The Washington herald., 1908-09-01

BY FREUERI
Let the people r1Ie.' cried the sup
porters Of Andrew Jackson before John
Quincy Adams had taken the oath as
President in 1S25. and the long three
years campaign which resulted IN Jack
sons elevation 20 the White House was
On Jackson had received plurality OF
I both popular and electoral votes, and
probably would have received a major
ity OF both Il the people had been per
mitted 70 vote for Presidential electors
The slogan. Let the people rule was
so potent that Of the six States which
chose electors BY the legislatures IN Is24.
al but South Carolina had surrendered
that right 10 the popular suffrage before
1S2S- Jackson had been the choice Of the
greater number Of the people. and the
Indignation against the manner in which
he was prevented from taking the Presi-
dency was intense. Out Of It grew the
division OF political parties and the sys-
ten Of political methods which obtains
this day.
The campaign OF 1s2s was the first in
which there were two parties openly bid
ding for the votes OF the whole people
Both Jackson and Adams still claimed
10 be Lhe true eXponents OF the Demo-
Jratc-RepubIican party Of Jefferson. but
the line Of demarcatioa was distinct and
the parties were known as Jackson and
Adams Il vas not until three or four
years later that the Adams people
adopted the name Of National Repub-
leans, thereby driving the Jackson
party 10 the popular designation Dem
ocratic." which It still holds. although
the o5ciaI name -Repub-
lican" was adhered 70 until after the civil
war.
The election OF John Quincy Adams 70
be President BY the House Of Repre-
sentatives through virtue Of votes de-
livered 70 Adams by Henry Clay, and
the fact that Henry Clay Immediately
became Secretary Of State in Adams
Cabinet. gave rise 70 the idea which was
The principal issue OF the campaign Of
1SzS. The issue which gives It the name OF
the Bargain and corruption" campaign
Andrew Jackson accused Adams and
Clay OF entering into a corrupt bargain.
by which the votes OF States controlled
by Clay were delivered 10 Adams il re
-u-n for the promise OF q high Cabinet
position Henry Clay denied This charge
and proved 10 The satisfaction Of a ma
5ority Of historiographers that Il had no
foundation IN fact
Newspapers printed q week before the
election IN the House OF Representative
published reports Of q deal between
Adams and Clay which would make
Adams President and Clay Secretary OF
state Il was a dispute growing out OF
-
supporters 70 become in5ittered against
Clay before the Presidency was decided.
When Adams was chosen. the supporters
OF Crawford Immediately charged Clay
with the sale Of the Presidency The
New York Evering Post, a fair sample
OF the Crawford press, declared that
Clay's action was "a most indecent and
daring outrage On public morals Al OF
this was IN February. ks
L was not until two years later that
Gen jackson took Up these ru11ors Of
z barter and sale and BY giving them
the prestige OF ais name, caused them
n 10 become an issue in the campaign
FWhat Jackson did inject in the charges
however. was the assertion that friends
Of Clay had come 10 friends Of his with
the proposition that Clay would throw
he election 10 Jackson 4 Jackson would
pledge himself not 70 make Adams Sec,
retary Of State This portion Of The
bargain and corruption" charge wa.
never proved, but a large majority 0.
The people in the country, however, firm
y believed that Il was true and i
always weighed against M Clay's as
pirauOns-
Clay issued pamphlet in ls2s urging
r1e people 10 vote for adams and deny
ing the charges made BY Jackson and
his followers IN that pamphlet h
proved BY the Marquis de Ia Eayette
by Senators. barkeePers, and every sOr'
and condition Of man. that he had al
ways said that he was against Jackson
and that he would rather see ethel
Adams OF Crawford elected than 70 SCI
Jackson II the White House La Fay
cite declared that Clay's fear Of Jack
son vas the fear OF g military dictator
the fear Of an Unschooled man al II.
helm OF the ship OF state. and the like
Jackson's great popularity as q VA
u hero gave him the plurality Of the vote.
Z 1S24- -Four years later he was stil
the hero, and be had the added strength
Of the popular belief that he had beer
cheated out OF the Presidency Adams
, had little sincere following outside Of New
England: he was q niserabIy poor poll
Jician. and even Clay could not do any
Thing 10 rally the popular vote 70 hE
standard But the Adams appeal wa.
made altogether 10 the conservative ele
ment n The country
Jackson was declared 10 be q man o.
Blood and carnage Against his vic
tory over the British at New Orleau.
was set the fact that he suspended tb,
writ OF Ea5eas corpus IN that sane city
Jackson's summary execution OF six Mill
Jiamen was the excuse Of flooding II,
country With circulars and cartoons
showing the murderer Jackson gloatins
over TIE six collins OF the innocent vic
tins Of his thirst for blood
On the other side, all the old charge.
against Adams were brought up in add!
ton 70 the corrupt bargain issue. Il,
was accused OF being an arisrocrat aat
Of seeking to peTpe1ua1e his family in IN
Office Of President; his Unitarian religion
beliefs were attacked as being inhdeEsn
and his loyalty during the War Of Isl
was again questioned All this IN spit
OF the fact that Adams was one Of II,
y best and purest men who has ever occu
pied the White House, the most schoIarI
OF our Presidents, and true patriot
The Jackson supporters made the mos
OF the hero business ''OId Hickory wa
their ideal and they sang
Freensn- cnee- the Hickry Ire
II sto-ns rs bougns have sheltered thee:
Der Freedom Land its branches wave