Alexandria Gazette

NAILED TO THE COUNTER.—Our readers know that a slander has been industriously circulated by the Loco Foco Press, throughout the Union, and the "Standard" has been as busy as the busiest, charging Mr Clay with having desecrated the Sabbath in New Orleans, by getting up a Military parade, &c. And, notwithstanding it has been repeatedly denied, yet it is still circulated, and attempts are thus made to excite the prejudices of right-thinking men. We are glad to see that Mr. Clay thought the slander of sufficient importance to notice it in his Norfolk speech.—Raleigh Register.

"While at New Orleans," Mr. Clay said, "he had used his best endeavors to keep out of the way of public greeting; and yet so far from receiving any credit for such discretion, stories that were very false and slanderous had been circulated in regard to his conduct in that City; and, notwithstanding these malicious stories were promptly refuted, and that the refutation had quickly followed the slander throughout the country, the latter was prolonged in the echo and repeated every where as gravely as though it were thought to be true. Now, said Mr. C. I will give to you the facts of the case. On the Sabbath alluded to, I attended service at the Episcopal Church in New Orleans; and during the service, the sound in the streets of martial music, and the clamor of the people, so disturbed the congregation that it was found impossible to proceed. My respected friend, Mr. Wheaton, the Pastor, was therefore obliged to dismiss the congregation; and I led the way out of the Church, having upon my arm a lady, a member of the Church, and one of exemplary piety too. On arriving in the street we discovered that the cause of the unusual noise was a review of the military of the City by his Excellency, Governor Mouton. I had nothing to do with this, said he, and hurried away, scarcely taking a single glance at the military on parade. It will be proper here, said Mr. Clay, that the custom in New Orleans, as in many of the Roman Catholic countries, is, for the people to attend the solemn service of Mass in the morning, and to devote the remaining part of the day to festivity. Such, said Mr. Clay, is the truth of an occurrence which some are seeking to relate to my disadvantage."