HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

Madison, 3; Monroe, 3.

Several of the Republican Electors voted contrary to the direction of the caucus, a course which they probably would not have taken if the result had been close.

1812

At the Presidential election of 1812 a very curious situation arose, showing the potentialities of independent political enterprise and symptomatic of that ultimate dispersion of party followers into conflicting groups under the stress of opposed personal ambitions which came to pass twelve years later. The great and powerful Clintonian element of the Republicans in the State of New York, led by Vice-President George Clinton and his able and imperious nephew, DeWitt Clinton, had urged the nomination of George Clinton instead of Madison to succeed Jefferson in 1808, and had since been preparing to dispute the renomination of Madison in 1812-a design which seemed to hold forth reasonable prospects of success on account of the rather general lack throughout the country of anything more than a perfunctory sentiment for Madison. George Clinton had become of venerable age, and died before the assembling of the Congressional caucus in the latter year. In the plans of the anti-Madisonians to enter the contest for the Presidency, DeWitt Clinton had already been decided on as their candidate. owing to the emergency of the impending war with Great Britain the movement, so far as the Republican organization officially was concerned, gained no headway outside of New York; and when the caucus met,

But

John Adams, 2d president; born at Baintree, Mass., October 30, 1735; lawyer; elected to represent Boston in the general court in 1768; signed the Declaration of Independence and proposed George Washington of Virginia for general of American army; commissioner with Franklin to the court of France; later minister plenipotentiary to Holland; was the first accredited minister to England, 1785-88; served as vice president of the United States, 1789-97, with Washington as president; elected president and served 1797-1801; died at Quincy, Mass., July 4, 1826.

on May 12, Madison was unanimously renominatedJohn Langdon, of New Hampshire, receiving a majority of the votes for Vice-President. Langdon, declined, and at a later caucus Elbridge Gerry, of Massachusetts, was selected in his stead. Clinton, moved by ambition and encouraged by the ardor of his supporters, resolved to take the field independently, reckoning upon the favor of a large section of the Republicans and the assured endorsement of the Federalists, who, having no chance for a candidate of their own, were delighted to facilitate the division in the ranks of their detested enemies. A majority of the Republican members of the New York Legislature formally nominated Clinton for President on May 29; and he was accepted as the choice of the Federalist party at a convention of its leading members from various States held in New York City in September. His associate on the ticket was Jared Ingersoll, of Pennsylvania. This Federalist venture is of historic interest as the first national party experiment in the direction of more popular nominating methods. The convention adopted the celebrated "Clintonian Platform," as follows:

"1. Opposition to nominations of Chief-Magistrates by Congressional caucuses, as well because such practices are the exercise of undelegated authority as of their repugnance to the freedom of elections.

"2. Opposition to all customs and usages in both the executive and legislative departments which have for their object the maintenance of an official regency to prescribe tenets of political faith, the line of conduct to be deemed fidelity or recreancy to republican prin

HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

ciples, and to perpetuate in themselves or families the offices of the Federal government.

"3. Opposition to all efforts on the part of particular States to monopolize the principal offices of the government, as well because of their certainty to destroy the harmony which ought to prevail amongst all the constituent parts of the Union, as of their leanings toward a form of oligarchy entirely at variance with the theory of republican government; and consequently, particular opposition to continuing a citizen of Virginia in the Executive office another term unless she can show that she enjoys a corresponding monopoly of talents and patriotism, after she has been honored with the Presidency for twenty out of the twenty-four years of our constitutional existence, and when it is obvious that the practice has arrayed the agricultural against the commercial interests of the country.

"4. Opposition to continuing public men for long periods in offices of delicate trust and weighty responsibility as the reward of public services, to the detriment of all or any particular interest in, or section of, the country; and consequently to the continuance of Mr. Madison in an office which, in view of our pending difficulties with Great Britain, requires an incumbent of greater decision, energy, and efficiency.

"5. Opposition to the lingering inadequacy of preparations for the war with Great Britain now about to ensue, and to the measure which allows uninterrupted trade with Spain and Portugal, which, as it cannot be carried on under our flag, gives to Great Britain the means of supplying her armies with provisions of which they would otherwise be destitute, and thus affording aid and comfort to our enemy.

"6. Averment of the existing necessity for placing the country in a condition for aggressive action for the conquest of the British American provinces and for the defense of our coasts and exposed frontiers; and of the propriety of such a levy of taxes as will raise the necessary funds for the emergency.

"7. Advocacy of the election of DeWitt Clinton as the surest method of relieving the country from all the evils existing and prospective, for the reason that his great talents and inflexible patriotism