New-York daily tribune., 1859-01-22
CONGRESSIONAL PREsIDENT-MAKING.


WASHINGTON, Jan. 81. 1859.
Next to squsring the circle, and extracting sun
beams from cucumbers, the most difficult thing in
the world is for legislators 10 keep to their spPrc-
pirate work State Legislatures constantly
meddlipg with nationl affairs, and instructiny
Congress what TO do and Whist not TO do. Con
gress, the other hand pays attention to these
Instructions; and negectiDg its own proper duties,
spends much ii he in caring for its immediate sue
ce.sor, and in manufacturing Presidents Of the
United Ststes These State legislative Instructions
are becoming serious pest. For instance: the
Leei.laiuIe Of New-Yors, at the last sessi,n in
sIucted Congress t) DO about twenty specific
things, Snl not to do about twenty others. OF
course, the record shows that Congress did not do
sf Gle ore of the frst-enume rated score, and did
DO just many Of the last as it pleased. The
present House ia now busy in selecting the officers
for the next More than one third OF the members
Of the incoming Congress rem,in to be elected
Lees than half of those now chosen are members OF
the present Congress. Ii tis doubtful whether any
party will have the controlling power Of the next
House Yet with these facts before them, halt
dczen members of the present House are already
in the field for the Speakership Of tn next; while
some FIVE or six soOnt to he ex-membtrs sre cinvis-
ing for the c erbsbip. Nay, more: candidates for
Sergesnt-a'-Ams, aid Doorkeeper, are spriDging
Mp in all directions. Leaving these smaller evils
to work OH, their ow n cure, we turn TO consider
,be bsDe Of the country in the form of Congress
ioral Pfesident-making.
Tnls very attractive but most bootless work
ba., heretofore been postponed to the first ses-
sion of the second Congress Of current Admins
tratloD. But the utter crushing out of Buchanan,
BY LecomptoD in tn last session. has precPt1ted
this evil ppon as one year 10 advance of ts usual
advent. Congress is now all sgog with making
President 10 succeed Buchanan. However it may
be in articles Of more general use in this cOnmoi-
its honorable gentlemen at Washington seem to
favor domestic manufactures, home products To
cay that the Presidential candidates, present and
prospective, apparent and prssumptve, possible
ard absurd, lumber at least two dozen in the two
House,, is a moderate estimate. If the rule be
adopted IN awarding Presdeutial nominations by
National Conventions, which Is beginning to pre-
vail in aCtti0g other jobs, L. e., to let the work TO
the lowest bidders, another dozen may be added
10 the li.t Of Congressional candidates. No great
harm, perhaps, comes of this sort of intrigue, ex-
cept sourness of spirit from disappointment, and
con.ump.ion Of time rhat should be otherwise em-
ployed Looking on from distance, one would think
it would cool the ardor both Of Congressional Pfesi-
dent.makers and Congressional aspirants to the
Presidency, to Iecolect, that the history OF the
last thirty five years proves that the people pay no
further regard to Congressional quasi nominations
for this office than to generally discard them either
in their Conventions or at the polls; that, though
members Of the respective houses have from, time
to me run for the Presidency, no man has ever
been called from the Representatives. Hall or the
Senate Chamber directly to the White House;
az d that DO gentleman who has c,upied seat in
the marble pile st the east end of Pennsylvania
avenue has reached the much-coveted mansion at
the wes. end, withou. pretty long period having
inter,ened between his domiciliation in the one
and in the other
Let US instance the leading facts concerning this
matter: Mr. Clay, in lo24 (to GO no further
back be being Speaker of tho House, ran for the
Presidency, aod was sisnaly beaten. Crawford,
member Of the C,biDet who was backed by
Congressional nomination, utterly broke down IN
the race Jackson who had not Sc. Left she Sem
ate, also Tan without success. In l525, Jack
son was sgsn on the course, and was tri-
umphsntly elected, be having been out Of the
Senate four years. In 1882, Mr.. Clay, then q Sem
stor, was sgan an unsuccessful candidate. -Four
years subsequently, William Henry Harrison,
Hugh Lawson White, aud Daniel Webster, were
the Wing candidates (each in particular locality,
in opposition to Mr.. Van Bur.n. The latter, wuo
was successful, had been out Of the Senate seven
Yeas; Gen. Harrison, who received nearly the
whole Opposition vote, had not been in Congress
for eight years; while Mr.. White ard Mr. Web.
ster, who were bsrely sble to the electoral
votes Of their respective States, were then, end
had long been, conspicuous actors IN the stormy
controversies Of the Senate. In lc40, Gen. HaT-
risOn. wholly removed for long period FROM
" Washng,on life and intrigues, was taken from the
Clerks deck Of an OHIO County Court, and placed
in the Executive mansion Of the nation The
Presidential cOnte.t Of lc44 was one Of the most
famous and instructive 10 our history. Cay, in
the fu'ness Of bis fame, and borne on
tie shoulders of such partisans as rarely
rally around e chief was beaten BY
csno date Of whom not quarter Of those
whose yotes be received had ever heard I'll he
vac nominated Clay came fresh from the conten-
lions OF tie forum to erter upon this struggle.
Polk lad retired from Congress some 'i1 years
before. Had Clay been out Of tee Seuate as long,
be would have been elected. Gen. Cas- resigned
bis Senatorial chair immediately on receiving q
Presidential nornin ,tlon in l-4- Had be not pre-