Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1860-06-01

/ The following interesting sketch Of the life ant
public services Of Jom BELL is from the New Ameri
can Encyclopedias:
john BELL was born near Nashville, Tenn. Feb
| 49, 1877. He was the son of farmer in moderate
circumstances, who was, however, able to give him
a good education at Cumberland College, how Nash.
vile University. Choosing the law as his profess
| ion, he was admitted to the bar in 1916 settled al
Franklin, Williamson county, and was elected tc
the State Senate in ls17 when only 20 years old
lie saw his error in entering so early into pub
lie life, and declining reelection, devoted himself
for the next nine years to his profession. In 1926
he became a candidate for Congress against Felix
Grundy, one Of the most popular men in the State
and who had the powerful support of Andrew Jack
son. then candidate for the Presidency against
John Quincy Adams. Nevertheless after most
animated and excited canvass Of twelve mouths, Mr.
Bell was elected in 1927 by 1000 majority. By
successive elections, he continued a member Of the
House of Representatives for fourteen years He
entered Congress a warm admirer of Mr.. CaIhotAn,
and strongly opposedt the protective SYSTEM against
which he made Speech in 1882, Subsequent in
vestgatiOn and reflection ihducing him to change
his opinions on That subject and has ever since re-
mained earnest advocate of the policy Of protec
ting American industry. Though opposed to the
appropriation Of money by Che General Government
for roads and canals in the States except in the
Pacific railroad he has always favored the policy Of
improving the great rivers and lake harbors.
With all his admiration for Calhoun, Mr.. Bell de-
Cidedly opposed the Southern doctrine of nulfca-
ton, and was made Chairman of the Judiciary
Committee of the House with special reference to
The questions connected with that subject, which
might have to be considered and reported on. For
ten years he was Chairman of the Committee on
Indian Affairs. He was in favor of a United States
Bank, though he voted against the bill for its re-
charter in 1884, because he believed that the subject
was brought up at that time four years before the
expiration of the old charter merely to defeat Gen
Jackson in the ensuing Presidential election; and
because he was convinced the President would veto
the BILL which proved to be the case He protested
against the removal of the deposits, and refused to
vote for resolution approving that measure. This
refusal was one of the which led to the sub
sequent breach between himself and President
jackson and the democratic party, and finally 70
his cooperation with the wings This change OF
party relations was much accelerated by his election
to the Speakership of the House of Representatives
in 1884. In June Of that year. the Speaker, Mr..
Stevenson, resigned the chair on being nominated
Minister to Great Britain and Mr.. Bell was elected
to succeed him in opposition to James X. Polk after
ward President of the United States who wss the
candidate of the administration and the democratic
party. Mr.. Bell was supported by The wings and a
portion of the democratic party, who were opposed
to the intended nomination of Martin Van Buren, as
successor to President Jackson. The principal
ground of Mr.. Bells opposition to Mr.. Van Buren,
was his strong disapproval Of the system of femov
ais from subordinate offices for merely political
sons-a system which Mr.. Van Buren had zealously
promoted in the party conflicts of the State of New
York, and which it was supposed he intended to
carry out to its full extent in the administration of
the Federal Government. The tendencies of such
use of executive patronage had been vividy por-
trayed by Mr. Bell in speech in the House on the
freedom Of elections; and be had made repeated,
though Intellectual, efforts in successive Congresses
to proSre the enactment of laws calculated to check
the policy.
The final separation between Mr. Bell and Gen.
Jackson took place in 1885, when Mr.. Bell declared
himself in favor of Judge White for the Presidency,
in opposition to Mr. Van Buren. Up to that time
there had been no opposition in Tennessee to Gen.
Jacksons administration, and it was generally sup
posed that his personal and political influence could
not fail to subdhe the opposition raised by Judge
White and his friends. The whole force of the ad-
ministration and of Jackson's personal popularity
was exerted TO this end. But Judge White carried
the State by large majority; Mr.. Bell was re-
elected to Congress from the Hermitage district it.
self by as large vote as everi and an impulse was
given to the political character of Tennessee which
arrayed it in opposition to the democracy during the
four succeeding Presidential elections of lS40l44-
1852. When the reception Of petitions for the
abolition of slavery in the District Of Columbia was
agitated in the House of Representatives, in 1885,
Mr.. Bell alone of the Tennessee delegation favored
their reception, and though asseilod at hotne was
sustained by the people. And subsequently, in
1888, when Atherton's resolutions were introduced
proposing to receive and lay these petitions on the
table, he maintained his consistency by voting in
the negative in order that they might he referred
and reported upon. When President Harrison
formed his cabinet in l84l, he invited Mr. Bell to
acceptthe War Department which he did. With
the 1est Of the cabinet Mr.. Webster only excepted
he resigned Office on the separation of President
Tyler from the whig"party, in the autumn of that
year.
The whig majority in the next Tennessee Legis-
lature which met after his withdrawal from the
Cabinet offered him the Office Of United States Sem
ator, which, however, he declined in favor of
Ephriam II. Foster, who had rendered services TO
the whig party which Mr.. Bell thought deserving
that recognition. Mr.. Foster was accordingly
elected, and Mr.. Bell remained in voluntary retire.
pent until called by the people Of his county, in
l947 to represent them in the State Senate in
which year, the recurrence of a vacancy, he was
elected to the United States Senate to which he
reelected in 1852, for a second term, which expired
March A, 1859. In the Senate Mr.. Bell steadfastly
opposed the policy of annexing Mexico and other
Spanish American States to the Union. He was in
favor of the Compromise measures Of 1850, but de-
Slreu 10 see tne issue tnen maue luy seted at lne
time by the division of Texas into States, as pro-
vided by the act of annexation, because he appre-
hended whenever the question came up, the har-
mony of the Union might again be disturbed. In
1854, when the Nebraska bill was presented to the
Senate, Mr.. Bell protested against its passing MS
violation of the Missouri compact, as unsettlng the
principles established by the compromise Of 1850,
and as re-opening a sectional controversy which
might imperil the peace and safety Of the Union.
In the controversy on the admission of Kansas, in
March, 1858, Mr.. Bell took decided ground against
the so-called Lecompton Constitution and made an
elaborate speech charging that that measure tended
directly to the overthrow of the Union.
Ex-PREsIDEST FILLMoRE on THE STATE oF THE
COUNTRY AND THE Po'ITIcs OF THE DAY.-In letter
dated April 3Oth, Mr.. Fillmore writes as follows:
al profess TO belong to party but my country,
and am taking no part in politics; but, though a
silent am by no means an Indifferent spectator of