The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-02-16
philadelphia Record)

Insurgency was rampant in the
dominant party of Il century ago, and
out OF thc opportunity thus present.
ed to the Fedcralists came the frs,
national nominating convention of ar
American political party.
The men of the north and tho cas-,
believed that Madison was coerccd
into urging on the war with England
by threats upon the part of western
and southern Republicans to prevent
his denomination in 1872 and antagon-
lZc him with some popular man of the
war party. Luckily for Madison he
had conciliatcd Monroe. disappointed
because he had been forced to wait
In 1sOS. by making him secretary of
state when the war of the Maryland
Smith on Gallatin at length resulted in
the forcing of Robert Smith out OF the
cabinet. After Monroe's nomination
by the Republican caucus of con-
yrcss in MAY, 1872, Josiah Quincy
openly charged in congress that Madi-
son had bought his nomination by
agreeing TO the war program of Clay.
Calhoun and others OF the south and
southwest. but nobody has brought di-
rect proof of il.
In June came the declaration of war
and then followed a long summer OF
intrigue against Madison. \ Republic
Va VIZ NSN u ~
lature nominated as a peace candi-
late FOR president. Dewitt Clinton,
who has resigned The United States
~s"natorship at "a TO become mayor of
New York city and had he been elect
ed president in 1872 he would have
been by far the Youngest man up to
mat time TO occupy the chair. Since
thcn only Grant and Roosevelt have
held the office
Tho t,,I1;, ~ =,
New England profcsscd to believe that
the politicians of the south and west
We're forcing war upon the country for
their own selfish interests with utter
indifference 10 the ruin that it must
bring upon tho commerce of the north
Whlie the l'cderaiists shared that he.
ilcl n ardently wished to get out
"i the situation whatever partisan adj
vantage they might snatch. Rufus
King. the leading Fedcralist OF New
"rk, was in correspondence with the
leaders in his own and other states
with reference TO the situation and
finally an intimation, anne TO him
through a friend in West Chester
county that Clinton would he glad to
confer with leading f'edcralists. Clin-
ton. hins and G~suverncur Morris We're
!lnal!E brought together in the library
OF Morris house at Morrissania. where
Jay and King had been having a l
o'clock dinner after the manner of the
time. Clinton had been asked TO dim
Nor but he got in only in time for des-
sert and Jay. who was in Il hurry. left
the party about s O'Clock and appar-
entity. according TO Kings letters Of
this time. did not take part in the ac-
tual conference. The talk vent on
in the library pretty late and Clinton
outlined A policy that was in the main
satisfactory TO the Federalists. though
ne dld MOI succeed in quoting the dis
trust of King.
Ont of this conference between the
in%surgent Republican Clinton and the
Federalist leaders and out of CORE.
spondence and conferences between
the Federalists of New York and
New England and those of the south
came the first national nominating
convention held in New York city in
September, 1912.
Most of the historians dismiss this
convention with only Il few words. and
the contemporary newspapers tell lit
Tie or nothing as to its composition
n doinSs. h measer story Of the
convention is to he found in the cor
respondence of some who took part,
especially In that of King and Nor
ris and above all in the Familiar Let.
ters' of William Sullivan of Massa-
chnsetts. written between 1881 and
ls3" and published in 1884. Sullivan
Was a typical high Federalist such as
were seldom bred outside Massachus-
etts. He took kindly to Clinton be-
cause the latter had been reproved for
his expressed dislike of 'mobocracy"
by an official government utterance.