d against his fellow.

Inadvertently affront any party, wound his self-love, and he will
immediately coin some malignant report, which is sure to be
industriously circulated. You are at the mercy of the meanest wretch in
the country; for although praise is received with due caution, slander
is everywhere welcomed. An instance occurred with respect to myself. I
was at Lexington, and received great kindness and civility from Mr
Clay. One day I dined at his table; there was a large party, and at the
further end, at a distance where he could not possibly have heard what
passed between Mr Clay and me, there sat a young man, whose name is not
worth mentioning. When he returned to Louisville, he spread a report
that I had grossly insulted Mr Clay at his own table. Now the
catalogue of enormities circulated against me was already so extensive,
that I was not in very good odour; but Mr Clay is so deservedly the
idol of this State, and indeed of almost the whole Union, that there
could not be a more serious charge against me--even those who were most
friendly avoided me, saying, they could forgive me what I had formerly
done, but to insult Mr Clay was too bad. So high was the feeling, and
so industriously was the calumny circulated, that at last I was
compelled to write to Mr Clay on the subject, and I received in return
a most handsome letter, acquitting me of the malicious charge. This I
showed to some, and they were satisfied; and they advised me to print
it, that it might be better known. This was a compliment I did not
choose to pay them; and the impression of the majority still is that I
insulted Mr Clay. The affair being one of the many connected with
myself, I should not have mentioned it, except to prove how lightly such
a practice is estimated.

Whatever society permits, people will do, and moreover, will not think
that they are wrong in so doing. In England, had a person been guilty
of a deliberate and odious lie, he would have been scouted from society,
his best friends would have cut him; but how was this person treated for
his conduct? When I showed Mr Clay's letter, one said, "Well now, that
was very wrong of A."--Another, "I did not believe that A would have
done so."--A third, "that A ought to be ashamed of himself;" but they
did not one of them, on account of this falsehood, think it necessary to
avoid him. On the contrary, he was walking arm-in-arm with the men,
dancing and flirting with the women