The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-06-13


ecMr. Crawford wrote to Major Barry. in Oct.
1928, "a copy of which letter, he has furnished
me, at my request,) requesting him earnestly to
use his influence with the electors. not TO vote
for me as Vice President, though he could not be
ignorant that had been nominated for that Office
on the preceding Sth of January, when your
friends nominated you, in State convention,
for the high station which you now hold, and
that the electors were pledged to vote for YOU as
President, and myself as Vice President. This
is not the only instance of his interference He
pursued the same course in Tennessee and Lou
isiana, as am informed on the highest authori-
ty."
Connected with this, is the letter from Mr.
Crawford to Mr.. Baleh, Mr.. Van Buren's Nash
vile Deputy | beg you to bear in mind the
dates, the facts and circumstances connected with
these letters. 1t is subsequent to Mr.. Van Bu-
Mr. Van Buren's visit by saying:
'SMy opinions upon the next Presidential cleo
tion are generally known. When Mr. Van Blu
rem and Mr.. Cambreleng made Inc a visit last
| April, | authorised them upon every proper oc-
casion to make these opinions known.
H. The only difficulty this State has upon
that subject is, that if jackson should be elected,
Calhoun will come into power. =
If you can ascertain that Calhoun will
not be benefited by Jackson's election, you will
do him benefit by communicating the informa-
ton to me-"
| This letter will hereafter be identified with
the correspondence, and brought home to Mr..
Van Buren,, not only by the rewarding of Mr..
Balch, who has received marks of his favor, but
by other striking proofs.
conclude, by quoting Mr. Calhoun himself
In his letter to Gen. Jackson, of May 29th, 1880,
he says:
! &C should be blind not TO see that this whole
affair is political manouvre, in which the de-
sign is that you should be the instrument, and
myself the victim, but in which the real actors
are carefully concealed by an artful movement"
And again in his letter of June 22d, $780, he
says:
90 Facts and circumstances, light of them
selves, may when viewed in connection, afford
| important light as to the origin and object of
what / firmly believe to be base political IN
TRJ6UE, got up by those who regard your reputa-
ton and the public interest much less than their
| own PERSONAL ADVANCEMENT"
That Mr.. Calhoun's allusion here was to Mr..
Van Buren,, is fully demonstrated by his refusal
to take Mr.. Van Buren's hand at the French
Minister'S. 1 had charged MIR. Van Buren, as
instigating the intrigue, with being at the bot
tom of the plot He had denied it. He invited
Mr.. c. to dine with him, and afterwards awaited
himself of his acceptance to insist that Mr. Cal
houn did not believe him guilty as had charged.
1t was for this use of an official courtesy, that
Mr.. Calhoun refused to acknowledge him as a
gentleman
Hi
in the progress of that &c base political INTRIGUE"
and the part assigned to him in the attempt to
sustain the power thus obtained imposes upon
me the necessity of reviewing the controversy
between Gen. jackson and Mr.. Calhoun, and of
explaining how Mr.. Van Buren,, by that means,
enlisted the patronage of the Government in his
support as a candidate for the Preidency.
! repeat that this is the most painful task that
has fallen to my lot in political life My attach
ment to Mr.. Calhoun has been the growth of
many years, of the most confidential intercourse;
| and it has been cemented by considerations that
none but those who know WELL can aPpre
ciate. Understanding that those of his friends
who act with him, have identified themselves
with the administration, and are exertng the in
| huence Of his name to sustain the measures and
the men, whom l so much disapprcve, have
held no political intercourse with him-or them
| know too well, that cannot influence the poll
ticians, who have resolved on deliberate consul
tation; my hope is, that may have some infiu-
ence on the people, who open to conviction 1t
is therefore due to MIR. Calhoun, as well as to my
self, that should say, that do not know how far
: | L 4oa4 IT,
how far their personal or political relations
have undergone change. My purpose is to
show, that friend of his country, no friend of
Mr.. Calhoun, should support Mr.. Van Buren,, and
that whatever may be the modification of their re-
lations towards each other, it becomes more pub
lie duty for those who have heretofore defended
MIR. Calhoun against Mr.. Van Buren's intrigues, to
resist his reelection, if it shall hereafter appear,
that MIR. Calhoun has become his partisan For
myself, much as appearances may seem to india
cate it, will not believe it. He may refuse to
vote for Gen. Harrison, but it is so utterly in
consistent with all that know of the man. and
have ever believed of his character, that will
not believe him partisan of Van Buren,
know that in many things, and often, he has suf-
fered by the indiscretion OF his friends, and am
reluctant to think otherwise of him now. con-
clude with the following letter:
| "WOODLAWN, 18th Dec. 1927
MY DEAR SIR,-By the last mail | had the
pleasure of receiving letter from you. If |
understand your letter, you appear to think pub
| lie expression of my opinion the approaching
election, to be proper. cannot think measure
of this nature necessary or proper In other
words, it appears to me highly improper, and
could hardly fail to stamp the charge Of intoler-
able arrogance upon me, in indelible characters.
But few men can ever expect to arrive at that
height that would justify step of that kind,
much less an individual who lives in the most
absolute retirement and who has no ambition to
emerge from it. / am perfectly reconciled to NV
situation, and would not willingly exchange t