Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-02-08

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just attacks. was with difficulty induced
to continue in the cabinet. The French
ambassador, who neddled with our az
fairs in n most inSolent fashion, WAS
much disappointed at the ot,stine of
Smith. for the latter had assured him
that we should certainly 20 to war with
England unless she altered her unfrie nd
| ~ policv toward our commerce, md n o
f'renchnan feared that the incoming o.
Monroe mean, peace with England
Madison seems to have been anx,ou.
To avoid war. but ready TO accept 4, If
there was no other way OF vindicatine
American rights. Congress was bus, urg-
, inc on war preparations in the session
OF iSll-12 and In April Madison recon-
ncndcd an embargo upon shipping for
sixty days. The embargo was extended
! to ninety days by the war party. ard
next month the republican CAUCUS no,ui
| mated Madison for a second term. Con-
eress was now in control of the war
party. led by eager Young men. such as
Calhoun and Clay. mostly from the
South and Southwest. Josiah Quincy.
from his place In the House, openly
charged that Madison had been coerccd
into favoring the war policy by n threa
upon the part OF the leaders in Congress
to prevent his denomination. but no his
torian has discovered convincing evil
dence of any such bargain. The dcclara
ton of war came on in June mainly by
the votes of the South and Southwest
and upon the recommendation OF Madi-
son. and the summer was one of polti-
cal intrigue.
SOME EARLY INSURGENCY.
Insurgency now appeared in the domi-
nant party, for the republicans of the
New York Legislature nominated DE
Witt Clinton as an Independent candi-
date for President, and n powerful ap-
peal was issued by his committee of cor
lrespondence.
New England and the Middle States. s
the great commercial region. hated en-
bargoes and dreaded war. 50 that insur-
gency was rampant all summer and up
10 the election. Clinton. the independent
candidate. was in age and respect the re-
verse of Madison. somewhat worn and
weakened statesman of seventy one,
whose triumphs had been those of a JEFF
fersonian disciple in the previous CEN
fury. His independent opponent was only
lorty-three years old. n most impressive
ana gallant figure, whose noble head,
matched with abundant brown curls, and
whose carriage was one of great distinc-
ton. 1t was beginning to he the day of
Young men, though Madison and Mon
roe. representatives Of the early consti-
tutional and Revolutionary periods. We're
TO be permitted to carry on the "Vir-
einia dynasty for yet a dozen years. To
the bitter disappointment of Rufus King
now sixty-seven years old. and veter-
an leader Of the federalists, indeed one
of the most influential federalists in
New York since the death of Hamilton l,
unless Gouverneur Morris was more so.
clinton was indorsed by that party at
the nominating convention OF 1872, the
mrs. convention of the kind the country
mad ever seen. The combination put IN
n good fight hut Madison had a majority
OF 70 in the electoral vote. though the
throwing out of Pennsylvania's vote
upon techniciility reduced it to 49,
Robert Smith had done all he could in
"a long published letter to cripple tho
administration from which he had been
expelled, but the Smith faction now lost
smith was still senator from Mary
land in 1880, when the old scandal of
Jcfferson's election in 1901 again came
TO the surface Of American notifies
Smith then took the opportunity Of deny
ing that he had promoted the election
by means OF corrupt bargain with
James A. Bayard the elder, and next
Year, Iayards sons issued n pamphlet
N Nyl no ,,.h.
copiously discussed in their effort to
answer aspelsions upon their father con
iaineu in the jefferson Memoirs Robert
Sniith sank mo congonial ol,scuritv
though his wealth and his Fictitious DO
litical prominence q? tho years 1901 II
gave him importa nee IN the society OF
Baltimore Galatin in extrcme old nee
mad" an Interesting contribution to the
discussion o. the scandal OF nearly a
MALT century before. De witt Chnton's
insurgency cut short his career in ma
tional politics, perhaps a thing not wreat-
~ regretted by a man who had resigned
United States enn:orshtp At y to h.
come mayor Of New York city. and who
was all hts life q great figure in a sr%nt
State. As 20 the fcderRlists. they failed
10 profit by tl,sir temporary alliance with
the ihSufBtHt republicans OF 1872 They
were a doomed party. and she Hartford
convention OF 1914 gnv~ them the coup
&c S'sce. One Of the most amusing
Things In American political history,
when the events Of lHn-B are cOntemp-
lated, IL tho genuine horrc- long excited
throughout tho South by the notion that
tho Hartford convention proposed the
secession o: New England from the I'm
'on' 1t required the partial failure Of
huilification "a remedy for VIA, tho
sopth regarded as oppressive sectional
legislation. and the early abolition All
'aton to prepare the Southern people
and their public men to contemplate
secession first with eauanimty and then
with enthusiasm. and they liked ia
think that they had learned the lesson
from their wicked Yankee brethren.
though the doctrine was foreshadowed in