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all impartial persons, that he treated the ques-
tion as the man's ability than any other writer or
speaker of the day. (He wrote over his own signa-
ture [signature]) I know that such was the opinion of
Mr. Clay. I regret exceedingly that I have not
even a single one of his essays on that im-
portant [important] question; one that enlisted either pro
or con, all the talents of the state (apportion of the original M.S. is on file)
The Legislature of Kentucky convened the 1st Monday
in December - about the time a murder was committed
in Fleming County that threw the whole state into a
ferment. Isaac B. Desha, a son of Gov. Desha,
murdered a traveller for his money!! His name
was Baker & he resided in Mississippi & was at
the time on his route to the north, as he sometimes
said which on his way to purchase Gords, at other
times he said he was going to the north (New Jersey
I think) to be married. He was said to have been a
man of fine talents & attainments & had been
the editor of a respectable newspaper at Natchez. He was very
intemperate & travelled on horse back by short sta-
ges [stages]. He spent several weeks in Lexington, at which
place a friend (John L Marten) furnished him
with about $80 in money, which he put himself
into his watch pocket, for safe keeping. From Lexing-
ton [Lexington] he only travelled in a day to Paris, 18 miles, where he
stayed all night; the next day he travelled about
the same distance & stayed at night near the Blue
Licks. He left early the next morning, & after
riding a few miles, stopped to get his "morning
dram" & breakfast (perhaps) at a tavern on the
way side. It was here, he unfortunately met with
the unfortunate Isaac B. Desha, who had spent
the night there in dissipation. His residence was in
the neighborhood. Desha & Baker soon became