The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-04-05

could do so, considering the previous committal Of
he legislative caucus which he held to be binding
upon the party,in behalf of Mr.. Madison. The
ruth is, Mr.. Clinton was never nominated or sup
ported as opponent to the war, but directly the
reverse. He was thus nominated and supported
expressly upon the ground the crisis demanded
more vigorous arm at the helm of state than Mr.
Madson's.
''The war had not been actually declared, it is
true, but every intelligent man saw hatit was in
evitable, and very near and it was feared, as the
result proved, that under Mr.. Madison's admins
traton it would be ieebly conducted. Believing
thus, that the times demanded an executive ofgreat
er energy and force of character the attenti of
many patriotic men of both political parties was di
rected elsewhere th2r to Virginia for a candidate,
and from the high intellectual qualities of Mr..
Clinton, and the acknowledged energy fhis char
acter it was conceived that he would prosecute
the impending contest with greater vigor, and
bring it to more speedy and honorable close than
could be done by Mr.. Madison.
"Ths was the ground upon which he was nomi-
mated, and upon which he was supported by Mr..
Van Buren,, and such of the old Republican party
as adhered to him through the contest. As to the
opinions and conduct of Mr.. Van Buren in the
early stages of the war, we have reason to know
that they were not exactly in harmony with the
majority of the people of this State, even of his
own party, at the time; for it must here be borne in
mind, that very decided majority of the Repre-
senatives in Congress from the State of N. York;
with Obadiah German in the Senate at their head;
voted against the declaration of war; not, how
ever, that they held the contest to be unjust, but
they believed the country wholly unprepared for
war at the time, and consequently that the decla-
ration was nexpedient Such, probably, were
the original views of Mr.. Van Buren-such, GER
tainly, were the views of Mr. Clinton.
"But, the war having been declared, it is due to
Mr.. Van Buren to say, that no public man in the
State supported it more thoroughly, heartily, and
zealously throughout than he did. Such, we know
is not the received opinion in many parts Of the
country, especially in the distant States; and we
frequently see attempts making, in the presses
opposed to him, to render him unpopular by chag-
ing him with opposition to the warltself, as well
as to Mr. Madison. But the charge is untrue"
'Many ofour political friends will scowl upon
US, we know, for our frankness on this occasion.-
But we care not for that. Justice to all men is our
MAXIM and we wish not to beat even Mr.. Van Bu-
rem by falsehood, We have indeed, truth enough
at our command to do that with"
In Hammond's political history of New York,
we find Mr.. Stones statement fully corroborated
in this passage:
ga large majority, if not all the members ofthe
N. York Legislative Caucus, which nominated
Mr. Clinton for the Presidency, ardent in sup
port of the war measures pursued by the National
Government, and many of them were dissatisfied
with the sluggish movements and inertness OF Mr.
Madison presume ore reason why they prefer
red Mr.. Clinton to Mr.. Madison, was, because they
believed the former would pursue the war against
Great Britain with more efficiency and more en-
ergy than the latter, but they had not the most dis
tant idea of separating themselves from the great
Republican party in the State or Nation, AT any
rate, i know this to have been the feelings of Mr..
Clinton's Republican friends in the country. |
can have no doubt that Mr.. Van Buren, entertained
similar impressions. Besides, he was not men,
ber of the Legislature which nominated Mr.. Clin-
ton. He only saw, in the result OF that Caucus,
an expression of the wishes of the Republican par
ty on given question. Was he wrong in attempt
ing, in good faith, to carry those wishes into ef-
fect"
Frop, tb;s IL will 10 soon that before tha war
and in view OF its approach, the Democracy oil
New York had nominated De Witt Clinton as Its
candidate for the Presidency, to give vigor to it;
that Mr.. Van Buren found him nominated by his
party when he came into the Senate of the State III
November following and was called on TO vote foI
Presidential Electors (then chosen by the State
Legislature;) aud that he voted for the electors
nominated by the Democracy in behalf of Clinton
and against those nominated by the Federal party
He had in fact Gf he voted at ally no alternative
but to vote for the Clntonian Democratic Electors
or the Federal Ticket; because, as majority o.
each House alone had the power, under the Con
stituton to nominate Electors, and Mr.. Madison
had majority in neither branch, no ticket in his
favor was presented for choice. This passage il
Hammond's political history explains this point:
The parties in the legislature, as to numbers
stood as follows:--in the Senate there were nine
Federalsts, four Madisonian and nineteen Cnto
nan Republicans; in the assembly there were fif
ty-eight Federasts, twenty-five Madisonian and
twenty-nine Clintonian Republicans The FEEDER
alists could and did nominate Federal Electors in
the Assembly, and the Republicans nominated
Clintonian Electors in the Senate. This state o.
things, it will be seen, would compel the Madiso
mans on Joint ballot to vote either for ClintoniaI
or Federal Electors, or not at all ="
From this, it will be seen that Mr.. Van Burer
differed from the majority in his State, which hat
returned House of Representatives against the
war, that he supported Mr. Clinton, who hat