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whatever fair mode ascertained or expressed, shall indicate him as the choice of the body, or of a majority of the republican supporters of the present administration, I will be found uniting with them in his support. But until such indication shall be given, I will wait and see upon whom the great body of our friends of the same political faith in other states do concentrate; and upon him, whomsoever he may be, in my opinion, all should unite."

"Were I to give an opinion," he added, " as to what the course of the opposition would ultimately be, judging from the conduct of the leaders of that party in Congress, I should say that they would wait, in the hope that we would become excited, divided, and arrayed against each other, between two or more candidates of our party, so that we could not be reunited; and having effected this by false pretence of intended support to one of our party, it will only be necessary to sound a bugle to rally the whole strength of the opposition upon one of their own men. Should we divide to any great extent, none can suppose that the ambitious men who lead the opposition, will not take advantage of our divisions and run a candidate of their own."

On the 8th of June, during the term of the county court, Mr. Polk addressed the citizens of Maury in still more eloquent and animated terms. He defended the administration of General Jackson from the charges of the opposition, and repelled with manly generosity and disinterestedness the attacks made upon Mr. Van Buren by his enemies. He pointed out the folly of supporting Judge White for the presidency, unless it was done for

the express purpose of distracting and dividing the republican party, so that the election would devolve on the House of Representatives. He said he had taken no part in the Baltimore convention, nor in the nomination made by his colleagues; but he declared that "as a citizen, he would support for the presidency that man who was the choice of the great body of the republicans of the nation," at the same time pledging himself, if the election went before the House, to carry out the will of the people of his district.

The predictions of Mr. Polk were verified. Judge White ultimately received the support only of the opponents of the administration and of the friends of the United States Bank, except that in a very few instances he obtained the votes of persons in the Southern States, who thought Mr. Van Buren would be unable to carry them, and desired to prevent the election of General Harrison, the whig candidate at the north. In the State of Tennessee, Mr. Polk and his friends engaged with great activity in the contest, in support of Mr. Van Buren; and the White electoral ticket, with the whole whig opposition united in its favor, succeeded by but about nine thousand majority.

Shortly after the August election in 1835, Mr. Polk visited Nashville, when on his way to Rutherford County. While at the seat of government, the compliment of a public dinner was tendered to him by the republicans of that city; but he was forced to decline the proffered invitation, on account of the poor state of his health. In his reply to the letter of the citizens, which expressed their high approbation of his political course, he said: "Being

unwilling to do any act, which might tend to break up or disturb the integrity of this party-the republican party, to which we belong-and with a sincere desire to avoid the state of things which now exists, and which I thought I foresaw was likely to be produced, I did not hesitate, during the past winter, to assume the position I now occupy. It is the position of principle. I am still acting upon my old principles, and with a vast majority of my old political friends; with whom I do now, and have ever agreed in opinion. I have not changed my position, or any political opinion, upon which I have ever acted. I have compromised no principle, nor can I act with those who have broken off and seceded from the body of the republican party, and assumed a position, which cannot operate otherwise (though by many that effect, doubtless, is not intended) than in aid of the adversaries of our principles; who, being in a minority, are willing to destroy the landmarks of republicanism;' who seek to efface the lines which have hitherto separated federalists and republicans, and to organize upon the ruins of the republican party, by an unnatural amalgamation of political leaders of discordant principles and opinions, a new party called by whatever name, whether by that of the 'no-party' party, or any other, when the necessary and inevitable consequences must be the destruction of those principles we hold dear. If the object of this amalgamation and new organization be, as is sometimes professed, to put an end to the existence and asperity of party, it cannot be attained; for of what avail is it, to break up and destroy one party—the republican party-and erect upon its ruins another—the 'no-party' party-which, judging

from the indications we have seen, from some of the leaders of this new party, is likely to be, in Tennessee at least, more intolerant than any other party which has ever existed amongst us."

The friends of Judge White did not yet despair of securing the influence of Mr. Polk; and in the month of October he received an invitation to attend a public dinner to be given to the Judge in Maury county, on the 20th instant. The reply of Mr. Polk to the committee was brief but pertinent. "I have this moment," said he, "received your note of invitation to dine on Tuesday, the 20th inst., and have the honor to decline it." After the dispatch of this missive, he was honored with no further attentions in that quarter. His constituents, however, looked upon the dinner to Judge White as being designed to rebuke him for his course, and they forthwith made preparations for a similar demonstration of their regard for their representative. A dinner was accordingly given to Mr. Polk, at Mooresville, on the 22d of October, which was far more numerously attended than the previous affair in honor of Judge White.

When the members of the twenty-fourth Congress assembled at the capitol for their first regular session, in December, 1835, it was found that the friends of the administration were largely in the majority. Mr. Polk was selected by general consent as their candidate for speaker, not merely as an act of justice on account of the circumstances under which he was defeated the previous year, but as a tribute due to his exalted worth and talents, and the firmness and independence he had exhibited during the recent canvass in Tennessee. Mr. Bell was once

1835-39.] CHARACTER AS PRESIDING OFFICER.

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more the opposing candidate, but he received only 84 votes, while 132 were given for Mr. Polk. At the first, or extra session of the 25th Congress, held in September, 1837, the same candidates were pitted against each other -Mr. Bell being at that time thoroughly identified with the whig opposition. Parties were more equally divided in this Congress, but Mr. Polk was again chosen over his opponent by thirteen majority.

As the Speaker of the 24th and the 25th Congress, Mr. Polk occupied the chair of the House during five sessions. It was his fortune to fill this distinguished position when party feelings were excited to an unusual degree. During the first session, more appeals were taken from his decisions, than were ever before known; but he was uniformly sustained by the House, and frequently by the most prominent members of the opposition. He was courteous and affable toward all who approached him, and in his manner, as the presiding officer, dignity and urbanity were appropriately blended. In the appointment of committees, in awarding the floor, and in his decisions on questions of parliamentary law, he aimed to be strictly impartial; and if he at any time failed in this, it was because he could not entirely divest himself—and who is there that can-of party feelings and prejudices. Amid the stormy scenes that attended the abolition excitement in Congress, and the presentation of petitions connected in one shape or another with the slavery question, he was always cool and collected, and never disturbed from the calm serenity that characterized him. Totally opposed though he was to all the movements of the abolitionists, he yet habitually extended to their lead

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