Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-11-05
From The Pittsburgh Gazette.
Sketches of the Public Men OF the Y. s..
JAMES KNOX POLK.


The President of the United States is among
those Of whom it may be said that he was born
in good ldck!" Less than four years ago there
probably were calculating by the usual chances
of success, one hundred thousand men as likely
10 be Prcsdenras the present incumbent of the
Executive Chair. But The wheel of fortune in
performing its revolutions awarded rich priz,
where none was ever asked, aud certainly none
deserved. As Lord Byron one bright blue morn
ing awaked from II heavy sleep 10 find himself
famous, so Mr.. Polk passed as suddenly the tran
silion from retired citizen TO Il citizen enjoying
all the honors known Under our Constitution
Peculiar circumstances gave Mr.. Polk the nomi-
nation Of President Of the United States. At the
Democratic Convention he'd al the close of the
month of May, 1914, was locker on during
the three and half DAYS session which resulted
| in this nomination. The scene was one of the
most exciting and spirited ever remember 10
have seen. There were MIR. Van Buren S
friends on The one side, numbering large ma
jority of the convention. They were, or were
thought to be, as brave aud skilul, and faithful,
and unvieldipg as were the veteran Guard OF
! Napoleon To their cheGian. Mr.. Van Buren.
though deeply interested in tho result, never lcIl
! himself stronger than when he presented his
claims 10 the conventions; and he would have re-
NAMED strong, and have proved himself the
strongest man Of all. his competitors, had he not
| been overlhrown rather by his own friends than
! by his foes. 1t is often thus that "a mans enc
mics are those of his own household" The
/ first point gained by Mr.. Van Buren's oes-or
opponents, perhaps, ! should call thcm-and the
one which led 10 the nomination Of Mr.. Polk,
was that two-lhirds Of lhc votes orlhe whole con.
venton should be necessary to nominate cam
didato for the Executive office. This Democra-
tic iron rule was not laid down until it was as.
ccrIancd that majority of the convention were
| in favor oflhe ''lavorite son fNew York" Nor
was the point carried without debate, and here it
was a strong and exciting onc-rhe northern de-
cgales being mainly on the one side, and the
Southern upon the othcr--and the adoption Of
the resolution well nigh threw the whole con-
ycnton into confusion. motion was once
made by member from PENNSYLVANIA to dsband
and 90 home but cooler counScs, in the end,
prevailed, and the convention was kept together
and became harmonious 10 The end. The viclo.
ry, however, was one Of great daring, of great
courage, and perseverance, over numbers. The
Northern men, though numerically the strong ST.
were more tmd Than the delegates from the
South. Having been driven into yielding the
majority principle, by alternate CoaXng and
threatening, they soon lost all unity orucon, and
become us broken fragment OF the whole bo.
dy. There stood Benjamin f. Butler, one Of
The delegates at large from the State Of New
York-the man 10 whom Mr.. Van Buren, had
entrusted his secrets and his hopes-lhe mas er
spirit for Il time, Of the convention, as he would
have been 10 the end had he been bold and de-
termined fresh, too, from n visit TO the
Hermitage where then lived The "greates and
BEST of the New York magician. There now
ceased 10 be magic in The wand, because there
was weakness or cowardce in the Knight who
bore it.
This was one picture of the Convention, and
had Mr.. Bullers courage in counsel, been equal
to his as an advocate in Court, itwoud have end
ed here, but Mr.. Van Buren's friend was not
equal 10 the emergency.
! The next scene was no less interesting. Vir-
oinia, though entitled to lwenly.lhrce delegates,
had sent n IluIc army 10 overcome The friends of
| Mr.. Van Bvren, who were but The few among The
many rom the State. Mississippi had more
| than her number, while some States, represented
! by the opponents of New York, but having less
han the number of delegates 10 which they were
entitled. threw the votes for whole Slate.-
! These were the circumstances which defeated
Mr.. Van Buran. And now for those which led
to the nomination OF Mr.. Polk. There were
TWO:
First, the fact that as Mr.. Van Buren was not
nonfinaed il was deemed necessary to nominate
no man who had been equally conspicuous be-
fore the country. BY This decision. which was
rather racit than public. Mr.. Calhoun, Mr.. Cass,
Mr.. Buchanan, whose names had been most
frequently mentioned, were thrown overheard,
This rule necessarily lead to another, which
was'