Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-07-28
Politics.
IErem DC sou.lus.lern Smtnei.l

POLITICS.
TsTort te Southeastern Sents,Ll
EVIDENCES OF THE CHARACTER or TIE PRESENT
POLITICAL. CONTEST.
Hhis policy frs. shors dSeJ at Harrisburg. The tdro,
rite Of tie Party rejected, cnd the ao]n-c0mminal ran4t-
date PIT for,card. No declaration Of P~riaeipitS Radc
at Harrisburg. The example .toioaccd ~ the Wigs
all ooer tie Union. Srmc policy pursued by he Ehig
papers. Difficulties Of his plan cf operations. Ger
caution IN regard to the Presidential Candidate In,
credible b,npders Of tie Confidential Committee liar.
rison'S former opinions regarding a United States
Bank. The gcmc Mc, IS p'cyed ,ciM tc ~.2GoLaon-
lists. Harrison spcheH Of not as aaan, bm GS a can
didatc. Danger Of eiccting as President enc scho .ii.
lowS tai ddrjCc.
| propose to furnish to you proof, that the present
great political contest is, on the part OF the Wing lead.
crs, not fairly conducted; that they hold back Tie true
questions at issue; that dcspairinE, az it would seem. TO
convince the reason ofthr people, and to induce them
deliberately 10 approve the policy OF the Wig party,
they seek by every means in their power to avoid com,
initial on important po;als: and 10 amuse and distract
public attention from these 10 Z thousand other matters,
either trifing IN themselves, or having littlc or nothing
to do with the question before US.
Let us begin al the beginning: that is, with the llar.
risburS Convention.
General Harrison was The nominee. And for wha.
reason: Was 1t because he was considered a man ct
more talent than Daniel Webster or Henry Clay. Ger.
tainly not; every enc knows, that he * much inferior
in talents 10 these great statesmen. Was II because he
is 4 greater tavorite with the Wing party than Henry
Clay: Certainly not. No one denies that Mr.. Clay IS
the first choice of twu-'hirds-cf hrcc-fourths-of the
Wing Party. Why, then, was a man al inferior talent
10 Henri Clay, and less popular with his own party,
preferred by that party as candidate for President:
For one reason only, as the Wings themselves will not
deny, because thcy thought IL 'eo"id Lc easier TO cleo.
General Hcrrison tim 10 elect Harry Clay.
Now, rhy is i: easier Because, with Henry CLAY
as 4 candidate, the Wings would have been compelled
to fight the ba tile fairly: 10 come chit from among the
bushes; to make IL contest Of p~rinci?hrS, rather thnn
of men. Every man knows Henry Gays opinions.
lie is the advocate ola National Bank. lie wishes the
Government TO regulate tlc currency. lie isa friend
of Banks in general, and 81 bauk.chartcrirm lie is
not a hard money man. lie ;avors a! extensive system
Of Internal Improvement I!c approves a high Tariff.
In 4 word, he is an uncnmDrnulis;mr. ptGjnspokea. tho
rough going Wing. No man can mistake his political
principles, or conceal them. lie los spoken cut bcid.
" against Jackson and al his measures. He has de-
nounced the Abol,tlcnists. In short, had he hcen i can
Gidatc, the uon-coiumItt1l zane could not hsve been
played at all.
If the American people in their hearts approved
Wing principles, no man could defeat Henry Clay as
candidate for the Presidency. And, hadtherr been any
chance of success except hy tie n~on-comtnitta! game,
no one but Henry Clay would have been the choice OF
the Harrisburg Convention. When they Nominated
Gen. Harrison, every experienced politician understood
the move at once. Tie 9on-c0niasi:tsi f9g hcdS hoiSted.
The man was put forward: the principles we're held
back. The question was made 70 be, not whether the
Wings should got into ro~cr, and their principles pre-
val in the National Councils, hut whether the ':Hero
of Tippecanoc' should ;ske possession of the "Nhite
House
Talent, therefore, was set aside. Personal ~prcGeren-
ces were mortified. Henri Clay, the p!a. spoken, was
passed by; and Gen. HARRISON, the uncommitted, wa.
put forth.
