New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-10-19

M
-. ,e,tv Mir. Van Buren, vas N The State
and vas an early, ardent, effective advocate
~ W. CIioton for President in opposition to
-, M.4;son He voted Tor the Cintoniar
r,-.,o- =, ,b. last. So far. ne was acting With
Who were opposed 10 the War, as Clinton wss
.,.,lv supported az the Pesce' candidate. AT
- Madison had been reelected over Clinton, Mr..
u, PnreD was very active and decided in support
oftbs War; we do no; know ihet be hsd been dis
rpctly othereise before, except so lar as opposing
Madison and supporting Clinton !or President
might argue opposition TO the War.
| The Candidate who dare not ayovv his
Opinions.
Four wears ago, it was said imost untruly) that
Gen. Harrison desired to conceal his opinions
from The public, because he declined 10 answer
questions on all manner Of irrelevant topics as
well as those on which his opinions were fully
known. On this, The Orators and the Press OF
the opposite party stiernatized him as the ma"
in the eage,' the mum candidate &c. &c. The
following Illumination from Gen. Jackson is far
specimen of their language:
.by again fellow citizens remember The fate Of ancient
po.rs md vuTY FOR cAHDlDATE ieho EH4 1ot Ie'
,b "a. frGakrrss OF CT independent Jrtarn. TIE Pran-
eni,- anon lic 4, feced. he 'oA cdm'H';fr VSHr "'s
hui man DESERVES SLAVE who would vote Tor
ri candidate here s liberty as at s:c1e Can iIee-
-, vino value his ughts vote oT such man. VINO whe
his opinions asked for insqs you WIN we epy VIII
swer for IL u that UoT'hy TO beJree eaa 20 So ~!
The next year remarkable state OF things vas
,-esented in Tennessee. James X. PoIk, chosen
Governor in 1889, was candidate for reelection,
and beaten over 5000 votes. A Wing Legisle-
ture WIS at the same time chosen the House
Wing by SO to So; the Senate Loco BY 10 to u;
Wing majority in Joint Ballot,2. There were
two U. S. Senators 10 be chosen at this Session =;
and it was supposed that Messrs. Foster and jar
,soi, f1bo were elected last year. would then
he chosen. But James X. Polk and his follow
ers had resolved that there should be ne choice
unless they could secure one of the Senators.
They had the control Of one House, and they
determined 10 force the Wing majority into a
compromise Thereupon they addressed letters
of inquiry to every body whom they chose to
consider candidates for the Senate-asking their
opinions on the Tariff, Bank, Bankrupt Law,
81. and nurlbe, of irrelevant or frivolous topics.
The design was to discover some point on which
popular stand could be made TO defeat any
Election of Senators-saying that, if an Elec-
ton took place, Wings would be chosen, and
thew would vote for and probably carry such or
such an obnoxious measure. But the trick was
seen through at glance, and most Of the Wings
addressed declined to answer the insidlous que
,ies, letting the questioners know that they
would be fully satisfied whenever their votes
were asked fo.. Hereupcn the Loco.Foco State
Senators took their stand, refused to go into
hint Ballot, and when Joint Ballot was at last
carried they refused to attend 1t, and left the Lee
oislature without quorum, (two,thirds) Scno
Election was had the State went nearly two
years unrepresented in the U. S. Senate; and
Gov Polk and his party laid the blame all on The
Wings, for refusing to answer the questions pro-
posed 10 them. Gov. Polk denounced them in
speeches and in print all over Tennessee. In
one of his printed Addresses, he says,
| COLUMBIA. May Is 1873.
The chief If not the only value OF the night OF suiffnge
consist, fact that be exercised Mnds-
sii;uency consists Legislature OF the People N then
primary capacity, the election Of their eIee5; " esl,
A"''O ''' JAMES X. POLK.
And vet this same James X. Polk has since
repeatedly, dcterminedly refused to answer these
important questions,
~ Are you 10 favor ofthe Tariff Act ofiSls!
Q IfnU, are YOU IN fvdr Of lis repeal and he reesabiHh
men Of The Ac, OF 1855 commonly called the Compromise
no, in favor of ssd Act ls,l OF repeal and hs
of saL Act Of 1874 you favor Vi odi
:calions OF said Ac, OIL ls2a'
To these questions, which have in substance
been asked repeatedly, public meeting OF hi.
fellow. citizens Of Tennessee recently appointed 9
Committee to confer with him, and added the
following inquiries
l. Are you favor Of Tea and Coffee remaining fres anu
ces or should duty, ond what duly, be mocsed them
In your j. X. kane ESQ oPhllsdspha do you
intend be understood ens IN favor OF Determinations 10
Revenue for Protection
You have said that you in favor of the immediate
Annexation of Texas the United States are you - iavo
OF the terms and conditions of the eay made ut Washing
Ton 10y that purpose and rejected by the eenate
If not you u tsyo:of the bill introduced BY NJ Ben
g. If favor OF either, you IN favor OF providing a
the tijs The Annexation Of Texas IN Whatever mode MAY
be selected the admission OF the States thereafter TO b
formed of the territory OF Texas, INTO the Union witt
slaves # they desire 10 be admitted Or would you be II
fyo- of leaving that an open question be settled By Con
1rel when such States might petition for admission!
Now these are not insulting nor invidlous ques
tons. They are plain and pertinent inquiries or
matters of the highest public concern, in regarc
to which Mr. Folks views are the subject OF dis
pute end Misrepresentation. Many declare tina
Mr. Polk will net iavor subverson OF the Pro
tective policy il elected; others assert that hi
will So or the Texas question. Thousand
believe ne IS rot in favor of Annexation at TIT
cost Of a War with Mexico while the Te1a
men insist that ne is for Annexation on the term
of Tyler's Treaty. It's the clear right of TIL
public to know his views on these topics-so i'm
minent, 50 practical, so vital. Yet James X
Polk utterly refuses 10 publish them The Com
mittee waited on him personally on the 22d Q
September, accompanied by three most respect
able citizens of his own town, presented the cues
hons and their credentials, and asked at wha
time an answer might be expected. Polk re
piled at proper time Dr.. J. n. Brown salt
ne would remain s iew days Tor an answer, bu
Polk replied That he could Not tell when ne woul
answer, and that Dr.. BIS remaing would max