CHAPTER V.

NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF JOHN QUINCY ADAMS-Crawford NOMINATED BY THE CAUCUS, BUT REPUDIATED WITH THE CAUCUS SYSTEM BY THE PEOPLE-JACKSON AND CLAY ALSO CANDIDATES-ALL REPUBLICANS—NO CHOICE OF PRESIDENT BY THE COLLEGES-CALHOUN ELECTED VICE PRESIDENT-FRIENDS OF CLAY PREFER MR. ADAMS, AND REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS ELECT HIM-HIS ACCEPTANCE-INAUGURAL-CABINET OTHER

HIS

AND

RIVALS-PANAMA

APPOINTMENTS-MAGNANIMITY TOWARD MISSION-REMOVAL OF INDIANS-OPPOSED BY FRIENDS OF CRAWFORD AND JACKSON CHARGE OF A CORRUPT BARGAIN—BUCHANAN'S COMPLICITY.

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS was the fourth Republican president of the United States, who, with John C. Calhoun, as vice president, entered upon the duties of his office on the 4th of March, 1825. But neither of them were the candidates of the congressional caucus, as will appear. On the 6th of February, 1824, the Hon. John Chandler, senator from Maine, with ten other members, of either house of congress, published a notice in the National Intelligencer, inviting the Republican members of congress, who numbered two hundred and sixteen, to assemble in the hall of the house of representatives on the 14th of that month, to recommend candidates to the people of the United States for the offices of president and vice presi dent; and on the same day, Colonel Richard M. Johnson, of Kentucky, and twenty-three other members, published in the same newspaper their certificate, that they were in possession of satisfactory information that one hundred and eighty-one members deemed such a caucus inexpedient. On the 14th, the time indicated in the notice, sixtyeight members attended in person, or by proxy, and

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organized, by calling the Hon. Benjamin Ruggles, of Ohio, to preside. Mr. Markley, of Pennsylvania, then said, that he felt that a congressional convention to nominate candidates, should be as numerously attended as practicable, in order to render more probable an union of strength in the Republican party of the country. Although he was himself satisfied at any time to proceed to a nomination, a desire that greater weight should be attached to the nomination which should be made, and that every opportunity should be afforded for those to come in, who, from mistaken motives, were not now in attendance, and also a belief, that a convention of delegates, about to be held in his native state, would recommend the course uniformly pursued, in regard to the nomination of president and vice president of the United States, in duced him to submit the following preamble and resolution :

"Whereas, it is highly important to the preservation, maintenance, and ascendency of the democracy of the country, that a concentration should be effected in the selection of candidates for the presidency and vice-presidency of the United States, and a deviation from the old Republican mode of nomination by the Republican members of congress, which has heretofore secured and elevated to the chief magistracy of the nation, a Jefferson, a Madison, and a Monroe, may be dangerous to the democracy and best interests of the American people; and whereas, the interest and prosperity of the country, in order to avoid sectional feelings and jealousies, require every Republican to make a sacrifice of personal predilec tions, which alone can preserve the permanency and stability of the principles of democracy and secure the election in the hands of the people; and whereas, a number of our Republican brethren in congress believe, at

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this time, it is inexpedient to unite with a large portion of their Democratic brethren to make a nomination; and this meeting feeling a deep interest in the union and triumph of Republican principles, which alone can be obtained by a spirit of harmony and coöperation, and by a regard to those ancient landmarks which have heretofore guided the operations and movements of the Democratic party of the Union; but in order to afford further opportunity to those who doubt the expediency of coöperating with those who approve of a congressional convention, to reflect on the subject, and advise with their Republican brethren throughout the Union,

"Resolved, That this meeting adjourn to meet again in the chamber of the house of representatives, on Saturday, the 20th day of March next, at seven o'clock in the evening, for the purpose of putting in nomination and recommending candidates to the people of the United States for the offices of president and vice president; and that all the Republican members of congress be, and they hereby are, invited to attend said meeting."

Mr. Van Buren, of New York, said in reply, that believing that the adoption of the resolution would be impolitic and injurious, he was constrained to oppose it. The meeting had already been delayed to a later period than had been usual on former occasions, and it was of some importance that their course conform, as nearly as might be, to that which had been theretofore pursued and which had led to such auspicious results. Nothing, certainly, could be more desirable or important than the approving voice of the great and patriotic state of Pennsyl vania, but its approbation could be expressed as well and as efficiently after as before that meeting. That such expression would be made, he could not doubt, when he considered the Republican character of the state, and the

great and peculiar interest she had in the preservation of the unity of the party. He could not think that the judg ment on the question they were about submitting to the people would, or ought to be influenced materially by the number of which that meeting was composed. He hoped, therefore, that the nomination would proceed. The question was then taken on the resolution, and decided in the negative.

Mr. Dickerson, of New Jersey, then offered a resolution in conformity with Mr. Van Buren's suggestion, which was carried; and the members were then called by states, and their ballots received by tellers, who reported, that sixty-four votes had been cast for William H. Crawford, ten for John Quincy Adams, one for Andrew Jackson, and one for Nathaniel Macon, for the office of president, and that fifty-seven votes had been cast for Albert Gallatin, one for John Quincy Adams, one for William Eustis, one for Samuel Smith, one for William King, one for Richard Rush, two for Erastus Root, one for John Tod, and one for Walter Lowrie, for vice president; and thereupon Mr. Clark, of New York, submitted the following resolution :

"Resolved, as the sense of this meeting, that William H. Crawford, of Georgia, be recommended to the people of the United States as a proper candidate for the office of president, and Albert Gallatin, of Pennsylvania, for the office of vice president of the United States, for four years from the 4th of March, 1825; that in making this recommendation, the members of this meeting have acted in their individual characters as citizens; that they have been induced to this measure from a deep and settled conviction of the importance of union among Republicans throughout the United States, and as the best means of collecting and concentrating the feelings and wishes of

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the people of the Union upon this important subject." The resolution was adopted.

The caucus then adopted a written address to Republicans throughout the United States, the authorship of which was imputed to Mr. Van Buren, which presented the system in a new aspect, and essayed to re-popularize it as a convention of members of congress assembled, not in their representative or official, but in their individual characters, as citizens; thereby evading the complaints which resulted in the nomination of De Witt Clinton in 1812. It expressed regret that so large a number of Republican members, and so many from Maine, New York, and Virginia, particularly, had refused to participate, but insisted that the nominations then made were in conformity with the usage of the party for twenty-four years, which could not be departed from without hazard of its integrity and unity. It denounced exertions to break up the system as factious, and certain, if persisted in, to result in the ultimate prostration of the party and an abrogation of the guaranties which secured its ascendency. And it admonished, that a successful opposition to congressional caucuses would inevitably extend to the same practice in the several states, where, by repudiating ancient landmarks, it would terminate in a general disorganization of the masses and an overwhelming defeat.

"I can call up spirits from the vasty deep," said Owen Glendower. "And so can I, so can any man," said Hotspur; "but will they come when you call them?". Mr. Van Buren evidently expected that an invocation from King Caucus, as it was termed, would draw forth from the masses another ratification of his decrees. Such calls had been potential and almost magical in former years, and he had been reared in the faith of their omnipotency. He moreover remembered, that in the Clintonian revolt