Thus the cautious game began; and in the same spi.
rit have the Wings played il ever since.
The great Opposition Party assembled at Harrisburg
gave 10 the world no Addrts., 10 Resolutions, no De.
claration Of their principles. Was no: this strange
No. 1t was like every thing else they have done. Ii
was the beginning OF the Lush-fgfting. The Wing
Conventions throughout the country took the hint
and, with very few exceptions, they were as silent IN
regard 10 principles rs the I:errIsour. Delegates
They had noise and show and exciter,en;, music &c
please, banners 10 amrse, spec'acics 70 tickle the fancy
But as for putting pen 10 paper, that they took goo-
care 10 avoid. II nl:ght embarras. and commit them
The Wing papers, too, followed shreWdly enough in
the same lead. They could not, indeed, ike the fiar
rlsburg Convention, say nothing. But they did the
next thing to II; they resolved to shy nothing TO the
point. The L. 5. Gank-He GrrGt QucStion-their
darling measure and true ohIect--was a dangerous sub.
lect TO touch upon: SO they let it rest. The banks and
exclusive hank-chartcring were becoming unpopular:
50 they SAID little about them. Internal improvements,
here IN Indiana, were even more ticklish ground yet.
These and similar subjects were not available, and
therefore, were, for The most par, passed by and hushcG
up; and the Wing Editors cast abou. for son,e,hn,I
else to talk Of and fill their columns and ret up an cx-
element about; for the old stories Of deialra,ions and
lcg-treasury, and even The Cuba Llocdlounds, were
getting worn out, and were hardly worth hawking
about any longer. The Wings were in a manner, com.
PEELED to raise something new; and something new
they did raise, III good sooth: they raised tie CRY Of loo
cabins and hard cider, Mingled with lamentations owe!
Gen. Harrison S poverty, and loud shouts :or his mill.
tary fame. What these cries had to do with the grra,
questions OF national policy which divide the L. States,
and must soon be decided for good or for evil, these
newspaper Editors did not think 1t necessary to explain.
There were two difficulties III carrying out tins N.
genious Wing plan Of the present pol'tica! campaign
The first was, tha; the American People, on whom these
tricks were played, though they may be carried away
Tor a time by idle cries, and empty shows, never stray
long from the paths Of reason and reflection. Their so.
Der second thought, as was Justly SAID of ticia b. enc
who knows them well, their Presjdcn', is seldom wrong
and always efficient. This was the first great difficult
~ OF me plan. The second was, that in i large party
Ike that" the Wings, united b. no one commo sent
ment except opposition 10 the Administration, some
blunderers will, now and then, forget themselves, and
asthe phrase IS, "let the cat ont OF The bag"
Ihis happened by over-cau,lon in regard to General
HARRISON himself. After they had 80, over the Harris
burg Convention without an Address, and The yariops
State and lesser Conventions had taken tho him, aud
kept ~prudently silent, it only rcmaincd 10 So. 10 i
that General Harrison did not commit himself and his
party.
To effect This object, soon after the HARRISBURG Con.
vention had adjourned, three gentlemen of the Wing
party, David Gwynne, J. {. Wright, and Q. II. Spcn-
Ger, wers either chosen by General Harrison himself
or by the Wing party, or else constituted themselves,
a Confidential ~C0mmittee, 10 make replies for General
Harrison, TO such enquiries IS the People have been
in the habit of putting to every candidate for the Presi'
dency.
When this committee was appointed, or appointed
themselves, we canno, exactly determine; but they re.
piled TO a letter Of enquiry addressed 10 Gen. Harrison
by some OF the most respectable citizens Of Carolina,
dated Wadcsboro', Dec, q, 1859. Their reply 10 these
gentlemen was almost identically the same as that az
forwards sent TO the Oswego Association.
Now, IT this committee had merely said, that thew
were requested by Gen, Harrison, who had not time to
reply to all letters addressed 10 him., 10 do this in his
name; and that Gen. Harrison referred all enquiries 10
his former letters on these subjects (specifying them,D