The New Hampshire Gazette

THE NEW HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE

[From Petersburg (Va.) Republican.]

THE PRESIDENCY.

The faculty of association is that which of all others tends to render immortal the character and genius of others. We always associate the act with the actor, the work with its author, and the event with its prime mover. It follows then that he, whose name is connected with most events, will have the best and brightest prospect of immortality. The philosopher is immortalized by the fact which he has explained or the law which he has developed; in other words, he is made immortal by his identification with the laws and phenomena of nature. Thus, the name of Franklin will always be written in as brilliant characters to the admiring eye of the world as the lightning whose nature he explained; and Newton will never cease to live in the memory of all, until the Universe shall no longer exist. There are, however, another class of immortals, who become so by their being identified with the events with which they are associated. Such is the case with the Father of his Country, who will be the object of every patriot's devotion, while patriotism shall be esteemed a virtue. Who does not at the mention of the battle of New Orleans, immediately have brought before his eye the gallant hero of that brilliant contest? We might cite many such examples—They are those who deserved well of their country, and who have been rewarded.

But there is one of whom it behooves us to speak with equal honor and respect. That man is John C. Calhoun. If those who stamp the age in which they live with the lasting impress of their genius, deserve to be rewarded, does not Mr. Calhoun? From his boyhood until the present time, mark his progress. His progress has been that of his country. He is identified with her history from 1812 until 1843. There are certain things which recommend him peculiarly as the candidate of the Democratic Party.

His high intellectual endowments recommend him to the people as a fit person to be their chief magistrate. All parties admit our country to be in a very critical situation both in regard to her external and internal relations. A vigorous helmsman is wanted. A man of expansive intellect, one which will grasp all the conditions of the vast political problem which the state of our country presents, a man of energy of character and great sagacity, of a profound knowledge of the sciences of Government and Political Economy is needed in the present juncture, and I, for one, can see no one whose mind combines all of these great requisites save Mr. Calhoun. With him we may look for the high respect of nations abroad and the confidence of our own people.

The public and private character of Mr. Calhoun recommend him. Perhaps no man who has ever appeared in public life, ever, had a more perfectly upright and spotless character. This is accorded to him by friend and foe. In all his public acts I call on any one to show a single instance in which he has acted for his own and not for the interests of his country. Disregarding all private motives which might be presented, he has acted steadily and uniformly for the public welfare.

His profound knowledge of the constitution and the general theory of our government is a very strong recommendation of Mr. Calhoun. In this he is not equaled by any other member of the Republican party. It is almost universally admitted that Mr. C.'s speech upon the Veto power, (which all should read as a political text book,) was the most profound view of the nature of our government which any American statesman has ever taken. All of his arguments upon this subject of the Constitution have been of the most masterly character. When a President of the United States takes the oath to support the Constitution, is it no recommendation that he should understand it thoroughly and profoundly? Mr. C. has made it his peculiar study, and has shown that whatever he applies his mind to, he becomes perfectly master of.

There never yet has been a contest for the Presidency in which the principles of Free Trade were fully before the people. Now under the supposition that Mr. Clay will be the Whig candidate in 1844, would it not be well that the South should unite upon some one whose principles are thoroughly in favor of Free Trade? What other man so much so as Mr. Calhoun? Mr. Van Buren is an incidental Protectionist to a certain extent. Mr. Calhoun is identified with Free Trade principles. He is a southern man in this, as in every other regard, and it is to be remarked, that the most distinguished Democrat in New England (Mr. Woodbury) is in favor of Mr. Calhoun, and more thoroughly anti-tariff than any man north of the Potomac. All have voted for a protective tariff except Mr. Calhoun. In 1828 Mr. Van Buren voted for the 'Bill of abominations.' Mr. Calhoun, it is well known, was against it. He voted for the Tariff of 1816 for the purpose of saving the manufactures, the offspring of the war, from utter ruin. But he afterwards voted for the reduction of those duties when the danger was removed. That tariff indeed was, it is well known, one highly productive of revenue, and cannot therefore strictly be called a protective tariff. On this question he is pre-eminently above all others best suited for the South.

His principles as regards a Bank, the Distribution, and a Sub-Treasury, are of the staunchest character. His ready support of the latter and opposition of the former will not be forgotten by the country.

His high administrative talent, as displayed in the Department of War, is too well known to need any repetition. Suffice it to say, that with an almost omnipotent hand, order and arrangement took the place of confusion; and in fact all of the methods which are now in use for the control of what department originated in his fertile and profound talent for administration.

But it is said that Mr. Van Buren is the only democrat who has ever been in the presidency for only four years. Is this a good recommendation of any man to the people of this country? There is this which distinguishes him from the other Democratic presidents namely, that he failed when run a second time; that with all the power of government, and the opportunity of recommending himself to the people by his measures, he rendered himself obnoxious to them, and was farther beaten than any candidate Democratic or Federal ever was before. Will not the same objections be made in '44 as in '40? I ask the Republican party to pause before they trust their cause and their principles in the hands of a man who has been once "double distanced." Thousands who agree with us in principle, and are really of the State Right school are ready to return; and shall we exclude them from the Democratic fold, to gratify the pretensions of Mr. V. B.? Shall we sacrifice our principles for the childish determination of making every Democratic president serve eight years? There will be a want of uniformity at any rate, for though he would have two four years terms, he will not have one eight. No, let our aims be "for principles not men;" for those principles nailed to the flag of your paper, Mr. Editor, and not for the purpose of putting in a man who has been once beaten.

In reality, it does seem contrary to our principles that in twelve years from '36 to '48, no man of the Democratic party should be run as president, except Martin Van Buren. Is not this a monopoly! Does this gentleman possess all the qualities requisite for the office in such a degree that no one can have it, save himself, for twelve years? Is not Mr. Calhoun more deserving? Is not his faith more nearly our own than Mr. V. B's? Is it not fair and just that Mr. C. should hold the office for at least four years? The principles of the Van Buren party savor of great exclusiveness and seem to assert the superiority of Mr. V. B's pretensions to all others. Let the Democratic party look to their principles and not to men; and where principles are the same, to a proper distribution according to the respective abilities of the claimants. Under this rule we will triumph and triumph gloriously.

Having thus presented Mr. Calhoun as a man of great abilities, of unimpeachable private and public character, possessing a profound knowledge of our Constitution, holding to a greater degree than any other opposition to a protective Tariff, Bank, Distribution and other Whig measures, a thorough States Right War Republican of 1812, I think that he is pre-eminently qualified as the candidate of the Democratic party. He is a Southern man, the choice of the South, and will the Old Dominion hesitate? I trust not.

A Virginia Republican.