Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-06-19
Conventions of 1850.
DARK HORSES.

it has been the rule, with but few
exceptions, that the men who have
the presidency have been
either successful military chefs, or
tkird-rate politicians never heard
of as men eligible for high Office till
nominated for it by their party. 1t
is surely worth while enquiring
what is the cause of this evil, for
assuredly it is an evil. If our pres
idents were what the sovereigns
are in England, men who reign but
do not rule, it would signify but
little what might be their capacity,
but our presidents do rule; even
the weakest Of them exercise pow
ers which are potent factors in the
national policy, and it does seem
that men exercising such powers
ought to possess exceptional facul-
ties for welding them with good
judgment; instead of which, Harri-
son, Taylor and Grant, among our
military presidents; Polk, Pierce
Hayes, among those selected from
political life, have been men of
whom the best that has been said
has been that they have done better
than might have been expected /;
while Clay, Webster and Calhoun,
who have spent laborious lives
defining and contending for lines Of
policy that are deeply engraved on
the history of the nation all failed
TO attain the highest Office in our
political system, although two Of
them made great efforts towards the
attainment of it, backed by zeal
Gus retinue of supporting friends.
Calhoun, it is true, did not aim at
it, but deliberately adopted defen-
sive policy in behalf of the south
which he knew must exclude him
from it. He was one of our very
few statesmen who saw that there
are objects greater than the presi-
deney to aim at, and regulated his
political career accordingly. a53.
We have said that this state of
affairs has existed ever since the
days of Jackson, which is, in fact,
exactly the period during which
the convention system has existed
as method for designating candi-
dates for the presidency. We are
far from thinking it inseparable
from that method if we did, il
would not be worth while discuss
ing it, for the convention system
will probably last for many years
yet. 1t is more profitable to en-
quire what is the vice in carrying
out the system which has establish
@ the strange evil we are speaking
of?
As we have just gone through one
convention and are just looking for
another, this may be a favorable
time for attracting mems attention
TO the matter. Everybody under
stood that at the recent republican
convention General Grant was the
most prominent figure, not only
from the long continued demon
stratiOn made in his favor, but also
from the quantity and intensity of
what was said against him. After
him came two very conspicuous
men, each with large retinue Of
friends, each of whom had been
worked for in a very energetic can
Vass-Messrs. Blaine and Sherman.
But all three of these conspicuous
candidates were the subject of mis-
giving on the part of their adher-
ents lest they should fail to be NOM
mated, and they were not nominal
cd-why? And Mr.. Garfield had |
been spoken of by nobody as a can
no canvass had been made |
i'm his name, no resolutions passed |
in his favor in primaries or in coun-
ty or state conventions, yet he was
nominated-why?
In the case of General Grant, |
must be attributed to
the general aversion, on the part of
both the people and the politicians,
to the third term, something but
not much. The great body of re-
publican papers and speakers had
throwing scorn upon
the scruples which opposed it as on
a grOundless superstition, and we
have no doubt that the great body
Of the party were prepared to swal-
low their objections if the General
were once nominated. a very
small though highly respectable
would have still de-
but the respectable minOri-
~ has long ceased to be listened to
by those who rule the party, and
Ill, save the very few, would soon
have wheeled into line; at least
his has been the history of what
ire called the liberal republicans for
some years, they have always in
he end been dragged along at the
wheels Of the stalwart chariot.
But what did beat Grant was the
ndiscreet zeal of his adherents.
From the very day on which the
General vacated the white house,
IN active and far-seeing junta had
,een planning the the course Of
vents which were to render his
and election inevitable
n 1880. The purpose at which
aimed, was at first dis ,
vowed, but as the fated year drew i
N and other names emerged as
'oSsible candidates, the Grant boom {
vas openly proclaimed, and its
elton was not merely defensive, {
attacked with intense energy
fherever competing claims were
ut forward. 1t was when the
uestion of nomination came before
he state conventions of New York
4 -, l. . n