Sold – Clay Fulfills His Constitutional Role as Secretary of State to Fund Foreign Relations

In 1824, there were four major candidates seeking the office of president, one of whom was Henry Clay. Because of the unusually large number of candidates, no one secured a majority and the tie between the two front runners, Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams, was broken in the House of Representatives. There Clay used his political clout to secure the victory for Adams.  When Adams then appointed Clay Secretary of State, this maneuver was called a “corrupt bargain” by many of Jackson’s supporters.

One of the constitutional requirements for the Secretary of State is the laying before Congress of the expenses required for the functioning of his Department that were not envisioned by the previous year’s appropriations bill.  This ensures that money spent can be reimbursed or that money appropriated but not spent could be returned.  Stephen Pleasonton was the Fifth Auditor of the Treasury of the United States; but he is chiefly remembered today for his work in overseeing the United States Light House Establishment during its infancy. At this time, a man known for his frugality, he was in charge of many of the sea lanes and would have played a rather important role in supplementing Clay’s work.

Letter Signed as Secretary of State, Washington, February 16, 1828, to Pleasonton as Fifth Auditor. “The Committee on so much of the Public Accounts and Expenditures as relates to the State Department having called for a statement showing the disbursements ‘for the contingent Expenses of Foreign Intercourse so far as either of those appropriations have been expended under the authority of the Secretary of State, and upon his voucher for the use of that department,’ I have to request that you will furnish me with the statement desired to be transmitted to the committee.  It is understood that the Committee wishes the statement to embrace only the period of the present administration. You will therefore limit it accordingly. H. Clay.” Pleasonton has docketed this “H Clay Esqr, calling for certain accts to be laid before Congress.”