William. H. craw lipniy Clay, and always been ted With i that party - . One of John Quincy litclams, was ; the that blPt cockade federalist. lams, and,i in the outset of his tie, had shown himself one of bitter and, vindictive among politicians. But in 1807, :illy apostatized from his lath tY, and became a supporter of . , • ' : ' .. • . . , , , . . -..- . ....... . esii•*- - i _ t :,•;,?.•.,.,••••..,,,,,-..,::-.•,-•.„.„-..-.„.,.._•:..„..„•...„........,..•...„._;....,,• • ,•,•• • •._,. ..: ~ ~•,:.•••!•,...._•,•[...,.,, o• . , . , ~.. ~. ... • ... .• • . • ••....., ..., .., •• .. . , _ . -• : -.- .' .:. _ .• .... . ... . • • . ; .. • . ... a_-- . . . „ „.., . • - . . - '• , • , . . , . . .. • I• • - . . - I . . .• . . - a' 0 --,...„-.. - , . . . . . . . . . .. . , . . ( t il . - • t i:' 411 . . -•- , , .. . . _ . .. . . ..• , . . . ..t-•• _ ~ • t . • _. • .... . t . . _ . . . . . . .. _ • , . • . • . .. . . " ... _ . • . . . . . . • . , . . - . • - . . . . . . . . . . . . the Jeffersonian administration. So, managing as to make the republican party believelim sincere. he will; taken into favor, became the recipient of,their bounty, and, and at the time of which we' speak, was President Monroe's Secretary_of State. He had, however, so cultivated the good will alibi old associates, that The great majority of republicans became distrestful of him ; and in the same letter, just quoted. Mr. Jefferson, speaking of him" as the northmost candidate," declared that he would is get every federal vote in the Union." It should here be remarked that; when Mr. Jefferson said -that the federalists had changed their name, he added, 4 but the name a/ope is chang4 the principles are the same." The republicanism of Jackson and Crawford had never been distrusted. Mr. Clay had many splendid quali-. ties, and had been of some service to the republican causc. ki 1811 he ,had. made an eloquent and unanswerable at. , gument against a national hank, and he had given a vigorous support to the war. Still, he had not gained the confidence of the people. His abilities were deem ed more showy than solid, and, in some instances, he had exhibited an over. weening ambition, and an ungenerous jealousy of those supposed to stand in his way._ Thomas M. Randolph, the son-in-law and the intimate . friend of Thomas Jefferson, has given us Mr. Jefferson's. opinion of Mr. Clay, in these words : "Towards_ Mr. Clay, as a politician, Mr. Jefferson constantly manifested a very strong ; repugnance, and often said that he was merely a splendid orator, without any valuable knowl edge from experience or study, or. anyLdeter mined public principles founded in sound po. litical science, either practical or thehretical."— . See Register, vol. 33,p. 21. . Mr. 'Clay's relations towards Jackson and - Crawford. In his speech on the Seminole war, in ISIS, Mr. Clay wressed his high respect for General Jackson in the fol lowing words: '' Towards that distinguished Captain, who shed so much glory on our country, whose re• nown constitutes so great a portion of its moral property, I never had, I never can have, any other feelings•than those of the most profound respect and of the utmost kindness.—&e lt!ry's edition of Clay's Speeches, 1 p. 365. , In consequence, however, of Mr. Clay's course upon the Seminole cam paign, a temporary estrangement occur red between him and Gen. Jackson ; but in his address to the, public,•of De cember, 1827, Mr. Clay alluding to his .opinions in regard to that campaign), says that, "They never had been supposed by me to form any just occasion for private enmity.be tween us, and-that none had been eherientd on my part." • In the same address, Mr, Clay testi fies that ' friendly intercourse" was resorted between them at the session of 1823 ; and , , after admitting that they then repeatedly dined together, be adds : "We frequently met, in the course of the winter, always respectfully addressing each other."—See Nik's Register, ed. 32p. 303. Even after the coalition, in his ad dreis to his vonstituents, of the date, of March '26`, 1825 ; Mr. Clay was com pelled to speak of Gem Jackson in these terms : - • • " In speaking of General Jackson, I am aware of the delicacy and respect which are justly due to that distinguished citizen. It is far from purposes to attempt to disparage Lim: .I could not do it if / were capable of Making the at tempt." "He has displayed great skill and bravery, as a military commander, and his own renown will endure as long as the means exist of preserving a recollection of 'human lrausac tion."—See this address in Mallory's edition vol. I,p. 495. Mr. Crawford was on friendly terms with Mr. Clay. Early in the campaign. he was prostrated by sickness, and ceased to be regarded as a formidable candidate. 111 r. Clara Mations to John Q. Adams.