“Nashville, 8th March, 1827. “ I have just returned from Gen. Jackson's. I found a crowd of company with him ; seven Virginians were of the number. He gave me a most friendly reception, and urged me to stay some days longer with him. He told me this morning, before all his company, in reply to a question I put to him concerning the election of J. Q. Adams for the presidency, that Mr. Clay's friends made a proposition to his friends, that if they would promise, for him, not to put Mr. Adams into the seat of secretary of state, Clay and his friends would, in one hour, make him, Jackson, the president. He most indignantly rejected the proposition, and declared he would not compromit himself; and unless most openly and fairly made the president by congress, he would never receive it. He declared that he said to them, he would see the whole earth sink under him, before he would bargain or intrigue for it.”

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To the statements contained in this letter, persons professing to speak by authority of Mr. Clay, gave a prompt and unequivocal denial, and expressed the belief, that the declarations ascribed to Gen. Jackson had never been made by him. It soon became known, that the author of this letter was Carter Beverley, of Wheeling, Virginia. His veracity being impeached by the above denial, he wrote to Gen. Jackson, (May 15,) requesting a written confirmation of the statements in his letter to his friend in North Carolina. The following is an extract from the general's reply:

“ HERMITAGE, June 5, 1827. " Dear Sir:

Early in January, 1825, a member of congress of high respectability, visited me one morning, and observed, that 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 right I should be informed of it.

He said he had been informed by the friends of Mr. Clay, that the friends of Mr. Adams had made overtures to them saying, if Mr. Clay and his friends would unite in aid of the election of Mr. Adams, Mr. Clay should be secretary of state. That the friends of Mr. Adams were urging, as a reason to induce the friends of Mr. Clay to accede to their proposition, that if I was elected president, Mr. Adams would be continued secretary of state, (inuendo, there would be no room for Kentucky.) That the friends of Mr. Clay stated, the west did 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 an end to the presidential contest in one hour. And he was of opinion it was

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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 expressed and unbiased will of the people, or their constituted agents, I never would step into the presidential chair; and requested him to say to Mr. Clay and his friends, (for I did suppose he had come from Mr. Clay, although he used the term of 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 Mr. Clay and his friends, and myself with them. If they had not confidence in me to believe, if I was elected, that I would call to my aid in the cabinet men of the first virtue, talent and integrity, 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 avowedly 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 gentlemen informing me can explain.”

To these statements, Mr. Clay, in a letter “ to the public,” dated June 29, 1827, and in a speech at Lexington, July 12, gave another unquali

. fied denial. In the letter he says: “Gen. Jackson having at last vol. untarily placed himself in the attitude of my public accuser, we are now fairly at an issue. I rejoice that a specific accusation by a responsible accuser has at length appeared, though at the distance of near two and a half years since the charge was first put forth through Mr. George Kremer.

Such being the accusation and the prosecutor and the issue between us, I have now a right to expect that he will substantiate his charges, by the exhibition of satisfactory evidence. In that event, there is no punishment which would exceed the measure of my offense. In the opposite event, what ought to be the judgment of the American public, is cheerfully submitted to their wisdom and justice."

To this the general replied, July 18, in an address “ to the public," in which he named James Buchanan, of Pennsylvania, as the member of congress by whom the disclosure had been made, and in which, after repeating the conversation as related in his letter to Beverley, and mentioning some other circumstances, he said : “What other conclusion or inference was to be made, than that he spoke by authority, either of Mr. Clay himself or some of his confidential friends? The character of Mr. Buchanan, with me, forbids the idea that he was acting on his own responsibility, or that, under any circumstances, he could have been induced to propose an arrangement, unless possessed of satisfactory assurances that, if accepted, it would be carried fully into effect.

Still I have not said, nor do I now say, that the proposal made to me was 'with the privity and consent' of Mr. Clay, nor either have I said that his friends in congress had made propositions to me."

This brought out Mr. Buchanan in a letter, August 8, to the editor of the Lancaster Journal. As the truth of the charges of Gen. Jackson depends essentially for confirmation upon the testimony of Mr. Buchanan, all the more material parts of his letter are here given. He says:

" In the month of December, 1824, a short time after the commencement of the session of congress, I heard, among other rumors then in circulation, that Gen. Jackson had determined, should he be elected president, to continue Mr. Adams in the office of secretary of state. Although I felt certain he had never intimated such an intention, yet I was sensible that nothing could be better calculated both to cool the ardor of his friends, and inspire his enemies with confidence, than the belief that he had already selected his chief competitor for the highest office within his gift. I thought Gen. Jackson owed it to himself and to the cause in which his political friends were engaged, to contradict this.report, and to declare that he would not appoint to that office the man, however worthy he might be, who stood at the head of the most formidable party of his political enemies."

Alluding to a conversation he had with Mr. Markley, a representative from Pennsylvania, Mr. Buchanan says: “Mr. Markley adverted to the rumor which I have mentioned, and said it was calculated to injure the general. He observed that Mr. Clay's friends were warmly attached to him, and that he thought they would endeavor to act in concert at the election. That if they did so, they could elect either Mr. Adams or Gen. Jackson, at their pleasure; but that many of them would never agree to vote for the latter, if they knew that he had predetermined to prefer another to Mr. Clay for the first office in his gift. And that some of the friends of Mr. Adams had already been holding out the idea, that in case he were elected, Mr. Clay might probably be offered the situation of secretary of state."

