The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-01-23
WASHIN TON.
TUESDAY MORNING, JAN. %, 1874.
COL. KING AND GOV. POLK.

men, it must be admitted, of extraordinary tact.
They know how to kill of troublesome friends in
the kindest manner in the world never striking a
blow, but apparently acting the part of friends set
ting by the ears those they wish to remove out of
the way, and suffering them to play the part of the
Kilkenny cats. Thus, for instance, Col King
and Gov. Polk are both aspirants. and formidable
asprans, for the honor Of being the defeated can
didate for the Vice Presidency upon the ticket
with Mr.. Van Buren,. Now Mr.. Blair and Mr..
Richie want neither Of these gentlemen placed
upon the ticket with Mr.. Van Buren,; but as the
latter has the entire control of the packed conven
ton, deno,nnated national convention, called
for the purpose of registering his will, he has to
take the responsibility of placing individual
upon the ticket with himself as candidate for
the Vice. Gov. Polk, backed as he is by the old
Lion at the Hermitage, whose roar makes even
his little pet-Fox tremble is too formidable to be
trifed with, even though he cannot command the
vote Of Tennessee; and Col. King, though not to
be feared, is nevertheless somewhat troublesome,
and to be got out of the way, if possible, without
giving his fine sensbilties shock. What is to
be done with these two aspirants, neither of whom
1t is predetermined shall have the honor of being
distanced in Mr.. Van Burens company, 1t is
done. A lucky thought is generated between
Mr.. Richie and Mr.. Blair, the former having
determined that his own pet, Elk Minister Steven
son shall be the martyr, and at once it is carried
into execution. The two troublesome candidates
are to be set by the ears--a fair field and fair
fight is decreed them-the columns of the Globe
are thrown wide open--elbow room is guaranteed,
seconds secured, weapons furnished, but no mail
or other protecting covering allowed to be worn,
and forthwith the two distinguished candidates be-
gin cutting up each other to the infinite amuse-
ment Of the public, and the excessive delight of
the sly fox, who " from the loopholes of his re-
treat" at Underwood, looks on and smiles at the
thus setting the troublesome individuals to using
up each other, as they have pretty effectually
done already.
The contest between them is, which has per-
formed the most distinguished services to the
country, and in proclaimng their own merits, they
remind us of couple of Aborigines Dragging Of
the number Of warriors they had slain, the scalps
they had performed-each, however, charging the
other with being "squaw," and having done moth
ing but snake moccasins.'' "Col King" saws
Mr. Polk, or his friend for him, was in
Congress during the war but it required the
most diigent search of the records of that period
to rescue the fact from utter oblivion" =
/ What service of Col. King can your correspon-
dent point to. at all to be compared to those of
Gov. Polk, as chairman OF the Committee of
Ways and Means 2" "The mighty
struggle was about the bank-the veto of its char
ter, and the removal of the public depostes from
it. How could Col. King be conspicuous on
these subjects, when he had voted for that very
bank in 1916! Gen. Jackson was saying it was
unconstitutional. could Col. King support him in
that" lGen. Jackson, nevertheless, admitted the
constitutionality of National Bank, and said that
if he had been called on by Congress, he could
have given them charter of such NATIONAL
BANK as would have been unobjectonable! His
plan was to have a great Government Bank,
which even his own friends looked at most
dangerous MONSTER thousand times more dam
gerous than the old United States Bank. "If
your correspondent shall affect to doubt this
statement of the vote of Col King for the old
Biddle Bank of the United States, let him turn to
the House Journal" &c.
In, reply, Col King, or his mouth-piece, char
ges Gov. Polk, or "a Tennessee Democrat"
with attacking with deep malignity, the political
character" of the former, and says He Gov.
Polk has been twice repudiated in his own
State by large majorities-defeated by an inexpe-
renced politician, and it is not pretended that his
name would add one particle Of strength to the
ticket in any State in this Union Why then
talk of hi, selection as the candidate Of the par