New-York tribune., 1899-07-23
JACKSON AND CLAY.
A STUDY IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN
POLITICS.

This volume is an admirable study OF the pc
riod from the Presidential candidacy or JACK
son TO the accession of Tyler, with preliminary
review of antecedent events beginning with the
War of 1872 1t is its author tells US, an at
tempt to combine a critical survey of the pollti-
cal history of this epoch. particularly in its par
liamentary phase" with an account OF the IN
Auence of the men who shaped events In ordef
To present "a true and lifelike picture of a most
animated political epoch" And In this IL Is
highly successful. The discussion of political
movements and episodes is able and. on the
whole adequate: while the skilful presentation
of them in their relation TO the lives and char'
acters Of the great party leaders adds much tc
the interest of the narrative. 1t is a fascinating
as well as an instructive book.
on the personal side the political drama Of
the period resolves itself for Mr.. Peck into the
struggle between Jackson and Clay. And this
is on the whole a just view OF the situation
Jackson certainly was personal force OF th'
first magnitude, while Clay played an ever
greater part as party leader; and the conflict
between the two is the most conspicuous thing
in the political history Of the time. If one
looks beyond the merely partisan warfare, it i:
true. to the greater conflict of political prn
premacy as apparent rather than real. Clay
with all his mental agility and his skill as q
manipulation of compromises, was ineffective ir
the control of the larger issues; while Jackson
Notwithstanding the prominence which h'
gained By the stubbornness of his will and the
intensity Of his energy. was merely the repre-
sentative Of a political movement which he haC
no part in originating and lacked the ability Il
Is.tt~ y
Pecks conception and execution~of his task car
heartily be commended The careers of the tive
leaders and their quarrels are described enter
tainingly and with considerable dramatic effect
and their characters are sketched with farnes:
and precision.
The keynote Of the work is struck in the open
ing chapter in an account of the origin of th'
Clay-Jackson feud. Hostilities began will
Clay's attack upon Jackson for his high HANDED
performances in Florida in the Seminole cam
pagn. With his customary energy and disre
gard OF everything except the attainment Of th'
end upon which he had set his mind. the Gen
eral had pushed across the frontier with a body
of volunteers which he had raised and differed
himself and in the conduct of the haC
grossly exceeded our National rights as wei
as his instructions" When Congress met il
January, 1919. resolutions of censure were
promptly introduced. and of the speeches mad,
in support of them the most vigorous were two
by Clay. While he professed the utmost respect
for the Generals character and intentions. ht
condemned his acts in unmeasured terms. wind
ing up with "perOration as intense though
the object Of this assault had been engaged ir
conspiracy and treason" To describe this at
tack. as our author does. as "the most calam
itous and far reaching Of Clay's political mis-
takes" may be true from the standpoint of pol
icy. for the sympathes Of the country were with
Jackson. and he later in position to sc
ample revenge; but there can be little
doubt that from that of truth and justice it was
most credtable performance. At any rate
the rage and disgust Of the General" TO repeal
quotation from Parton. when he read the
speech. were extreme The long feud between
General Jackson and Mr.. Clay dated from the
delivery OF this speech. Jackson never hated
any bitterly and so long he hated
Henry Clay" And that is saying a great deal
The contest that resulted. according to Mr.
Peck was "the most remarkable in our potica
history"
The chapters in which the details Of the struS-
gle are narrated offer many temptations to com
ment and to quote. which. however must be re
sisted here. 1t is enough to say that its bitter
ness was intensified by Clay's support of Adams
when the election Of 1874 devolved upon tn,
House although Jackson had received pu
rality Of the electoral vOtes-a course which the
latter regarded as political crime and ascribed
10 brbery-and even more by the bitter per
sonalitles of the campaign Of lS2S in which
Jackson won the Presidency. The climax was
reached in the furious controversy over the re
chartering OF the Bank of the United States and
the censure OF the President by the Senate fOi
his action in wthdraw wing from the bank tn,
Government deposits Both Of these once burn