-- The adjourned Question of veracity." How stood Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams ? A few fams will show that they were personal and po litical enemies. Mr. Adami and Mr. Clay had been associated as commissioners for the ne gotiation of the Treaty of Ghent. A ,differeitce arose between them, in that negociation, in respect to a proposition, supported by Mr. Adams, to surrender to the British the - right of free naviga tion of the Mississippi, as an eqUivalent for the privilege of fishing on the. Bri tish Coastsof North America. In 1822, wbook was published by Mr. Adam; on this subject, in which he reflected se verely on the character Of Mi. Clay.—;- Mr. Clay was - obliged to take some no tice of this book. ' - Aceordinoy, he sent note to the National Waimea; dated the IRegardiess of Denundatim /Pons any Qtsarter.—Gov: Po&uu. MIDAIEDINDIBM CIZTErUZ9 =la att 9 auten, of Navember,'lB22. in which, after de claringthat Mr. Adams had made eiro aeons sta4ssments, both •offact and °pin ion, in regard to the transactions at Gwent, he says: "I WILL, at \ iorneluture period, more pro. pitions than the present to calm and dispassion ate consideration, and when there can be no misinterpretation of motives, lay before the pub , lic a narrative of those transactions, as I under stood them," This was published in the Nntional Intelligencer, °., at Washington, - on the 17th of DeceMber.lB22. On the 18th of Qeceinber, the very next day, %Mr. Adains sent to the Intelligencer a reply to Clay, beginning with a sneering al lusion to ~ a note from Mr. Clay," In. stead of the Honorable Henry Clay, and ending with the following keenly. pointed paragraph: "But, as by the 'adjournment of that,publi emtion to a period " more propitious than the present to calm and dispassionate . consideration, and when there can be no misinterpretation of motives, it may donee to be postponed until both of us shall have been summoned to so- Count for all tut errors, before a higher tribu nal than-that of our country, I feel myself now called upon to say, that let the appropriate dis positions, when and how they will, expose the opete - day and secret night of the transactions at Ghent, the statements both of fact and opinion, in the papers which I have written and pub lished, in relation to this controversy, will, in every particular, essential or important, to the interests . of the nation, or to the character of Mr. Clay, be found to abide unshaken, the test of human scrutiny, of talents, and of time. • JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. This is the affair usually referred to as , 6 the adjourned question of veracity." For the sake of the coalition, Clay has pocketed a gross insult, his veracity is still in dispute, and as Adams taunting ly insinuated, the question will continue to be postponed " until they shall have been summoned before the tribu nal of another world. Clay's Hostility to Adams: Mr. Clay had; very early, been led to look upon-Adams as a rival whom it was expedient to crush. -As,early as' 1818, the Kentucky Reporter, 'a , paper edited by mx. Smith, a friend, connex ion, and ,devoted instrument of Mr. Clay, contained articles bitterly attack ing Mr. Adams. From one of these of the date of July 15, 1818, we take the following extract in relation to the appointment of Mr. Adains, by ' Mr. Monroe, to be 'Secretary of State : "MI. Adams ie designated by the President and his presses as the heir apparent, the next successor to the Presidency. Since the prin ciple was introduced, there has been a Mild d: generacy in the chief magistrate; and the pros pect of still greater degeneracy, is strong and alarming. Admit the people should acquiesce in the presidential appointment of Mr. Adams to that high 'office; who again will be choose astiis successor 1 Will it be Josiah Quincy, H. G. Otis or Rufus King 1 An aristocrat, at least, if not a traitor will be OUT portion." In the Presidential contest, Clay re garded Adams as his chief opponent.— He seemed utterly ignorant of the strong hold which General Jackson bad upon 'the esteem of the people. ‘OO the 16th of February, 1823. he wrote a letter from Washington to Amos Kendall, then in Kentucky, in which he says : "Judging from present appearaUc.es, the con test will.be between Mr. - Adams and me." Mr. Kendall was then thewarm and intimate friencrof Clay.. .H') abandon ed Clay, when he tourd that Clay had abandoned his republican iprinciples, and allied _himself to Adams. - On the 17th of December 'of the same year, Clay again wrote to Ken dall as follows : ~ " Thew is an effort making to get up a can cue. I doubt its success. Mr. Adams is 'weaker to the north than I supposed him tobe, if one is to judge .from whirhe hears at this place. My prospects are very good." Clay's Attack on Adams. In the fall• of 1822, ,Mr. Clay pro cured a . series of articles, signed " Wayne," to be published in the " Liberty Holland Cincinnati Gazette," (then, as now, a Clay paper) for the purpose, of prejudicing the people of Ohio against John Quincy Adams.