New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-01-21
MILITARY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.

| MILITARY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.
Some of our friends are quite too fast in
asserting that the American people are eager
to demand and nominate military candidates
to the Presidency, merely because OF their mil
| itary record in preference to civilians. our
history as n nation does not justify this charge,
which. if true would be one of the most hui
initiating that could be made against the intel
! ligence of the American people, and the WIS
dom of popular governments. scan the facts
! Washington was the only soldier of the Revo-
! luton who was nominated to the Presidency,
though distinguished heroes of that war sur
vived who might have been nominated had
there been any popular passion for military
candidates. 1t would be the deepest insult to
the memory of Washington himself to assert
that he was not nominated from his known
craftsmanship and his vigorous and COM
handing position as leader in civil affairs.
He had conceived, urged into existence, and
presided over the convention which formed
our present Constitution; he had progressive
positive, and well-knOwn opinions on all the
leading political questions of the day, though
he occupied an intermediate position between
the Radicals of the Jefiersonian school, and
/
dydual freedom and national sovereignty
and opposing strongly State sovereignty but
no civilian of the time was more familiar than
lac with the civil and political issues OF the day,
or took a more vital and progressive interest
in them. Still less did he owe his fame as
statesman TO his silence on all public
questions. There was no man of the Revo-
lutionary epoch whose political CONVICTIONS
though cautiously and judiciously formed, were
more frequently or strongly expressed, or exer-
cised more positive, vehement and command
! ing influence. With him were elected success
| lively as Vice Presidents Adams and Jefferson,
in preference to Lee, Gates. Wayne, Put
nam. and others of purely military reputation,
and even to Hamilton, who combined military
with civil genius.
II il worthy of note thut on Washingtohs
first election, eleven other candidates were
voted for in the Electoral College, eight OF
whom were civilians, viz: John Adams, Samuel
Huntington John Jay, John Hancock, X. ii.
Harrison, John Rutledge, John Milton, and
Edward Telfair and three were soldiers, VIZ:
Gen James Armstrong, Gen. Benjamin Lincoln,
and George Clinton. At his second election,
four other candidates were voted for, W.:
John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr,
whose military reputation amounted to little
more than his title of colonel, his notoriety
being entirely as lawyer aud politician, and
Gen. Clinton At Adamss election, eleven
candidates were voted for, all of whom, If we
may except c. c. Pinckney, who had seme mil
itary reputation, and Aaron Burr, were civilians.
At Jenerson's first election, five candidates
were voted for, all except Burr, who became
W., ht,r no est
vote, and Pinckney, being civilians exclusively.
At Jeiferson's second election, he was chosen
over Pinckney and Clinton, soldiers, and
Rufus King, civilian. At both OF Madlsons
elections, all the candidates. both for President
and Vice President except Pinckney were civil
ians SO of both elections OF Monroe III 1910
and 1920, though at this period the warriors OF
1872 including Jackson X. NJ. johnson, Harri-
rison, Scott, and Others, were wearing their
newly won laurels Monroe had served as AID,
with the rank of Major TO Lord Stirling at the
battles in Ncw-Jcrsey, and had been appointed
TO the Coonelcy of II regiment which never
WAS raised but his military career, though
promising, was brief, and almost forgotten rs
an element in his reputation.
AT the election in 1926, four candidates were
voted for for President, viz: Jackson, Adams,
Crawford, and Clay of whom Jackson received
fine highest vote, but not a majority i'll the
Electoral College, and the vote passing into
the House of Representatives, he was beaten
by the civilian Adams. Among the six candi-
dates voted for in the Electoral College for
Vice President there was no soldier except
Jackson. Jackson was practicing lawyer
of very positive and popular political senti-
ments n strong and fervid speaker and writer,
the District Attorney of Tennessee while it
was a Territory, one of the trainers of its
Constitution as a State, Member of Congress
in 1885, and of the L. s. Senate m 1897, Justice of
the Supreme Court of Tennessee in 1903, an
extensive and successful planter, merchant, and
man of business, all before he had any repu-
taton as a warrior either against the Indians
or the British. His military reputation came
supported by a career rs n civilian and states
man as successful as that of many who aspire
TO the Presidency as civilians only.
At the election in 1925 Jackson was chosen
over Adams, thus squaring the victory of
Adams four years before. In 1892, Jackson
having in his first term shown power if not wis
dom, as a statesman, was again nominated, his
only competitors being Henry Clay (who still
suffered unjustly under the odium of his sup
posed previous bargain with Adams), and John
Floyd, and William Writ No soldier was
voted for for Vice President on either occasion.
In 1896, the candidates for President were
Van Buren,, Gen. Harrison, Hugh i. White,
Webster, and W. p Mangum Gen. Harrison
was beaten by the civilian Van Buren,. Of the
four candidates for Vice-President, II. NJ. john
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