Mr. Buchanan, having suggested that some one ought to call upon General Jackson, and get from him a contradiction of the report, says : “Mr. Markley urged me to do so, and observed, if Gen. Jackson had not determined whom he would appoint secretary of state, and should say that it would not be Mr. Adams, it might be of great advantage to our cause for us so to declare, upon his own authority: we should then be placed upon the same footing with the Adams men, and might fight them with their own weapons. That the western members would naturally prefer voting for a western man, if there were a probability

that the claims of Mr. Clay to the second office in the government should be fairly estimated; and that if they thought proper to vote for Gen. Jackson, they could soon decide the contest in his favor."

Mr. Buchanan, desiring to obtain from Gen. Jackson a contradiction of the report, called on him for that purpose; informed him of the report in circulation, and told him that it might be injurious to his election; and that, if he had not determined to appoint Mr. Adams, the report should be promptly contradicted under his own authority. Mr. B. in relating the conversation between himself and Gen. Jackson, says farther : " I mentioned, it had already probably done him some injury, and proceeded to relate to him the substance of the conversation which I had held with Mr. Markley. I do not remember whether I mentioned his name, or merely described him as a friend of Mr. Clay.

“ After I had finished, the general declared, he had not the least objection to answer my question; that he thought well of Mr. Adams, but had never said or intimated that he would, or that he would not, appoint him secretary of state; that these were secrets he would keep to himself;" and " that if he should ever be elected president, it would be without solicitation and without intrigue on his part. I then asked him if I were at liberty to repeat his answer. He said I was perfectly at liberty to do so to any person I thought proper.

* * * I do not recollect that Gen. Jackson told me I might repeat his answer to Mr. Clay and his friends; though I should be sorry to say he did not.

“I called on Gen. Jackson solely as his friend, upon my individual responsibility, and not as the agent of Mr. Clay or any other person. Until I saw Gen. Jackson's letter to Mr. Beverley of the 5th ult., and at the same time was informed by a letter from the editor of the United States' Telegraph, that I was the person to whom he alluded, the conception never once entered my mind that he believed me to have been the agent of Mr. Clay or of his friends, or that I had intended to propose to him terms of any kind for them, or that he could have supposed me to be capable of expressing the opinion, that it was right to 'fight them with their own weapons. He could not, I think, have received

I this impression, until after Mr. Clay and his friends had actually elected Mr. Adams president, and Mr. Adams had appointed Mr. Clay secretary of state. After those events had transpired, it may be readily conjectured in what manner my communication has led him into the mistake. I deeply deplore that such has been its effect.”

A letter from Mr. Eaton, a senator from Tennessee, to the public, (September 18,) follows that of Mr. Buchanan. He differs with Mr. B. as to the date of the interview with Gen. Jackson, making it about the 20th of January. He says: “In January, 1825, a few days before it

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had been known that Mr. Clay and his friends had declared in favor of Mr. Adams, I was called upon by Mr. Buchanan, of Pennsylvania. He said it was pretty well understood, that overtures were making by the friends of Adams, on the subject of cabinet appointments : that Jackson should fight them with their own weapons. He said the opinion was, that Jackson would retain Adams, and that it was doing him injury. That the general should state whom he would make secretary of state, and desired that I would name it to him. My reply was, that I was satisfied that Gen. Jackson would say nothing on the subject. Mr. B. then remarked : 'Well, if he will merely say he will not retain Mr. Adams, that will answer.' I replied, I was satisfied, Gen. Jackson would neither say who should, or who should not, be secretary of state; but that he, (Mr. B.,) knew him well, and might talk with him as well as I could. Mr. Buchanan then said, that on the next day, before the general went to the house, he would call. He did so, as I afterwards understood."

Having in his letter spoken of Mr. Markley as “the negotiator” of the bargain, Mr. M., on the 30th of October, replied to Mr. Eaton. He said he was called on the latter end of December, 1824, by Mr. Buchanan, who expressed “great solicitude for the election of Gen. Jackson,” and “ adverted to the rumors which were afloat, that the friends of Mr. Adams were holding out the idea, that in case he should be elected, Mr. Clay would probably be offered the situation of secretary of state; and that if Gen. Jackson was elected, he would appoint or continue Mr. Adams. I told Mr. Buchanan I thought such a report was calculated to do the general a great deal of injury: and if it were not well founded, it ought to be contradicted; and mentioned farther, that there was great plausibility in such reports, and that their receiving credit, particularly that which represented Gen. Jackson as having determined, if he should be elected, that he would continue Mr. Adams as secretary of state; as Mr. Adams had been one of his ablest defenders and advocates in his report sustaining Gen. Jackson against the charges which were preferred against him for his conduct in relation to the Sem

inole war.

“Mr. Buchanan also asked if I had seen Mr. Clay, and whether I had had any conversation with him touching the presidential election. I replied that I had seen him in the house, but had had no conversation with him on that subject, but said I was anxious to get an opportunity to have a conversation with him, as I felt a great anxiety that he should vote with Pennsylvania. Mr. B. replied, that no one felt more anxious, for various reasons, than he did himself; that it was important, not only as it regarded the success of Gen. Jackson's election, that Mr. Clay should