— These articles charged Mr. Adams with an tajeeling.policv" with "giving our wives and childrenforph,and bar tering the blood of your citizens for mo ney with a policy which " would crimson our freshfields. with theblood of .our ,borderbrethrenand light the midnight forest with iheflames of their dwellings." JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, " said one of these articles, " can never receivelthe vote of .ohio. He is too ignorant of our interests, or he disre gards them." Such was the language sanctioned by Mr. Clay in 1822. In the ensuing yeir, a pamphlet MS writ ten in Kentucky, at his instigation by Mr. Kendall, on, the subject of. the fisheries, in 'which Mr: Adams was charged with hostility to,the west, with violation of •insunctions, and - with &It plieity, .falsehoOd, and almost every thing dishonorable and base in a public man. Mr. Adams wait denounced in it as sa an artful sophist, a clumsy new,- ciator," and possessing 1 6 views too erroneous, feelings too sectional, and temper. too vindictive fOr the chief ma gistrate of a free people 1" Fbir printing this pamphlet, Mr. Clay paid to Mr. Tanner. of Lexington Ky., the sum of one hundred dollirs, as was proven by Mr. Tanners' own testimony before the Legislature of Ky. in 1828. lie was also *tonally active in the , circulation of i, at is proven by the following lette to its author, a part of which we havelbefore quoted : " Dear sir.--Beieral inquiries have been made about your pamp et on-the fisheries, by mem. bets of congress,. d I have promised to to. quest a copy to sent to irtr. David Sloane, here. Will you good enough to „ kave them forwarded'' • There is - ane4rrt main' gto get up a alu m& - I doubtits ac cess. Mr. Adams is weak er to the north than I supposed him to be, if one is to judge Om what be hears at this place. My prospects areq very good. Youth with great esteem, H. CLAY. Washington. 7th December." Course o Mr. Clay's friends. The subordinates took their cue from the chief. Eery where Clay's friends attackedldatits as unfit for the Presi d ble, one of Mr. Clay's Presi dency. David TriLi most effectivi supporters In ' the con gressional delpgation from Kentucky, in Sgptemberl,, 1824,, denounced Mr. Adaths as an ii ,, apostate federalist. and an enemy toe west, Who had offered to barter a y the :navigation of the Mississippi f ,r whales, anti mackrel." 4 „ —See evidence before the Kentucky Legislature,ebruary - , 1828. . Jahn S7On' e, a member of Congress from the Sto e of Ohio, the same for whom Mr. 'lay requested from Ken 4:::F' doll a copy of .the pamphlet on the fisheries—and the same man who was lately our Ocretary of State, and who is now one: of the editors of the Ohio State Journal, was then, as now, a warm friendl l , of Clay. He also de nounced the Adams party, and, in a letter dated 'December, 182, addressid to a Mr. Nailllor. of ColumbAna county, Ohio, declabd that ~ the old federalists and men of to political party were gen erally Tor Mr. Adams. The addrbss of thb Clay convention in Ohio, in July 1824. avowed that the chief obje4 of supporting Mr. Clay, was to defeat Mr. Adams. We 'give the words of thb address. a , Were Air. Clay withdrawn. the result as to'the election by the electors. would mos t' probably be the same; or if it were not, it would place in the Presidential chair one of the present cabinet; an event which it was the first object of the friends of Mr. Clay to [ prevent." I - The -oddness containing this language -was writteil' by Charles Hammond, of the Cincin ati Gazette, and signed by Joseph Va' ce, as chairman of the Con vention. Clay's kilt and Sinister Designs. As the 11 election approached, Mr. Clay's chapce greatly diminished. The rapid progress of Gen. Jackson's popu larity swept away his last hope of be ing elected„ by the people, and render l ed it extremely doubtful whether he could be one of the three candidates re turned to the House of Representatives. Had he been an honest roan, free from all sinister designs,, he Would have withdravvri his pretensions,( and left the people to Choose their own President. But his eager thirst for Bel( aggrandize ment did riot permit him Ito pursue a course so hcmiorable and p‘triotic. His friends a Washington qty, in May, 1824. puti l forth a circular, Which, thee is good ' •asen to believe,., was written ,lay himself, advising his friends to adhere to him steadily," and assur rig them. "If Mr. lay should not he returned to the house, his lends having done their duty, will be able, by oncentration, to control the event. They will ld in their hands the balance.", In the snonth of October, 1824, Mr. Clay. himself declared to the Hon. Charles A Wickliffe, of Kentucky, the probability of his . being ex.cludeif from , the Douse, and said, sy.Tultipet such a contingency. 