Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-04-27

men despissd him mote than Hamilton, M puH'e
and uayne--ii was enmity TO DE Wit Chnton
then the great leader Of the Jackson party at the
North.
In the midst of oil these iniIigues, Van buteh
had an eye TO his own advancement. In the
Spring of 1927, he WINS a, Washington before The
Attainment lie began then TO feel himself strong
enough to mike n movement en- his own account
He foresaw TINT IN the event of Jaeksen's success,
IA rivalry would spring up between thlhouh "no
Chn,ol for the succession. Contingencies mIgh'
take place which would give him tho balance oil
power Such opportunity therefore, was "o'
| 10 be overlooked or neglected. Ono morning III
the latter part of Aprl, 1897 highly respeei"o'e
gentleman OF New York, called on Mr.. Van Buren,.
| lie was received with hat smlrk on compusloh 'of
which the Vice President is so famous The sla'e
| of nltlifs WINS discussed md ovcfhauled. Mr..
VIM Iuren told him that the Adams ndmlnis'ra
lion WIS pone--t could mol sustain rreli anoihef
| session. What, then, asked the gentleman, WIN
| bo he course Of things 7 ON, presume w S''"
| have a Convention OF a Caucus 10 soU'e al ''"'
1icling points The same conversation was pro
Ioneed at an evening interview. The position "nd
strength of Jackson, Calhoun. Clinton, &C. "e'e
examined and commented on. Mr. van pu''n
wns as usual cautious IN his remarks on PeiSo's
but his d,scants on Democracy, conventions W
were fun and particular We mus, restore The DC
time OF Jefferson said the Senator.
In a few days tho gentleman returned TO New
Yo,k and simultaneous with the vote rejecting
Gales and Scafon as printers to the Senate was the
announcement in II New Yok paper OF an arrange
n,fnt among the opposition party at washington
tbnt a National Convention would settle INC CON
dieting claims between the Vaflon. candidates, INC"
before the public. This was TIC hrtt announcement
, b.licve NJ Mr.. Van BuIen (he was then hrst na
medN Tor candidate for the high Office IN question
I, was coupled with that Of Natlonai IohFcnH"'
md took place IN March, 1927 eight years since,
4, .,.s ,bs first development, OF tho scheme, nnd
proceeded from Van Bnrcn himself. lis Pu'Po'e
was at tlnt time to avail himself of the eniicpa'co
,;.nI,y TINT vns occasionally breaking gu. between
Calhoun and Clinton, respecting tie Wee fres'.
deney. At tho, period Van Buren, proessed 10 DC
friendly To both and to unto heartily with them
in the support Of Gen. Jackson III.
,hink the schcmo WINS then gently urged by
tho Albany Argus, but ut all events sc'o'"'
napcrs Of the party were anxious Tor 's auoP-
! non, iI AL
| The contingency for which il was in'cudfd dia
no, then take place. Van Buren, continued 10 ava''
himself of his position, up TO the eea'h Oh I',''
ton m the spring Of 1898 Tie WINS intimate WI"
Calhoun and hls party, and have reason 10 oe'
he stimulated their Hostility to Clinton, whom ne
| rfpicScntcu rs "'S"''5 :" ~ -
lilkc, with Jackson
On ,be death Of De Witt Clinton the prospect
then opened upon the little man with lrlli"hcy
Al soo, ms the account of that melancholy eVeh'
reached Washington Van Buren, end iew OF ms
par,i2ans met in Cong,css, nnd put 'orIh series
of resolutions on the occasion. lie bobby s'ePPeu
INTO tho shoes of Cunton and became the northern
Ilrade, Of the Jackson party. AN ut once the C"'
houn nnr,y saw the error Of Their policy, N warm
my into fe man , wh2 No could thcy recover them
6st ground : MI Van Buren, now set up for him.
self Several OF his friends and parzans ttared
| him Immediately for Governor OF New York. A
| State Convention was enlled-hc was nominated
he was elected by minority of the whole votes
thus profilng, usual, by the divisions and b!ck
| erlngs of his opponents.
The election Of General JaCkson-his quarrel
with Calhoun the re election Of the President,
| again opened door for the scheme Of a National
Convention, which the events of 1927 ., had rem
dered unnecessary. After several Of the papers,
devoted to Van Buren, had again revived the move.
ment, it was, think, for The first time solemnly
recommended by the Legislature of New Hnmp-
shire. few other Jackson Legislatures followed.
The scheme, for the first time went partially into
operation al the general election Of 1892 which was
formally preceded by II National Convention, al
though II vns perfectly unacces any, 50 far as Jack
son rs concerned
Thus we have seen how tho National Conycn-
ton org mated with Van Buren,, for the express
purpose Of elcvating him TO the Presidency. Penn
sylSunla, that resisted the seductions Of the first
National Convention, appears recently 10 have now
entirely gwen in to the secoud II such a Conyen-
ton should succeed in 1886 IN filling the Prcsden-
ual Char with tho presen, heir apparent the
Government and Constitution will thereby become
changed and altered. Heretofore candidates lol
thai office have sought II through reason, thought,
free discussion, free " i'll aud publications. A great
National Convention excludes all such intellectual
process or independent action Its will is iron-us
hat is mperutlvc-its decree unchungcablc IL re-
semblcs IN politics and public affairs in The United
States, for the nineteenth century what the DEGREES
of the Vatican 10 all Europe, in the sixteenth
century, where the Pope claimed dominion equally
over kings, powers and omperors. The members
OF the National Convention are self electcd--ir-
sPonsible--unmanage abe--owing obedience
only to a self constituted leader Let the South or
West ever submit to such Convention, and the
Kitchen and Regency will forever rule this coun.
try through such scheme, A Convention is only
necessary for the ambitious purposes Of that indi-
vidual who is utterly without public services or pub
lie merit. What, for instance, is the Van Buren,
Convention TO do that is called 10 meet in your city
IN May Is II not already known that it will NOM
mate Van Buren What is the use of assembling
for such well known purpose 1t meets and or
ganzes, and chooses Presidents and Secretaries
and makes addresses, not TO make selection,
which is already made by the Kitchen, but 10 ca
loe ndcpenden, States into their Tan 10 nimidaic
the doubtful 10 shake the neutral ard 10 brandish
aot the scorpion whip OF party. |, Is to reduce
the Union to the same obedience, the same thra-
dom to which New York has been reduced since