New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-07-11

Characteristic traits and therefore fail 70 Illus
trate, as they ought to do, the gradual process,
so honorable to Washington, By which he out
grew his vrginianisrn and bis southernisn and
became finished American.
This however was process Of growth which,
fortunate as il was for the country, and however
honorable to Washington, yet resulted IN his Po-
litiral separation and estrangement from the
great and predominating political majority both
in Virginia and in all the States south OF II.
From some Of those States did the administra-
ton Of Washington receive bit a very feeble
support. while from the same quarter it encoun-
tered a fierce and bitter opposition, led by
Jefferson, whose most efectual cry against
the policy ofWashington was its nationlland GEN.
Trailing tendency-an opposition which at the
end Of twelve years succeeded in seizing upon
the Federal Government, and having seized up
omit. commenced at once TO administer itin sec
tiona spirit This was at first little concealed,
but became ultimately rampant and avowed,
and has ever since been the Distinguishing poll
cy Of the so-called Democratic party. For
tuuately for Washington's peace of mind, he did
not live TO see the election of Jefferson; but he
did live to experience FROM that narrow South
.rn sectiouallsm, against which in his Farewell
Address he had so earnestly protested, more
than one slight, process which these Southern
politicians would have carried much further had
they not been q little afraid OF Washngton's
stil strong hold upon the people south as well
north. On the occasion Of his retirement from
the Presidential Office, the majority OF the Viz
ginia House Of Delegates voted down an address
which ascribed to him "wisdOm in the Cabinet,
"yolor in the field, aud the pureSt patriotism IN
"borh" No patriotism, in their opinion, could
be Of that character unless it had decided
Southern inclination; but they did not venture
TO withhold an expression of their high sense OF
his exalted services; and in view Of the proba-
bic succession of John Adams, they were able,
without very great stretch of political hypoc-
risy, to declare their regret at his approaching
retirement from Office. Had he lived longer
had he been induced, as it was hoped he might
be, to step forward to unite the broken and DIS
ordered ranks of the Fcderalists, aud to permit
bimselft TO be run as their Presidential candidate
against Jefferson, we might then have seen how
tues would have shielded him against the fero-
cious assaults of maddened and infatuated sec
tonalism.
That political artyrdom-thatto torture By the
slow fires of a vindictiye and ferecious section
alisIn, from exposure to which Washington was
saved by his sudden death-fell to the lot, a
quarter Of a century later, of another illstrious
citizen of the South and that TOO on the very
next occasion OH which it was ventured to
ask Of the South support for Northern Presi-
Dental candidate.
At the moment when the Presidential Election
of 1926 came on in the House of Representatives
at Washington, Henry Clay occupied very
prominent and commanding position among
Southern politicians position which he had
earned by very distinguished services rendered
on more occasions than one TO the Southern in
terest, and by political abilities and accomplish
ments in which he had few rivals. 1t fell to
Henry Clay's lot in 1895 to decide between two
rival candidates for the Presidency-a Northern
aud Southern man-Jobn Quincy Adams and
General Jackson. Well knowing JaOkson's
character and ante cedents, he chose 70 prefer
to that fdvOrite candidate of ultra Southern Sec
tonalism, John Quincy Adams, whose superior
personal qualifications for the office, according
to all ordinary standards of judgment, II was
impossible to deny, and against whom it hardly
lay in the mouth of the most violent seotlonalist
of the South to object; since, in order to put
himself in position to be candidate, both
be AID his father had, years before, repu-
dated ard abandoned that national Washingto-
Man party to VII Oh they had both belonged, and
had both kneeled in the dust and humbled them
selves at Jeiierson's feet, receiving from that
Pope of slave driving Democracy full absolutOn
from all their past political sins.
Henry Clay was man who rose above that
narrow and bigoted sectionalism so Characters
tie Of the common herd of Southern politicians,
and no doubt il was an additional motive with
him for the choice which he made, that the
Presidency having for tbirty-two out of thrty.six
years been held by Southern men, it was about
time TO place in that Office a Northern incum.
bent.
But 10 calm down snd control the feroc.ous
spirit of Southern sectionalism Henry Clay found
TO be task no less impossible than Washington
had found it before him. As well attempt to
reason with northeast storm as with this mar
row sectional Southernism. Nor was there
wanting set of aspiring, intriguing New-YOrk
politicians to sympathize and cooperate with the
sectionslists Of the SOuth-men ready to ostra-
cze Ntw-England under the influence Of the
narrow, selfish and sectional idea that if there
was 70 be q Northern President az all. be oncht