Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1844-04-12
ANSWER.

W
ANSWER.
We prefer giving public answer to the
foregoing communication, made, we doubt
not in good faith, for several reasons
Principal among these, is The strong DE-
sire we have Mat justice should be d6ne
10 all men. and We think that MIR. iatsn
matters matter h faselaTedf f to-. faY II y It's +
Van Buren, was one of the earl "'urpe -,r,-
ers of MIR. Clinton for the Office onpre ,.i-
dent in the year 1919, in opposition TO
Mr.. Madison, tina, he took par. in the le-
publican legislative caucus of which Mr.
G. was first nominated. That caucus was
held, and that nomination was made, on
the 2s'h of May nearly month before
the declaration of war. The elections in
this State were then held in April, and ll.e
political year commenced on the frs,
Monday of July. Mr.. Van Buren, lad
been chosen to the Senate in April. bu,
was not of course, member oS the leg,
isla!ure tina. made the nomination. His
Senatorial term commenced on the first
Monday in July and he first took his
seat at the extra cession held in Noveln-
Der, to choose the Presidenlan electors.
Furthermore, it is also true, that Mr..
Clinton became the candidate of "lhe
peace party" Yet j, is not true that he
was originally nominated as such, or tina,
Mr.. Van Buren,, after taking his sea, in
the Legislature, supported him as such -
He MIR. c., was, in fact. driven into tina!
position by The force of circumstances
and it is no more than justice to Mr. Van
Buren, 10 say that after Mr.. Clinton became
identified with the peace party as their
candidate, his support of him became Ian
guild. Indeed, we have reason to believe
that he thenceforward threw his influence.
as far as he could do so, considering the
previous committal of the legislative eau.
Gus which he held to be binding upon the
party, in behalf of Mr.. Madison. The
truth is, Mr.. Clinton was never nominated
or supported as an opponen: to the war;
but directly the reverse. He was thus
nominated and supported expressly upon
the ground that the crisis demanded a
more vigorous arm at the helm of State
than Mr.. Madison's.
The war had not been actually declar.
ed. it is true, but every intelligent anal,
saw that it was inevitable, and very near;
and it was feared, as the result proved.
that under Mr.. Madison's administration
it would be feebly conducted. Believing
thus, that the times demanded an cxecu-
tive of greater energy and force of charac-
ter, the attention of many patriotic men of
both political parties. was directed else
where than 10 Virginia for candidate
and from the high intellectual qualities of
Mr.. Clinton, and the acknowledged ener-
gy Of his character, it was conceived that
he would prosecute the impending contest
with great vigor, and bring it 10 more
steady and honorable close than could be
done by Mr.. Madison.
This was the ground upon which he
was nominated, and upon which he was
supported by Mr.. Van Buren,, and such of
the old republican party as adhered 10 him
through the contest. AS 70 the opinions
and conduct Of MIR. Van Buren, in The ear.
ly stages of the war, we have reason to
know that they were not exactly in har-
mony with the majority Of the people of
this State. even of his own party a, tie
time for it must here be borne in miudl