that assembly seemed already to claim as a right. The Democrats formed an opposition, in consequence, against Mr. Crawford, the candidate of the democratic party, which was joined by most of the democratic states. Virginia, so much favoured by the present state of things, together with Georgia, the native state of Crawford, adhered to the Secretary of the Treasury, not choosing to desert him, even when his prospects became hopeless.

The second democratic candidate was Mr. Jackson, Senator of the United States, and MajorGeneral. He was considered as the head of the Radicals, who expected from his powerful hand a thorough reform of the administration-that is to say, a change of the magistrates and officers, the chastisement of the Tories, correction of abuses; among the rest, of the enormous army of 5,800 men, and of the navy, then consisting of seven ships of the line; a reduction of the public expenditure for fortification, &c. The Pennsylvanians, so fond of the saving principles, joined the General, as did their neighbours, the people of Ohio. The Southern States conceived themselves indebted to Jackson for his gallant defence at New Orleans, and therefore considered it their duty to

adhere to him. All the place-hunters in the Union formed the rear-guard of the second candidate.

The Secretaryship was regarded as the usual road to the Presidency. Mr. John Quincy Adams was then Secretary of State : his party consisted of the six New England States. A finished education, an intimate acquaintance with the belles lettres, a high character as a diplomatist, an elegant style as an author, and the important office of Secretary of State, attracted to his party the fashionables throughout the Union; and New York, for this reason, gave up Crawford and Jackson, and joined Adams's party, which might be considered as the very antipodes of Jackson's, wishing for a more respectable navy and army, a higher tone towards foreign powers, and the like.

Mr. Henry Clay, Speaker of the House of Representatives, had also announced himself as a candidate his party consisted of the people of Kentucky, Missouri, &c.; at the time, however, he cared less about securing the Presidency for himself than obtaining the election of a President who was most likely to serve his interests, and those of his party: to carry every measure by his party, and to ensure his own elevation at the next election, was his object. The States of Kentucky

and Missouri had expressed their desire to their constituents, to have their votes given to Andrew Jackson, in case Clay should not have any chance of succeeding to the Presidency; for they had every reason to expect a more ready concurrence in their views and interests from Jackson, as senator for Tennessee, than from any other of the candidates. Clay promised obedience to the order of his constituents.

Of these four candidates, Crawford obtained from Virginia and Georgia forty-two votes ; Jackson from Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and the Southern States, ninety-nine; Adams, from the New England States, New York, &c., eightyfour; and Clay, from Kentucky, Missouri, &c., thirty-six votes *.

None of these four candidates having the constitutional majority of votes, the election devolved on the House of Representatives, before whom the three former candidates, Crawford, Jackson, and Adams, were brought, agreeably to the law of election, Clay being excluded.

In the case where no candidate has two-thirds of the whole votes viz. (261), the Constitution declares that the election devolves upon the House of Representatives, before which the three candidates are to be brought who have the most votes in the general election. Each State has then one vote, and the absolute majority, i. e. 13, makes the election valid.

The will of the people was manifested in too clear a manner to admit of any doubt, or to afford cause for any uneasiness respecting the issue of the election. A disappointment was thought the less probable, as the rivalship, or rather enmity of Clay and Adams, since the Treaty of Ghent, was notorious, and the severe attacks of the former in the House of Representatives were still in remembrance. What added to this security was, that the majority of votes was for Jackson: expectation was, however, disappointed, and the pride of the sovereign people of the United States could scarcely be more humbled than by the use made by their representatives of their delegated power.

Similar views and principles made Adams and his party a compact body, who understood each other perfectly, and acted on the same principles.

Besides being united, this party, consisting chiefly of Yankees *, had the advantage of superior information and talents, with what is always the case with the Yankee-a proportionate addition of trick and artifice. Great cunning was, however, not requisite to outwit Jackson's party; for the honest, but phlegmatic Germans thought

* In order to obviate misunderstandings, we think proper to state that, under the appellation Yankees, we mean the inhabitants of the six New England States.

it sufficient to cling to their leader, as their ancestors did in days of old to their chieftains. The States whose votes were divided between Adams and Jackson were induced, without great effort, to join the party of Adams, who, in consequence, obtained an equality of votes with Jackson, but no majority.

The party of Crawford kept themselves in the background, without listening either to the insinuations of Jackson's or Adams's party. Clay, who at first chose likewise to stand neuter, now deemed it the proper time to step forward, and to assume the part of mediator; his adherents, as we mentioned, were Kentuckians: the credit of the Kentuckians is not very firm. A certain fashionable way of life, gambling, races, state bankruptcies, land speculations, an inveterate propensity to the bottle, have caused much disorder in the financial circumstances of these gentlemen: even the honourable Speaker, Mr. Clay, was not thought quite exempt from the general diseases of his State. There was but one remedy-to get Mr. Clay into the office of Secretary of State, and thus afford his faithful friends the means of retrieving their fortune and credit, by the gift of important offices. Accordingly, his supporters thought it necessary to reconnoitre the parties: a beginning was made