Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-10-02
PATRICK HENRY.
LETTER VI.
Albany. Sept 18th, 1884.


To the Hon. Martin Fan Buren,:
SrR-It has already been remarked, tina
on the Sd OF November. 1912, the legis
lature convened for the purpose of ap
pointing presidential electors. In the even
ing Of The 4lh caucus of the democratic
members was held in the Senate chamber
10 nominate candidates. A preliminary
discussion ensued. The main question
was first to be decided. Shall the electors
be men who will sustain "the regular
nomination." as made at Washington in
Congressional caucus? Or shall they be
men who repudiate the idea Of respecting
the usages and discipline of the party ?"
Or more intellgibly, shall they be men,
who will vote for, and support James
Madison and the war? Or shall they be
men who will vote for Mr. Clinton and
peace? This was the simple preliminary
proposition before the caucus.
Great dissention and much violence pre-
vailed in the meeting The friends of Mr.
Madison were in the minority. They were,
however, firm and mistaken. You, sir,
had been counselled and advised with, by
the Clintonians. You had aided in all
the arrangements for conflict with the
supporters Of the ,Uar candidate, as Mr..
Madison was termed You had not only
prepared yourself for the discussion, but
you was assisted with arguments by the
ablest Of your Clintonian associates. You
was the Ajax lebanon Of the party, |
Your elocution was of slight and llippant
character, well adapted to the occasion,
and as you were for the moment, the
leader of the peace party, you seemed to
feel the Importance of the position you
held. IN the language Of your biographer,
yours "was not the zeal Of ordinary men,"
TO secure the success of MIR Clinton, and
the defeat Of Mr.. Madison, "absoIb bed
your whole soul. II led to untiring exer
ton; it was exhibited on all occasions,
and under all circumstances"
Ii is due to you to say, that your speech
was not only pointed, but sometimes Sc
we're, on the southern men and southern |
policy. You cannot have forgotten your
sneers and sarcasms upon the ancient do |
minion. You drew parallel between the !
qualifications and talents Of MIR. Madison
and MIR. Clinton, in which you placed
the former, far, very far below the latter.
But you did not stop here. You denoun-
ced the policy Of the General Government,
in plunglng the nation, unprepared, into
war You declared the whole cabinet IN
worthy the confidence and support of the
people. In short, sir, your entire har
angue was one of great bitterness, against
the party in power, and warm pane
gyric on those whom you were endeav0r-
ing TO elevate. A dozen such letters, as
mine, would not contain your denuncia
tons OF the South alone.
Replies were made to you by Gen.
Root, Nathan Sanford and Others. They
defended the southern democracy, and
the war, against your phlllppc Their
efforts, however, were unavailng. The
caucus decided that no man should be
supported by them who would vote for
James Madison. AS soon as this decision
was made Gen. Root, MIR Saudiord, and
others, the friends OF the war, retired
from the caucus, and left you TO enjoy
the pleasing reflection shat it was sufli.
clent glory to serve under such a chief as
De Witt Clinton"
1t has been shown, that during the
whole of the year 1912, you were oppos-
ing the government, and endeavorlnG TO
ruin Mr.. Madison politically, as the au.
thor Of the war IL is believed, however
that on your arrival in Albany in Novem
Der, you entertained some doubts and an
prehensi0ns as TO the result. With the
power in the hands of your party to Sc.
cure Mr.. Clinton all the votes of the
State, what did you do p? 10 a subtle and
treacheroIs manner you proposed, TO Ger.
tain individuals, to give Mr.. Madison
t,cO votes.-Your proposition, ii is true,
was rejected with scorn and contempt
But what was your object? Subsequent
events proved that it was intended as a
peace offering. You had already com
menced preparations "to look one way
and row another"
1t is feared, that these details may
prove tedious should be recolIecled
however, that many of those who are now
the most active, and most efficient, on the
political stage, have not before them the
evidence of your deadly hostility in 1912,
to the authors and de enders OF the war:
nor are they we'll informed as to your ap-
parent devotion to Mr.. Clinton, at that
trying crisis. Indeed it would seem i'm.
possible, ifthey were not matters of his
tory, that you could 80 cordially and zeal
ousiy have acted with the Chnton,ans in
1912. and that in d few short years. if
not IN a few months, you should have
turned upon them, and with demoniac
per6dy denounced those measures Of
which you were not only The advocate;
but in some instances the adviser, and
probably the author.