'rny friends must be:prepared; and I think it best that they shoukl not hastily commit themselves in their second choice." - • At the same time, he recommended the same non-coMmittalism tit'the.Hon. T. P. Moore - . of Kentucky. • These facts clearly show that he kept up a separate party with the'express desigik of being enabled to conirel the event" .by Making the very bargain • whieli, he afterwards did: - • ' ' • - . • • . The„sllllt Wine t!!aleopic, . Mr..Ctay was tholo* r est oC the•four candidates, Jackson having 99 electo rial votes, and being the . highest, Ad ams 84, Crawford 41, and Clay had 37. Jickson had the votes of 11 States, Adams, of 7'; Crawford, Of 3, and Clay, of 3. The three States, which voted for Mr. Clay, were Kentucky, Ohio, and Missouri._ Had Mr: Clay declined the canvass, and left them to Have made their own choice. between Jackson and Adams, it is undeniable that Jackson would. have received an almost unanimous vote in each of them, and thereby been elected by the 'peo ple. • , The Popular Expectation. Sach being. the *ate of things when Congress met in December, 1824, it was the universal belief that-the choice of the House would fall upon gen. Jackson. Mr. Crawford was virtually out of the contest by reason of sickness, and the issue was between Jackson and Adams. It was true that Mr. Clay and his friends held the balance of power, he being a member of the House and its Speaker. It was known, how ever, that -Jackson was the choice of every Western State, and that, had Clay's name been withdrawn, he would have been elected by the people. h was known that Mr. Clay had long en tertained hostile feelings towards Mr. Adams, and that the latter, as Jefferson had predicted, had rallied around him the New England Federalists. When before the 'people, Mr. Adams had re ceived the vote of but one State out of New England. The representatives from Illidois and Missouri were sol emnly; , pledged to support Jackson and hardly a voice was to be found for Adams in Ohio or Kentucky. No man believed it possible that M. Clay could vote for a: candidate whb, had received the votes of only? States, against one who had received the votes of 11 States. No man believed that lie cotild vote for an apostatelederaliit, against a uniform republican. No man believed than he could vote for a •man whom' be himself had helped make odious to the people, against a man acknowledged to be the favorite of the people. No man believed that he could vote for an eastern man whom he had charged with hostility to the west against a western, man whO had peril ed his life for the west. No man be lieved that he could vote for his politi cal and personal enemy, against one with whom he was upon friendly,rela tions. No man believed he could vote for his political and.personal enemy. against one with whom he had charged with almost every thing base, Aishon orable and traitorous ; akainsfAiiin whom he had often lauded, as the brave, magnanimous and patriotic defender of New Orleans. No man'frbelieved that he could vote von John Quincy ddarns,' AG AINST ANDREW JACK SON—because, no man knew how readily he , could seem ifice his honor, his principlei, and his fame to the unhal lowed shrine of ambition . Mysterious Reserve of Mr. Clay. The circunlistance which induced a distrust of M.r. Clay., was the profound silence which he and his intimate friends preserved in regard to their in tensions. This was in exact accord ance with the advice which he gave his friends, as we have already shown be fore, the election. 9.lthough this si lence immediately attracted theAtten non of the public, it was long before the secret purpose of it was fully un derstood. Men were unwilling to be lieve that treachery, so base, was con templated by one who stood soliigh in the Republican . party. Subsequent events enlightened the public mind, and the' question was asked. with wither ing power, Why did Clay preserve so strict a silence in regard to his in tentions as to the Presidential election, if it was not that he was engaged in that very intrigue and bargain, and cor ruption, afterwards charged upon Mint" In; his "address to his constituents," shortly after the election by the - house, he would have the public believe. that his suppression of his opinions, was from his regard tco. delicacy and deco ruin ;"—he who before, had ever been proud of the frankness and. perfect un reserve which was characteristic' of the. men of the west • Vain excuse !' His whole subsequent life givei the lie to his, pretence of delicacy and deco-, rum." He certainly could not have desired time to form his opinions as to the relativeinerits of the two candidates. He had long known them; and it would have been passing strange for him to have remained undecided. upon a:ques tion; on which the very humbles), man inVie land had long singe made.' Pp his mindi, '4, ' ' • El tEnt Mo Co C 013 I Via aMeV Vim Instructlop if Constktuents; Congress had been but *few weeks in - session, when 'the delegation tam Kentucky received instructions from the. Legislature of their state, which, it was supposed at the times would ren der their vote absolutely certain, for General Jackson. Mr. Clay had mays professed the ._doctrine that the representatives shoold obey the Will 'of his constituents. The following is au extract from a speech madein Congress by Clay, in January, 1817. l$ ,and pu lished in the National inielligencer of that date: " Whilst, then, he had a seat on this floor.