Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-10-02

IL Is ullllCule 10 lIutC lS oNu'h SNioS
Of Mr.. Bell at this time. lie was Tor the ad'
ministration of General jackson, anu against
the administration Of General Jackson ne was
for the United States Bank, and against the
United States Bank he WAS Tor MT. van Bu'
rem, and against Mr.. Van Buren,; he was Tor
Col. Johnson, and against Col. Johnson; he
was for Judge White. anil against Judge hite;
he was for John Bell all the time, and never
against John Bell, lis will be seer by the fol-
lowing paragraph from 4 letter addressed by
him, MAY llth, 1885, to Chas. Cassidy, EST:
$40 defeat NE for the Speakers chair is the main
iutcrcs, which Mr.. Polk and johnson have in hi,
whole contest. H. believe.
himself, bu, he might he made TO pledge himself for
me uanirs, any other candidate. My coursc in ap-
noin,inr him Chairman OF the Committee OF Ways
and Means could lc Used 10 show that have not
boon influenced 10y persona! CONSIDERATIONS against
him, where the country Is co'icerficd.'
1t will thus be observed, that however tortu-
Gus NAV have been Mr.. Bells course upon all
other matters, he had but one opinion, to which
all other opinions were subordinate, upon the
propriety of his own election to the Speaker
ship.
But Mr.. Bell received but little encourage
mcnt from the friends OF Colonel Johnson, Mr..
Van Buren, or Mr.. Polk. 1t had become too
evident that he was intriguing with the Oppo.
sition, and forming new party alliances with the
view of greater certainty OF future political
promotion.
Mr.. Polk defeated him for the Speakershir,
however, though he received the whole Oppo-
silion vote. Yet still lie sInothcrcd his wrath,
and dill not attack Gen. Jackson oprhly. That
would not have done, for the very reason he
afterwards himself gave that
srrhc impression is current and general, that
n man who darcs to make Il direct issue, right
or wrong, upon any matter Of complaint with
the President, must 80 down in public eStlma-
ton"
He was too sly 4 fox 10 run IN the face of public
opinion. and besides, General .Iucksnn's term OF Office
would not expire iur two years longer, and he wanted
some fav0rs III his hands. So he went home and took
to President making. With the exception Of Gen.
Jackson, no man s;uud 50 high i'll the esteem and
confidence OF the people Of Tennessee rs Judge
White, then Il Senator from that State in Congress,
and al ardent Democrat and supporter Of Gen. lack
sons administration. Gen. lacssOn's preference
wa, known to hc for Mr.. Emr Burrn-Mr. Bell Mt
tacled himself &c Judge White, and brought him
ont rs i candidate for the Presidcncy-not, however,
as in opposition to Gen. Jackson. He WIS TOO cui-
tious for that. In Il speech delivered ut Nashville,
on the e3d Of MAJ, lS3i, he said:
"Gen. jackson has been cmincntly successful and
triumphant in al his measures. IL is one Of the
happy consequences Of his great success ilIat the
friends ui his Administration may choose from among
his friends, &c. He yet Possesses u vast and IN
doubted control md influence III tile country r
The friends Of Judge White, therefore, upon grounds
OF policy. II upon 10 other and better ones, will not
seek to disturb he tranquility Of Gen. ~lackson's
Administration, or 10 defeat or unscltle any of those
great measures lpon which he has acquired 50 much
OF his present plwcr and Influence.
But, gentlemen, the friends of Judge White will AL
here 10 Gen. Jactson and lis administration from!
consistency and respect for their own character, and
because they vii he supporting their own lrIn'l-
pies"
a, II cauc,ls of,hc friends Of Judge White. Mr..
Bell drew up u ralrr i'll which lc stated that i by
running Judge Willie 'our party would BE- divided.
'iwc ought not to AXE him up." The old hero Of
New Orleans WAS ~: 10 be cirnte,l or fooled. lie
had y high opinionn ri Judge White, but lie aplrc-
cia,ed the u~niairnc.s and injustice Of Tennessee
again claiming the Presidency, after having had it
for eight years He nso appreciated john l"l!, -
the following letter, datul Nuy Ia, ls3j. Ia Governor
Blount Of Tc,nroSrc, wiA show:
al would To God that orr old friend, Judge White,
would soon discntalgia himself from the false posi-
ton he has been placed i'll by Bell, Crockett X Go.
Ii he docs not, he will he politically lost, since John
Bell has turned 4 good Wlig. and put him up ~ the
candidate Of the UppositinI."
