Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1838-09-28
VOL. XII..No. 5SS

Z stare stands upon its own bottom and ex-
cept 10 very extraordinary cases indeed,
= Tue result IN one, has but trifling influence
upon he result in another.
what then, is the lesson which The
: Name election teaches, Il is the lesson
embodied IN the foregoing preliminary OBJ
; serVatlons, VIZ. the absolute necessity. if
we would secure the ultimate triumph Of
; .he wing party-of consulting and yielding
10 popular indications. and to popular pref.
erences and prcjudices. In one word, of
selecting that man for our presidential can.
didate, who can bring into the contest tho
greatest capital in popularity, with the
smallest drawback of popular dislike
What avail all other Qualifications under
heaven, It the candidate be not popular,
popularity is in politics that very mantle Of
charity, which covers multitude of sins;
1t Is to candidate for office wha, good for.
tune Is 10 general; abstractly considered,
anu as relates to the Individual, perhaps an
acc'den,.-out as regards the general or
the cand'dale an indispensable qualification,
as necessary to him. as hands are TO q
workman, or feet to runner.
Let US speak plainly, the time has
come and we should fail in our duty TO the
wing party five neglected to improve it.
MI Clay we have ever regarded, as an
ape honorable, upright and patriotic
statesman, warm hearted and high mind
ca man. We supported him once for the
Presidency and would do so again, were
we not in so doing, almost certain of defeat,
but Mr. Clay is deficient in popularity. He
mas been upon the public Stage SOME Eve
and twenty years, and his candid, and some.
tlmes nconslderate course, has often laid
; MN bare TO the attacks of his enemies.
PreJudlces against him, of different sorts,
most unjust and unfounded, as we believe,
nave been, by the dillgent efforts of his ad.
VersafIes, 50 lngrained into the popular
mlnd' IN every part of the country, that
nothing can eradicate them. The ardor
with which ne susains those opinions and
measures which he has adopted, lift has
MADE warm friends. has made hot enemies;
ana every body knows how quickly friend.
snip grows cold and benefits are forgotten,
while enmlty heats by delay. and injuries,
or imagined injuries, rankle deeper and
deeper into the heart. Mr.. Cloy's influence
tailed to sustain ]. @. Adams in the presi.
Dental chair. With all the Efforts made
to elect Mr. Clay himself in 1882, lie sue.
ceeded in obtaining only forty. mine eec,o.
raj votes; and in the election of 1896. him.
self and his friends were so well satisfied Of
his deficiency in popular favor, that thew
did not attempt to run him at all. "a not
this decisive evidence as to Mr.. Claws
popularity?
With respect TO Mr.. Webster. il il mot
necessary for US to dwell a moment unon
our admiration of his talents. and our con.
fluencp in his u,isJooo
respect we 90 but sympathise with the
great mass OF our fellow citizens of Massa.
chusetts' and with large numbers of the
best informed, and most enlightened of the
people, all over the Union. But Mr.. Web.
s'e7 is equa y deficient with Mr.. CLAW in
me essential requisite Of popularity; and
IKE Mr.. Clay, he is obnoxious TO a large
numoer OF inveterate prejudces, which
nave oeen Tor years zealousIy nursed and
fostered, by the dllgent envy and hatred Of
those, who did not dare to assai him. in
any other way. The result of the ja,e
Presidential election, Joined to more recent
indications, furnish conclusive evidence In
our minds that Mr.. Webster is not nm
available candidate.
There remains then only General Harri.
son. man. who, if his career has not
been so brilliant as that Of the two states.
man ABOVE named, has yet given evidence,
at the mead OF our armies, as the represen.
talve of the United States in a foreion
country, as the u vernon for many years Of
ihe North Western Territory, which now
includes within It's limits fire great states.
as United States Senator for Ono and in
oIher humber, but not less responsible.
ofhces'--ol capacity, integrity, sound sense
ana genuine patriotism; and who possesses
above all, that essential requisite, of which
we gre In search, to wit, the favor and oood
Will otthe mass of the people,--in other
words, popularity.
1t was with the best reasons, that Gen.
Harrison declared in his speech at Rayenna.
extracts from which were published in this
paper Of August Sd, that "it was the vo;c.
Of The people which induced him to chance
the peaceful and 10 him most dellpht:ni
occupation Of the hus5audman, for the from.
bles and notifications incident to the sim
alton in which he now stood. II was ,be
same voice that had again elevated him TO
an equality IN claims tor the most exalted
Office, not only in this nation bat in the
world, with the two most distinguished cit.
zens OF our country,"--and he added with
proper and becoming pride, "thal however
wiling he might be, as an individual, 10
acknowledge their superior attachments in
the science Of government. he could NOT.
and would not bring himself to level be.
!oiO that upon which so many honest, intel.
lIgent and patriotic citizens had placed
him." If he should be obliged to state nj.
own pre'ensons, he could only claim tho
merit of being if mol ian equal" on colder"
statesman, always the ardent supporter of
the rights the people in the councils If
the nation and in the field, their faithful
and devoted soldier"