The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-13

Presidential Stalking HORSES
To THE EDITOR THE HERALD.
Ever since the opening the present century the best
interests of the country have been made the stalking
horses Of aspirants for the Presidency
Mr. Jefferson came power upon the run. mad demo
oracv or mob rule of the French revolution. And wher
N cot in he upon skeleton navy a
for popularity, and substituted in its place fleet OF gun
heats whose insgncancc invited the insults that brought
on Of 1872 which he had cunning enough 70 throw
over into the administration Of his The only
great thing he achieved the acquisition of louisiana,
and that was thrust upon him against his will by his more
daring Minister'S abroad He naugurated in this country
the spos practice, which was however, obnoxious 10
Me popular feeling that it fell disuse until it
vived by General Jackson to be- fear forever fast
sncd upon our institutions
with Great Britain, fomented and STAYED OFF by
Mr. Jefferson, sgnaized the administration of Mr.. Madi
SON. Its continuance made for keeping
him power and when foreign affairs ceased satisfy
she public appetite the recharer of the United States
Bank was upon by his partisans element of
excitement and thus the moneyed interests of the country
were the first time dragged into the Of politics
With the peace and the settlement of the Bank question
Mr. Monroe came into power, the head of noparty
administration, when the lion and the lamb TO
BE down together, and eat their fodder out
Of the same rack In this period Of political
subsistence Mr. Calhoun started his protective and internal
Improvement measures, and got the first real industry
promoting tariff passed by Congress- besides the
ccgnon Of the duty Of the government TO improve the
interior water courses open roads &c With the close of
Mr.. Monroes administration the OF political good will
terminated, and public began fight for the
cesson, which till had descended without much de.
nurrng in the line of Virginia dctation.
HE contest Of 1924 fruitful Of many stalking horses
a ,1,a
talnsm was the raw, head and bloody bones which Mr.
Gay held up to the nation reason why he could not
vote for General Jackson and thus il that Mr. Adams
reached the goal of his ambition. Panama Congresses
scud help him into second term The cry Of
bargain and intrigue against Mr. Cay the offence he gave
voting for Mr. Adams instead Of Jackson when the lat
r had plurality OF the popular vote the extravaganza
& the East Room not furnished well as a thousand pr
gentemen's parlors days. the practice Of
playing billiards after dinner and the expenditure OF hir
millions ayear of the federal treasure were sufficient
- Dust Mr. Adams from the Presidency and put his rival
Into power
Bad was Mr. JeGerson's Jacobnism, and his triiing
with the public interests to make popularity for himself
and his party, they chlds play compared to the
state Of things which the accession of Jackson naugurated
The public Offices held up the prize of plumber
md when he got into the Presidency he partioned them
amongst his myrmdons without TO the ques
Non Of capacity, which, be said to Mr. Jeersons praise
lost sight Of by him. He organized power
behind the throne greater than the throne sea power
Mat played with the vital interests Of the country you
would play at billiards II declared against the Unit
cd States Bank and against the tariff Of 1925 upon the
popularity Of that the General elected a second
erm Then came the pundering of the Indians and their
removal the substitution OF pet banks place Of the old
regulator and hundred other measures all contrived 10
Divert the public from the maladmnistraton of the
party in power It's divisions severing the
Union and plungng in a with France; but better
oounses prevailed and these dangers avoded-only
70 be claimed, however, as party triumphs
When Mr.. Calhoun was thrown overheard by the ad-
nnistraton he organized formidable opposition based
upon hostility the industrial interests of the country
and though he fought his battle successfully
sroy the tariff Of 1928 by the compromise Of 1892 yet
he did not to vault into the seat Of power when
Sen. jackson left it, but found himself thrown upon his
back by the very he hated most-Martn Van Buren,
Thus baed in all his hopes Of reaching the Presidency
he sat himself down, like Mr. j. O. Adams, the
Of mischief They both seized upon the institution
slavery forced laDorthe to break ii up, because
Me South defeated his election a second time, and the
other TO extend the whole Unon because the North
would not have him Jacksons successor And the
country reapng tie fruits of this rrepressblc
sfs by two ambitious but disappointed men.
No had Mr.. Van Buren, settled himself down in
The chair Of State than he declared against all paper
currency and brought forward his Treasury scheme
plank to carry him over into a second term The
business Of the country had been torn up from its founda
ons by the interference Of the government under Jack
with the currency and his successor could not resist
he temptation of still further nkerng with it, under
plea Of establishing golden millennium, but solely in hope
he could delude the people his election second time.
Bot the disease was fortunately beyond his curative skill
and the government passed into the hands Of General
Harrison who borne into power upon the uprisings
Of the people against his competitor, rather than
any distinctive policy avowed by his friends His death
followed by reaction against the United States Bank,
ard the question of the currency was again thrown into
the arena, together with the tariff.
Mr. Tyler the tariff Of 1s42 was adopted, cast
about for question which he could be directly
elected President, and finding nothing home OF sui
Gent interest sought for abroad and found the
ncxation Of Texas This proved to be fatal stalking
horse TO his prospects but he had the satisfaction Of
ing utterly destroy the hopes OF his two rivals Clay and
Van Buren, and carry into the Presidency whom
c public eye had not been previously directed But the
legacy which he bequeathed 10 the country with
cut bitter fruits 1t brought with it war, which was
hurried on by Mr. Polk with view to securing second
term In this he was doomed TO disappointment for like
Cadmus, he had sown dragons teeth, and troop OF
Tsos sprang up to contest with him the palm of sue
cession.
General Taylor took his place. and he could settle
the dangerous questions that of conquests
death removed him and left his mantle to Mr.. Fillmore
whose ambition than satisfied by the Compro-
mise of 1850, which, at one time, promised to carry him
INTO the Presidency on his own merits but he too encoun
sered one IF the warriors of Mr. Folks sowing and
forced stand aside TO his victor in the Convention
defeated in turn by another warrior Of the sowing
The struggles that evenuated 10 the Compromise of 1850
gave birth also TO the Fugitive Slave law and this excl
ng question was ridden for some time by Presidential
nsprans TO the small detrment of fraternal feeling
the country but what care ambitious fer the pub
nc good go that they succeed?
With the ascendancy of General Pierce when all was
70 be peace and quiet suddenly Mr. Douglas seized
apple OF discord and hurled it with such force into the
political arena that upset all existing relations broke up
swo Of the great parties, and created third that threw
majority OF the popular vote in 1856, recoied upon him
scn e hlfn Tor season. overturned General
Yerce and his whole administration and placed James
Buchanan in the Presidential chair Tho annals Of politics
furnish no parallel case SO fatal in its operations upon
public men, and so disastrous in s effects the pub,
pace The repeal of the Missouri compromise was more
hac opening the boomes nit described in the Book 81
Revelations, than Pandcra aox II has let loose all the
demons Ct discord whom Pandenonium is supposed 70