The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-05
BEATEN FOR PRESIDENT
DISTINGUISHED MEN WHO AsPIRED
TO THE PRESIDENCY.
Some Grfeved Over Defeat, and Others
Took 1t MISUNDERSTANDING Of
Them Now Forgotten.
st. Louis Globe Democrat.

@HALA " Nl1 AlAlC2 " ClColC0 80
Dental candidates have already faded from
a place in peoples minds could be counted
on the fingers of one's hand. To this class
belong Aaron Burr. who in 1900 was de-
feated for the presidency by a hairs
breadth. Indeed, Burr came nearer to the
presidency without reaching 1t than any
other man save Tilden. but he is best re-
membered as the politician who slew Alex
ander Hamilton, and later plotted unsuc-
cessfully - create a great empire IN the
Southwest, of which he should be Ponarch.
Thereafter he was for several years an
exile In Europe, and during his last days
practiced law in New York. dying at such
an extreme old age that men are now living
who knew and conversed with him.
Burr died in 1886 and was buried by the
side of his father in Princeton, N. j.
George Clinton did not permit his defeat
for the presidency TO end his public career.
He continued for many years a power in
State and national politics and was Gov
ernor of New York after he had served as
Vice President.
Dewitt Clinton also took his defeat by
Madison WITH the calmness OF a sage. In
after years he carried to a successful issue
The construction OF the Erie canal and be-
came Governor, dying suddenly, as so many
men who nave been Governors Of New
York have done.
The public career Of Rufus King may be
said to have ended with his defeat by Mon
roe in 1916, and the same was true OF Will
liam H.. Crawford. who lost the presidency
by a fuke In 1924. Crawford, who had been
| q national figure for nearly a quarter or a
century. resigned his seat in the Senate
soon after the election. went back to MS
home in Georgia, and. In order to support
probate, dying in that ONCE a Few years
later.
HENRY CLAY's AMBITION.
On the other hand, the after-career or
Henry Clay, who was also an unsuccessful
candidate for the presidency In lS24. Is still
a household word. He served for many
wears In the Cabinet and Senate and re-
manned until his death the idol Of his party.
Defeated by Jackson in 1873, he was CHEAT
| ed out of the WING nomination in 1910. and
il was his own fault that he was not elect
ed when he was unanimously made the
standard bearer of his party four years
later. Clay's last appearance In public Ire
four he. Cancelled his vow of retirement
and returned 10 the Senate to CRY tnro. Sn
the famous compromise measure. wnicn ne
III OpC WYNN
ton once and for all. When MS Dill was
| under discussion in the Senate, aithousn
old and feeble. he persisted IN speaking Two
Crowds of people came to Washington from
| a distance to hear the winsome and tas-
cinating orator max this last ano greatesl
EFFORT OF his life. When his speech was
lone admirers rushed upon MIN 10 tnanK
him, and a multitude of women KISSED MN
with ELUSIVE tears. Ga died during the
Calhoun. who, during the debate just re-
ferred TO, also addressed the senate LOT
the last time, although never, nke Clay, q
formal candidate for the presidency, was
still for many years an eager aspirant Ior
the office. and 1t was 1ndersto6a WITH
serve one term and then vice PRESIDENT
Calhoun should be promoted as his sue
cessor. But William II. Crawford, who neld
Calhoun chiefly responsible for his defeat
I'm 1924, from his retirement on the Georgia
bench. wrote a letter In when ne stateo
posed that General Jacksonis conduct IN
the Seminole war be made the subject or
inquiry y,,I and frn IL he sns sbo onaff be punished ash 5 with
severity. This letter was used SO adrolIly
by Van Buren, that the friendship OF the
President for Calhoun was changed to vim
| dictive and implacable enmity. From that
| day Calhoun was doomed as the successor
of Jackson and Van Buren, became the "a
vorite. Save for Crawfords letter IL Is
safe to say that Calhoun, and not Van Bu-
| rem. would nave been chosen President in
1886.
TOOK III dEARI
The brilliant lawyer and orator, william
Writ. who was one of Jackson's opponents
I'm 1882. died within a year, and Hugh L.
White and Willie p. Mangum did not long
| survive their defeat by Van Buren, in 1886.
Van Buren,. after his crushing overthrow
by Harrison in 1910. retired to his home
on the Hudson and devoted the ensuing
four years to active -maneuvering for the
Democratic nomination in 1874. There is
little doubt that again he would have been
the candidate of his party in the year just
named had it not been for the fact that
Calhoun. seeing that an opportunity had
come 10 crafty the resentment caused by
Van Buren's defeat of his own candidacy,
entered Tyler's Cabinet and handled the
Texas question with such Kill that Van
Buren, was forced to so commit himself
the nomination for the presidency. How
ever. it was the often-expl essed opinion of
William H. Seward that Van Buren, never
committed but one fatal error In politics,
and that was when. nursing resentment
at his failure to secure the nomination in
1874, he permitted a wing Of his party to
nominate him as a hopeless candidate in
1S4S, thereby entailing Just what was in
tended TO entail-the defeat of the Demo-
cratic candidate. Van Buren's public ca
reer ended with the campaign of 1S4S. but
he lived for MANY years in honored and de-
lightful retirement. dying In 1862 at the ripe
That fine old Democrat, General Cass,
was never greater than in the hour Of his
defeat by General Taylor in 1S4S. He looked
upon himself merely as the representative
of his party and took his defeat with per-
feet composure and without resentment.
1t was the party which was defeated and
not Cass, the man. in his opinion. and the
simple dignity with which. after having
served for a time in the Cabinet of Buch-
anan he retired from public life to his home
I'm Michigan, was a beautiful indication of
the mans real greatness. Nor was General
Scott a less engaging figure after his de-
feat by Pierce in 1852. His disappointment
was no doubt keen. but he gave no outward
sign of it. Frank Pierce said he, when
he heard the news, was a good soldier
with me in Mexico and he ought to make
a good President" And then he went
quietly about the discharge of his duties
as commander of the army, which post he
continued TO hold until a short time before
his death, 1862.
HALE WAS A STRONG MAN.
John p. Hale, the Free-soil candidate for
President In 1852, is now almost forgotten.
but in his time he played a large part in
public affairs. The venerable Galusha A.
Grow considers Hale one of the most bril-
liant and useful men who ever served in
the federal Senate. Hale had been four
years in the Senate when 1 first took my
seat in the House. said Mr.. Grow, land
there was no one more feared by the South
| ern Senators than he. A big, rotund. good
natured man. in the art of totally demolish-
ing the long and labored argument OF an