Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1840-08-11

( York assembled at Albany for the pur-
| pose OF choosing electors of President
and Vice President, aud rnr, Van Blu
rem took his scat rs q member Of the
/ Senate. In the evening of the day
/ following, caucus was held in the
Senate, Chamber: 10 nominate candi-
dates. Some years since, gentleman.
who was present at that caucus, address
scd letter TO Martin Van Buren,
through one of the public printers, in
which he gave detailed statement of
the proceedings and discussions that
had taken place, and, as have never
seen or heard of any denial or contra
diction either on the part Of mr.. Van
Buren, or any of his friends OF the truth
of the exposition referred TO, will pre-
sent tito the committee:
"The main question was first to be
decided, shall the electors be men who
shall sustain tho regular nomination
as made at Washington in Congress
sional caucus' Or shall they be men
who repudiatc the idea Of respec ting
the 'usages and discipline of the party,
or more intelIigibly, shall they be men
who shall vote for and support James
Madison and the war, Or shall they
be men who will vote for mi. Clinton
and peace! This was the simple pre-
liminary proposition before ;hS caucus.
"Great disscnsion and mL--tviolencs
prevailed in the meeting. The friends
Of mr.. Madison were in the minority.
They were, however, firm and unsha-
ken. You, sir, had been counselled
and advised with by the Cintonians.
You had aided in all the arrangements
for conflict with the supporters of
the war candidate, as mr.. Madison was
termed.-You not only prepared your
self for the discussion, but you were as
sisted with arguments by the ablest of
your Clintonian associates. You were
the Ajax lebanon ofthe party. Your
elocuton was Of light and flppant
character, well adapted to the occasion
and as you were for the moment the
leader ofthe peace party, you seemed
10 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 mr.. Clinton, and the defeat of mr..
Madison, absorbed your whole soul.
1t led to untrlng exertlon; it was ex-
hiblted on all occasions, and under all
circumstances"
at is due to you to say that your
speech was not only pointed, but
sometimes severe, on Southern men
and Southern policy. You cannot
have forgotten your sneers and sarcasm
upon the Ancient Dominion. You
drew parallel between the qualifca-
tons and talents of mr.. Madison and
Mr.. Clinton, in which you place the
former far, very far, below the latter.
But you did not stop here. You de-
nounced the policy of the General
Government in plunging the nation
unprepared into war You declar-
ed the whole Cabinet unworthy the
confidence and support Of the People
In short, sir, your entire harrangue was
one of great bitterness against the
party in power, and warm panegyric
on those whom you are endeavoring to
elevate. A dozen such letters as
mine would not contain your denun-
Citations of the South alone.
Replies were made to you by Gen.
Root, Nathan Sanford, and others.
They defended the Southern democra-
cy and the war against your philippe.
Their efforts, however, were unavail-
ling. The caucus decided that no
man should he supported by them who
wonld vote for James Madison. As
soon as this decision was made, Gen.
Root, mr.. Sanford, and other, the
friends of the wal, retired from the
caucus, and lett you TO enjoy the plea
sing reflection, that il was sufficient
. glory TO serve under such a chef as
! De Witt Clinton"
Five days after the caucus before re-
! iered 10. viz on the 9 tn day of Nov
{ 1912, the Senate and Assembly pro-
= ceeded TO nominate. Uird race, the cleo
tors. And Martin Van Buren, "rose in
J if~ place" as member of the Senate,
and "read off the names for whom he
voted" Every man Of them was OPP
! posed to James Madison" The late
! Colonel Henry Rutgers had been pla-
: ced "at the head" of the Madison tick
ct, which was voted for by General
, Root, General Haight, Nathan Sanford
! and other stedfast friends Of the war.
But Mr.. Van Buren, voted againet Col