Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-11-10

, dertook this c0llusiye arrangement with The
wings. They proposed it to them, processing
: to act in the interest of Mr.. Calhoun, though
y in fact against him as we'll as against Mr. Van
| Buren,. The wings readily agreed to this pro
posal, because, being themselves then 'unan
nous for Mr.. Clay, it made no difference at
! what time he should be nominated and be-
lieving they couidsmd easily defeat Mr. Cal
houn than Mr.. Van Buren,, they preferred him
/ for an antagonist They therefore agreed to
the delay and both conventions were put of,
J (and the wings first, to enable the democrats
I to plead it, J from December, 1843, to May,
, 1874. Time for operating having now been
ganed, the night squad in the Capitolredoubed
their activity to work upon the people. Let
ter writers and newspapers were secured--
!. Good, easy members were piled with specious
reasons-slippery ones were directly approach
ed. Visitors from the states were beset and
indoctrinated. Men were picked out to ope-
rate on the selfish and the calculating and
I myriads of letters were sent to the states to
editors and politicians. All these agents work
ed to pattern, the primary object being to
undo public sentiment in favor of Mr.. Van f3u-
rem, and to manufacture one, ostensibly i'm IA
I yor of Mr.. Calhoun, butsin reality without be-
ing for hm-they being for any one of four,
4 (Mr. Cass, Mr. Buchanan, Colonel johnson,
! Mr.. Tyler, in preference to either of them
They were for neither, and the only difference
was that Mr.. Calhoun believed they were for
him Mr. Van Buren, knew they were against
j him. They professed friendship for him and
4 that was necessary to enable them to under
| mine him. The stress of the argument against
him was that he could not be elected, and the
effort was to make good that assertion. Now
or never, was the word with respect to Texas.
Some of the squad sympathized with the specu-
! lators in Texas lands aud scrip and to these
/ Mr.. Calhoun was no more paatable than Mr.
! Van Buren. They were both above plunder
Some wanted Office, aud knew that neither Of
these gentlemen would give it to them. They
had dificultsas well as tortuous part to play
Processing democracy, they colluded with wings
Processing friendship to Mr.. Van Buren, they
co-operated with Mr.. Calhoun's friends to de-
feat him. Cooperating with Mr. Calhoun's
friends, they were against his election They
were for any body in preference to either, and
especially for men of easy temperaments whose
principles were not entrenched behind strong
wills. To undo public sentiment in favor of
Mr. Van Buren, was their labor to get un-
pledged and uuinstructed delegates into con-
yention, and to get those released who had
been appointed under instructions, was the con-
summation of their policy. A convention un-
trammelled by instructions, independent of the
people and open to the Vaccinations of few
politicians, was what was wanted The efforts
to accomplish these purposes were prodigions,
aud constituted the absorbing night and day
work Of the members engaged in it. After all.
they had but Indifferent succesS-more with
politicians and editors than with thepeople-
Mr.. AN, Buren, was almost universally prefer
red Delegates were generally instructed to
support his nomination. Even in the southern
states, in direct question between himself and
Mr.. Calhoun, he was preferred in Alabama
and Mississippi. No delegates were released
from their instructions by any competent au-
tority, and only few in any, by clusters of
local politicians, convenient to the Vaccinations
of the commtteein the Capitol-as at Shockoe
Hill, Richmond, Virginia, where Mr.. Ritchie,
editor of the ERqHirer, (whoSe proclvity to be
deceived in crisis was generally equivalent in
its effects to positive treachery,) led the way
himself impeled by others he r"a #
The Iabors of the committee, though intend
ed TO be secret, and confined to a small circle
and chiefly carried on in the night, were sub
ject to be discovered and were so and the
discovery led to some public denunciations -
The two senators from Ohio Messrs William
Allen and Tappan, and enof the representa-
tiyes from that state, published a card in the
i Gloje newspaper tlcnouncing it as a conSpra-
cy to defeat the viii of the people, The whole
delegation from South Carolina, Messrs Nc
Dullie and kuger, senators, and the seven re-
prescntatiyes,) fearing that they might be sus-
pectcd on account of their friendship for Mr.
Calhoun, published Il card denying all connec-
tiOn with the committee an unnecessary pre-
caution, as their characters were above that
suspicion. Many other members published
cards. denying their participation in these
/ meetings and some, admitting the participa-
ton, denied the intiigne, and truly, as it CON
cerned themselves for all the disreputable
part was kept secret from thenl--especially the
collusion with the wings, and all the mysteries
of the Gilmcr letter. Many of them were SIN
cere friends of Mr. Van Burcn, but deceived
and cheated themscveS4while made the instrll-
melIt of deceiving and cheating others 1t was
probably one of the most elaborate pieces of
political cheatcry that has ever been performed
in free country, and we'll worthy to be stu
died by all who would wish to extend their
knowledge of the manner in which Presidential
elections may be managed, and who would wish
to see the purity of elections preserved aud vim
dicatcd.
F. About this time came an occurrence well
calculated to make a pause, if anything could
make a pause, in the working of political am
bition. The explosion OF the great gun on
board the Princeton steamer took place, kill
ing, among Others, two Of Mr. Tyler's cabinet,
(Mr Upshur and Mr. Gilnler, both deeply en-
gagged in the Texas project--barely failing to
kill Mr.. Tyler, who was called back in the eri-
teal moment, and who had embraced the Tex
as scheme with more than vicarious zeal and
also barely failing to kill the writer of this
View, who was standing at the breech of the
; gun, closely obseryingaits working as well as
THAT of the Texas game and who fell among