Browsing: Diary of Charles Francis Adams, Volume 2

1. On 5 June 1827 Andrew Jackson wrote Carter Beverley that during the recent presidential contest one of Clay’s friends, “a member of Congress of high respectability,” approached him with the suggestion of a coalition. If Jackson announced that he would not retain JQA as Secretary of State—and thus presumably would appoint Clay to that post—the Kentuckian’s friends “would put an end to the Presidential contest in one hour.” Jackson declared that he had spurned the corrupt offer. His letter was published in the United States Telegraph in June; Clay issued a denial and demanded the name of Jackson’s informant; on 18 July Jackson named Congressman James Buchanan, of Pennsylvania, as the man. Then Buchanan issued a statement, which both sides claimed as favorable to their view of the case. See Andrew Jackson, Corr., ed. Bassett, 3:355–357.