The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1859-08-26

! turned upon contemplate intrigue to dismiss
| Messrs. lSia,r and Rives as government oro,n.
and substitute another organ less hostile tosMr
Caihoun, ana that this was the main object of
my visit to Mr.. Polk, in August, 1874, he never
was under greater hallucnation and it only
SHOWS that his mind was deeply tainted by the
PreJmdices ot small men. who only saw IL very
small part of the contest. There were grave
questions intimately Identified with the future
progress and power of the Republic and these
uei', nS well as others were but the feather
and the cork upon the surface Of the mighty
/ current No man understood these issues Mt
The TIME, more thoroughly than Gen. Jackson
himself, for in full interview with him. about
10Th August, 1914. he showed himself although
! feeble with disease, profoundly master of all
| POINTS, aud in which he spoke freely of Mr.
| Bentons course in nnmensurcd terms and
deeply regretted Mr. Van Burcn's. BY an ac-
c'neht; ana not reach Nashville quite soon
| enough Tor the proceedings of the great convcn-
Ton, but think there were two sets of repre.
schtatives at it from Missouri one from the
iriehds OF Col. Benton. called the "IIards," and
one from the other portion OF the Democratic
party called the "Soits." And if mistake not,
zen: jackson sent special m-ssuge to Col.
| Benton by Judge, who was member of the
convention. and particular friend of Col. Ben.
Ton. My friend. Judge Carton. Of the Supreme
Court, may recolcct the particulars for he
went with me the day / spent Mt the Hermit
aye mention This merely to show that every
person then took the deepest interest in the
exciting ISSUES before the country and felt
grrnt concern for the future And if we had
not succeeded. where now would the Republic
have been thrown back half century in lis
power and asccndancy over great and mighty
events which are working out the elevation
nnd benefit of mankind. No man whose heart
beats with pride for his country, can hrlu.fcel-
ing glow of eXnitaton as he comtemplutcs
The gigantic strides our confederacv Of free
Republics has made to ardssi,o wer and empire
amongst the nations Of the earth. since the
great outlines of policy were inaugurntcd in
the canvass and elections which brought Mr.
Polk into power. would have but poor con
slderation for myself, if could have confined
the object of my visit in 1914 to the small. aud
narrow views. which Mr. Benton's book makes
the on'y 'conditiou" in South Carolina voting
Tor him. Trnc, an organ for the n.iminis-
tr"t,on was spoken OF, but it WAS only Incl
dental to the other great questions. We knew
and felt that Mrssrs. Blair and Eives could
not be continued because they had adhered to
Nr. ' an Burcn III his opposition TO the annex.
alton of Texas. and upon this very point he
had been overlhrOwn Ivy the party Mt the Bal.
tinore Convention, and of course it would
have been suicidal and weak in the last degree
to have chosen an organ that was opposed to
the administration on the most vital part { its
policy, part upon which all other points
turned No man was suggested rs m organ at
all. 1t was only understood that some one
sound on the annexation question and the tariff
was to be selected. made no secret Of thi,
In fact, afterwards wrote or Informed Mr..
RiSes Of 1t, aud that he and Mr. Blair were
Obliged to be @verthrown. 1t was essential 10
the great policy OF the administration, most
particularly SD. when their identity aud init
mate connection with Col Benton was known,
and when it was felt by all that he was the
Ajax lebanon Of opposition to Texas =
AS to the S50,OOO, Col. Benton epeaks Of
(pnge 633.) heing used by Mr.. Cameron. of
Pennsylvania, in the purchase for Mr. Ritchie.
and afterwards by Hon. X. J. Walker, wheE
Secretary "f the Treasury. I know nothing
whatever of it, never having heard of it until
| read IT IN hls book True, it was admitted to
he important that Mr.. Tyler should be with-
drawn as IL candidate, for his running would
divert many votes, particularly in Virginia and
elsewhere, and might produce great confusion
and cndanger the result very mach. 1t was
calculated that we could carry the election,
even II we lost Tennessee but Mr.. Tyler run.
ming mi ght cndanger all.
lhe only other point of the slightest copse-
quence mentioned, was i'll rea ton to the ultra
movements then recently made in South Caro-
llna, commonly called .'the Bluffton resolu.
tlons: Some excited persons, under patriotic
impulses. who had felt deeply grieved by the
wrongs OF the Federal Government, had irdi-
ize Tor separate action and resistance, without
locating events or concert of action. They
looked only ut one question:. the tariff, and did
not consider the complication eof our position
at that peculiar juncture, and the other great
Questions made. 1t wns important in other
States that the friends Of Mr.. Polk should be
relieved from connection or identity with this
local and ultra move Mt that period. With
thatvlew, wrote Col. Elmorc from Mr. Polk's,
thht IL was OF great importance he should call
meeting and introduce resolutions in Charles.
ton, repudiating what were called the .sBluff-
Ton Resolutions" and to Indicate thew were
not he concerted move OF the State. I think
he did so. Now these are candidiy and frankly
all subjects touched on spoken Of in that in.
terview which Col Benton so mysteriousy in
troonces as An important point in the poIiti-
cal history of that period. OF course, I am
iu'ly aware that it was no part of his object to
40 any injustice to one so little known as my
scii' nut only to usc me for the purpose of ma.
Eing 1t appear in history. by inference, that
Mr. Calhoun was capable of very small in.
tr!gue against two editors. who had occupicd~
very conspicuous position in the fartizan
conflicts of that day. and that he was willing
10 make South Carolina play the contemplate
part Of casting her vote for the important
office Of President merely to crafty his per-
sonai vengeance. At page G5l, he says the
south Carolina vote was disposable by the
politicians. and had been habitually disnosed
OF 10y them. Mr.. Polk was certain Of the vote
Si 9th. the State if he agreed to the required con.
dit'ons and lie did So" do not know how
Col. Benton obtained his in formation as IN
whstswas ''agreed to-" l only wrote to Col.
Elrpore and TO Mr.. Calhoun from Mr.. Polk az
to. the Questions and issues presented and our
Of them.
But justice TO Mr. Calhoun first, and then
to Mr. Polk against whom, also. Mr. Benton ia
very severe 10 his structures, and in the infer.
sences.to be drawn from his statement of appa-
rent facts. requires that should make the
statement have made went there very re-
l"etantiy and only because was urged to do
SO under the belief that it might be Of benefit
on important points, and now disdain to have
aoy 'dAEnise about the matter I never adj |
oresseagy convention assembly in Ten. |
nessee. until I had full interview with Mr.
Polk flrs. As to the entire lepgth Mr., CAL.
= noun s we went at that time on the Texas question
40 not deem it ut oil necessary to saw anv' |
thing further HI, celebrated iet,ar ,v;t.