Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1848-01-06
From the New York Tribune.
Presid dential.

Presidential.
Several of our contemporaries are amusing them
selves and mystifying their readers Oy parading
lists of members ofCongress classified as for Clay,
Taylor, Cass, McLeon, Buchanan, &c. &c. This
| is we'll enough as quiz, but whoever imagines
that the classifers have any other data than their
own lively imaginations will be wofully taken in.
small portion of the Members-not above sixty
in all--are known to be decided in their preferen.
ces for this or that individual as the candidate of
their party for President; but by far the greater
number have taken no decided stand in the prem
ises. That great majority of the Wings prefer
HENRY CLAY to any other man it needs no count
ing of noses to establish; but some of these fear
he cannot be elected--thnk he might be killed by
Slavery or Anti-Slavery, Nativism or Foreignism,
the passion for War or the lust of Conquest, and,
while they admit that he is just about right on all
these matters, they append so many ifs and bats
that their support is not worth great deal, just
at present. 1t may be true, as one of these dash
ing computations asserts, that ninety odd Of the
Members are for Clay to thirty.odd for Taylor and
as many (Whigs) scattered upon halfa dozen 9TH
ers but we would much sooner rely on canvass
of the Wing People than of the Whig Congress
men to attest the overwhelming preponderance Of
Clay feeling in the Country. Politicians general
ly 1--WE do not say improperly wait to calculate
who can most surely be elected; the People con-
slider rather who ought to be-whch is not always
the same thing as we trust it is this time.
AS to our opponents, The calculation of CO.
;rbs of bo;r ~
are for Gen. Cass is simply absurd He has not
to-day thirty earnest partisans in both Houser,
and will hardly add to the number. Not many of
the Members have positively taken their positions;
but James Buchanan is clearly the favolite of the
Court and the Organ, and we think him the more
likely to be nominated. If he is, we think Mr.
Van Buren, or some one of like attitude will be
supported against him. for it is morally impossible
that Van Buren men should support Buchanan
Pennsylvania sen, Delegates to the last Baltimore
Convention expressly instructed, by vote of three
to enc, to nominate Van Buren, but these very
Delegates did their best to stab him, and succeed
ed At the head of the wre-workers were Mr.
Buehanans special cronies and followers-Col
Real. Frazer, the Lancaster Delegate at their
head. Who was behind the scenes it might be
hard to prove, but is not difficult to guess. New
York does not count for much just now in a Loco
Foco computation, but Mr.. Van Buren, has friends
in other States, and these will not permit the exa-
tatian Of Buchanan. But Secretary Walker, Vice
President Dallas, Col. Benton and even James K
Polk, will have their advocates in the next Con-
vention--the last, we think, the fewest
-Messieurs Members of Congress of both par
ties! do you mean to allow the People to hold Ma
tional Conventions for the selection of Presiden-
,ial candidates fyea, lie. US have day and date
for it soon! Even though you resolve to postpone
the Conventions to July. let US have the Calls
ly in January. Conventions may be evils at best,
bu, nominations (virtually) by Congressional Cau-
cuses are still worse. Let all have a chance to
be heard.