- Mr. C. said, it was immaterial how he arrived at the will of. his constituents oi what were the evidences of it, it was sufficimit that he should know it. In all cases of expediency, be held the doctrine of an obligation mi his part to ob serve the instructions, ezpres4d or implied, or his constituents." , The following were the resolutions which were adopted by the legislature of Kentucky : "Resolved by the Senate ;and Rouse of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, That the members of the House of Representatives in the Congress of the United States from this state be requested to vote for General Jackson as President of the Uni ted States. . "Resolved as the opinion of this legislaeurve That Gen; Andrew Jacksonis the second choice of the state of Kentucky for.. the next President- of the United States; that a very large-majority of the people of this state prefer ` Gen. Andrew Jackson. to Mr, Adams or Mr, Crawford and that the members of the House of Representatives in Congress . of the United States will, by complying with the request herein signified, faithfully and truly represent the feelings and wishes of the good people of: Kentncky."—[See Niles' Register, vol. 27.„ page 231. These resolutions passed the- Ken tucky Legislature by a vote of 91 out of 11 / 4 menibers, some.of the few who voted against them declaring that they did so, not because they were in favor of Mr. Adams, but because they deem ed thb interference of the legislature unnecessary. Thus said an eloquent opponent of the Adams dynasty. wait Clay's obligation to vote against Mr. Adams completed. It was a triple cord. composed of honor. principle, and duty —honor in relation to his own-declara lions, and those of his friends. especial ly, in Ohio. and duty in relation -to his Kentucky-. Yet with this triple cord snapt asunder. As an excuse for this disregard of the will of Kentudky. Mr: Clay liter ward's set up the pretence that his con stituents were' merely the voters. of hi* own Congressional district, and that he owned no allegiance to the mass of peo ple of the State. But this excuse is most too frivolous to be , worthy of no. l tice, because. in giving the vote of Kentucky in the eledtion of a President by the Hou - se, he was in fact the rep resentative of the (quire State, and not a fraction of the State. Rumors of Clay's Tnashery. Some rumors of Clay's bargain witlr, lAdams began to be circulated about a , mouth before the election. A little while previous, a tale had been started that Jackson - had resolved that, in case ' he should be chosen President, he Would make• Adams . his Secretary of State.. This was undoubtedly . done by Mr. Clay's friends, for the purpose of sounding Gen. Jackson as to Mr: Clay. Mr. Buchanan, of Pa., called tin Gen. Jackson and interrogated him , as to the truth of his tale. He receiv4 ed from the General this characteristic answer t " That these were secrets he would keep to• himself—he would conceal them from the very hairs of his bead. That if he believed.his right hand then know what his left would do, upon. the subject of appointments to office, he.would. cut it off and east it into the fire. That if he should ever be elected President, it would be without solicitation and without intrigue on hispart.—See Bueluinan's Letter, Niles' Reg ister, vol. 32. 416. . Several of-11Thr , Clay's friends had not hesitated, to proclaim. that they meant to make Noe of the balance of powento control the arrangements of . the new administration, and when they were informed of Jackson's determina tion not to bargain for the Presidency, they doubtless . turned their attention esclnsively to Adams. In him they chanced to find - a more congenial spirit, Letter to the u Columhhut Observer." Towards .the last of Januaq, that, wbleh men at first _deemed founded solely upon rumors, too monstrous for telief. ilegatt to bear_ the sober- eit.• Peet of t.tuth and certainty. On the 21 tb a:January'. the following startling , letter., purporting to have beer/ • written bY *a&mernber of Congtess, tilos . pub. shed in the columbian Observer," , at. Philadelphia: tiplQ II M Zee de