The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-05-21
THE ..PREsIDENT,s REsIGNATIONo

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webs TO catch votes
THE 'PRESIDENT'S RESIGNATION"
| In our last we promised TO show the manner
in which the Presidents resignation was 10 he
effected by Mr. Clay and his followers during
the past year. We now proceed to fulfil, IN
part, that promise.
In order that may be distinctly understood
in what we shall say, II is necessary TO compre-
bend first the exact political condition of things
at the death Of General Harrison: and, to do
this, we must go back to the Harrisburg Con-
vention. This great body of delegates assem-
bled in council AS the representatives of sepa-
rate and distinct party elements they meet 10 can
vass the claims of all persons who shall be
brought before them as candidates for the Presi-
dental Chair, and to make that selection which
shall be esteemed the most judicious. The
most prominent of these, it is known, were
Messrs. Clay, Scott, and Harrison After
calm consultation and mature elaboration, the
choice fell upon Harrison. General Scott and
his friends could not do otherwise than acqui-
esce in this choice, nor could Mr. Clay, though he
had most confidently expected the nomination 1t
is true he was mortified, but the thing was now
DONE and it could not be undone. He felt deeply
this third ef1s0l on the part of his countrymen
to confer upon him an honor to which he had as
pired for twenty years past yet, experienced as
he was, he suffered neither feeling nor passion,
however deep and lasting they might be, to
cloud his judgment, and thereby prevent the re-
suit enuring to his ultimate benefit That it
shall eHectually do this, he publicly proclalms
| his determination to throw his weight into Har-
rison's scale and to sustain him before the Peo-
pie. His grand move has the desired effect.
Harrison Is elected and forglves him, as expect
ed, for all past attempts TO destroy his (Harrl-
sons) reputation and consign him to oblivion.
! The good mans generosity is excited, and he
permits MIR. Clay-the bold and selfish calcu-
lator-to select fve-sxths of his Cabinet Off
GERS. 1t is done-and, as matter of course,
the claims of all who represent any element of
the Wing party except the Clay element, are
overlooked 1t is true Mr.. Webster, as the Re-
preventative of the great Eastern and manu-
featuring interests, is placed at the head of the
State Department, but was he placed there at
Mr.. Clay's instance, or in accordance even with
Mr.. Clay's wishes? This the country can rea-
Oily answer. Admitting though that Mr. Clay
was not opposed to his appointment, and that
Mr. Webster, unlike Ewing, Bell, Badger,
Granger, or Crittenden, was not SlrOrn friend
Of Mr. Clay, what could his single and solitary
voice accomplish or, how alter The course Of
any public measure? 1t will be seen then that,
|
if this state of things had continued-(we will not
say that they would for we have heard s'1'umors'
that the Dictator had been told there was
! President" on a certain occasion, when he
overleaped, in his zeal for self, the bounds of
prudence 1.-THE general patronage of the Go
vernment would have been at Mr.. Clay's dispo-
SAL and the lever of power in his hands, to be
used by him in that manner which would most
surely enable him to attain the object of all his
hopes-his desires-his struggles and his in
trigues-THE PRESIDENTIAL CHAIR. Under the
feelings of security which these facts engender,
and imagining the sceptre within his grasp al
ready, and the robes of office preparing to be
thrown around him, how loftily does he bear
himself! How, with imperial grace, does he
rise, and now, in slowly swelling tones, utter
forth his oracular mandates-now turning, and
with sneering smiles and bitter sareasms, taunt
! his adversaries-and then leave his chair, and
with authoritative air bestride the Senate Cham
Der. II was an amazing sight thus to behold the
modern Caesar
NIB. ARNOLD, OF THE PEACE PARTY.
That our readers in Tennessee, may not be-
eve the sanderous Wing sheets which insist
upon it, that Mr.. Arnold has been misrepre
scented in Washington, on account of his brutal
hostility to the President, and gross assaults on
this paper, we transfer to our columns the fol-
lowing card" from member Of Congress.
1t is in reply TO card" from Mr.. Arnold, the
substance of which is stated by the writer:
A CARD.
| In the National Integencer" Of this morning.
find note from THOMAS d. ARNOLD, of Tennessee,
in which he bestows few of his choicest epithes up
on | am constrained to say that his insinuaton
that moved the previous question for the purpose OF
preventing him from replying to remark of mine,
which he considers personally insulting, is wholly
false. The House will recollcct that he made eff
fort to obtain the floor, did he express any desire
whatever to make reply. If he had exhibited any
such desire, should have unquestionably Withdrawn
| the previous question.
| This Arnold came here at the extra session" with
the reputation of a 'swaggerng bully" but he has
been found wholly deficient in the courage necessary
to sustain that reputation. In the House, well as
in the country he is regarded low, vulgar black
guard, destitute of all honorable principle. He has
suffered his political associates to call him
"blackguaid" upon the floor of the House. He has
permitted member from Louisiana with impunity to
fasten upon his forehead the charge of base co,oard
ice In short he has been literally expelled from the
society of gentlemen and but for his interrupting
in the heat of debate, coald not have provoked in
suit from Such excite any
other feelings in my bosom than those fplty and con-