The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1871-12-01
PREsIDENT.M4KIN
Two Signal Failures d.

The efforts Of the Pittsburgh Post to
make Presidential candidate of Col.
Thomas A. Scott-without his advice
or consent, of course recalls to recollec-
ton two kindred enterprises, winch
happened so long time ago as to have
well nigh faded from mems memories.
During the year 1S39-40 a select coterie
of Democratic politicians undertook to
confer Presidential honor on Commo-
sdore Charles Stewart, Familiarity Known
as "Old Ironsides." A Sketch Of the
Commodore's life, smbellished with his
portrait and sundry pictorial views of
his great naval fights, was printed, and
several hundred thousand copies circu-
possessed unquestioned elements OF
popularity. He was a true patriot,
boosted an unsullied personal character,
a well-stored mind, and his brilliant
success during our second war with
Great Britain had made him the great
est Of American naval commanders.
And yet the attempt to make him Pres
ident Of the United States, or even q
nominee, proved a signal failure.
Thousands of dollars were spent in the
effort, ana any amount of patient and
perseTering labor was put forth but all
to no purpose. In she election Of del
egates to the nominating convention he
did not get single county or district,
and the great Stewart party, with all
its stock in trade, speedily passed into
the receptacle of things lost on earth.
The other movement in the same line
was in the interest of Col. Richard M.
johnson, fasetiously styled 'Old Te-
cumssh, from the fact that he was sup
posed to have slain that eminent Indian
warrior. The head Of this enterprise
was Col. Seth Salisbury, who also
sported the title Of doctor, of Bradford
county, Pennsylvania, a gentleman of
many rare eccentricities and not a
few excellent qualities of character. The
Doctor, in his own way, was a woRder-
full political wire-worker. No beaver
was ever more industrious. Day and
night, in season and out of season, for
consecutive weeks and months, was he
at Harrisburg preparing addresses, con-
Quoting correspondence, sending out
circulars, organizing clubs and impro-
xising meetings. Not few newspa-
pefs, too, had unfurled the johnson
flag, and were zealously advocating his
claims. But alas and alackI what roar
ed so loudly in the index was not to be
found in the book. After the summing
up of results it appeared that Col. Rich
ard NJ. johnson had not carried more
than one or two delegates in the Union,
and his name was incontinently drop
ped. Poor Salisbury went back to
Bradford comfy, where he lived and
died in retirement. Col. johnson him
self did not again leave Kentucky.
And thus the sold Tecumseh" bubble
was hopelessly and forever exploded
Our national history, however, il
strewn with the wrecked hopes and
crushed expectations of disappointed
Presidential aspirants, among whom
the most conspicuous, no doubt, will
always be the great statesmen, Clay
Calhoun and Webster.
There is marked difference between
the two first named cases, and the effort
of the Pittsburg Post to make Colone!
Scott Presidential candidate: Commo
dore Stewart and Richard N. johnson
had confidence In their hackers, and
really aspired to the office. Nobody
believes that Col. Scott had the slightes
knowledge of the movement of ths
Post. Nothing is more common thar
the efforts of the Democrats to find
somebody TO make President. They
are infinitely worse off than the Span
iards who spent two years in trying Il
find 8 King. In 1865 they met in New
u rk to invent Q candidate agains
Grant, and after deal of vexation the,
improvised poor Seymour, who tool
the fatal gift pretty much as the maj
took the elephant, with sure present.
ment that it would be, as 1t was, HI
death. Time has not improved thei
hopes; and they viii be worse Of il
1872 The experiment of the Pittsburt
Post is only tho beginning.-PAitadeI
phfa Press.