The old hero knew The vncillati"ns and intriguing
disposition OF John Bell. lie was not to hc deceived
by his loud mouihca as.cvcrationS oi his fidelity to
the party and its principles. lie hwi watclcd his
course III Congress-, and had seen him coIlcscing
with the Opposition tor the Spcaier>lIip. lie knew
his man. md time. that %umcrring test, showed that
he WAS right. Mr.. Van Barren received the Iomina-
ton, but instead al taking him oil, MI. Bell Insisted
on running Judge White Ia an indcpcndeLt candi-
date. And then coIninenccd his abuse of Gen. Jack
son. Ii was the last year % his Presidential turn:
the old hero WAS about going ont o! Office, ani wotiid
sonu Lc unable 10 di.pclisc those services and iavors
which !c had heretofore lavished on Nr. Bell: this
,- N a. ,.4rnl u. ft,,. -. t,V.., n. ,1,, Lii rHtt Il,
and crafty lis malignant feelings. In three SET
speeches. GOVERN. ii;@ closely printed pages in the
CongrcsSiona! Globe. he assailcd Gen. jackson in tho
most yindictiTc manner. Listen 10 II few extracts:
"But. again: J.. not the Senate, which was in
tended by the Constitution 70 be in Itself L stand
irg check and Limitation upon tho uSc AMI abuse
Of the Executive patronage 10 that cA:c'it ,iaEd .S
regards that purpose 81 ii. institution, actually tr-
yHhgoi. and that, Toe, Ly Executive power and
Influence! | demand oi gentlemen I" answer me,
and say il there exists II this moment, pract!-
c;lly, any controlling power III the Senate over the
will 81 the Executive! l. not the Constitution IL
self, Tor the time being, abrosa'cd, subvcrtcd, over
thrown! All incn must now ste, aud ncko~!cdgc
that the duty Of sending nominations d, public OIL
Ger, to the Senate for advice and confirmation, is re-
dnccd in practice TO mere form. Have we not u Sen
ate Of the United States nutori"lIslr rellcllisicd and
organized uron the principle nj non-rcsIstancc, and
Of passive obcrlicmcc 10 the Executive will aud au-
thority! And how. sir, has this state Of things been
brought about: The State Legislatures, those scn;i-
mel towers lis they have heretofore been supposed,
upon the r.mrarts Of the Constitution and ut the
public liberty, have been boldly entered, and hy En-
ccutivc influence scduccl and pr0St;tutcd to purposes
of federal bower and domination. Sir,
/ may ud,l that the Legislative proceeding. of State
Assemblies have been intcricrcu with, uiId iiIanY Of
those bodies have already been reduced to the con-
dition OF mere dependent and coordinate portions Of
the great party machinery by which 1t Is supposed
this country may hereafter lie govcrncd-thc supple
and convenient Instruments OF the Federal Exccu-
tive!
This >lanLcr no, only upon General jackson, but
upon the Senate Of the United States, finds n full an
swcr in the statement that il WIS composed Of Il ina
ioritv Of opponents 10 the administration and
among them We find The names Of Henry Clay, Dan
icl Webster. John VI. Clayton, Crit:endcn, Mnngum,
White, Calhoun, John Tyler, and others, while
among the friends Of ticl,eral Jackson were james
Buchanan, Silas " right. TIi"imas ii. Bcnton, lsaac
Hill, and otlcrs--all Of them m.II not likely 10 be
sutr!c instruments ID tic hands OF anynIar.
The assault upon the State Legislatures i. equally
IN unfnnnLed, and shows the contempt Of Mr.. Bell
for the opinions and views Of the people. Those
State Legislatures had instructed their Senators Oh
the question n; cypungimg the resolution Of ccnslrc
against General Jackson, and III relation 10 the re-
rioval OF the deposits. 1t IVES 10 these matters Mr..
Bell allnded.
lie thc, coes on in THIS same speech to charge the
President with trying 10 INFLUENCE the elections. and
the choice Of his successor, and nSSalling those OPP
posed to him hv sanding -crrrilouS articles against
them under his own frank, and through the agency
of the oticc-liolders. And then closes thus:
"Sir, with the powers and influence of the Execn-
tive, us nj present exercised, Ills gorrrnr'ht Is m
sl.cfire mOHarchy. II is well that we II" longer de-
ceive ourselves with MINES. IT Is TlliS DAY AN
ELECTIVE MONARCHY"
In these speeches Mr.. liell aecuscd Gen. Jackson
OF striving TO rc.ci:acJ the scdition law vi l1gS, he
cause he thought Congress ought TO devote itself TO
its legitimate duiy Of legislation instead Of engaging
in President making: of o~vsr-awcin- and tyrlnizin:
over Congress: OF concentrating in his person the
sword and the money OF the Government; OF squall-
dcrins tie public moncT in objects Of internal i'm
provencn:.: of creating Il war lanic, aud dislrrang-
ing the business OF tho country: nj controlling. the
people by IA series Of prctcncrs anu impo.turcs:''
Of corruptingihe public press, and the people: and Of
corrupily %rl'nsll': The country into indian wars with
LIST session. eth Congress. pages d3T, tjl.l And all
this from the man who but one year hciorc had spo-
KEN Of ''tle hapDy consequences oi Gen. Jackson'S
yreot ruccs.s,'' and protested ,iIch devotion to him
and the party. As was to be expected, these assaults
led to the appointment ri IN investigating couInlit-
,on ,noyri ny tho enemies OF Gen. .IucEsou in nrlar