BATON ROUGE, La., April 30, 1848.
MY DEAR SIR, — Your
highly esteemed letter of the 4th inst. was duly received, for which you have
my best thanks. It was highly gratifying to me to hear from you, and to learn
you had returned to Ashland, after so long a travel during the most inclement
season of the year, in good health, which, I flatter myself, you will long
continue to enjoy. Your views, as regards our respective chances to succeed to
the Presidency at the coming election, are entitled to the greatest respect and
consideration, as your opportunities of knowing the opinion of the people
generally throughout the country, as regards that matter, are much better than
mine can possibly be, having recently made a visit to the seat of the General
Government, to three or four of our largest cities, and passed through, into,
and along the borders of several of the strongest States in the Union; while I
have, since my return from Mexico, for the most part remained stationary at an
out-of-the-way place, where I see or hear but little of political movements or
matters, save through the newspapers and letters, for the most part written and
published by politicians, the editors and writers of the same are sometimes
mistaken in their views on the subject of President-making, as other people.
I conceive I am,
owing to circumstances which I could not well avoid, placed in rather a
peculiar situation, as regards my being a candidate for the Presidency. It is
well known to those who had my confidence, that I was very much opposed, when
the matter was first agitated in several of the public journals, which was soon
after the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, to my name being used as
a candidate for that office, which I resisted as far as I could well do so,
stating to those around me that I had no aspirations for civil office of any
kind; that my greatest ambition was to bring the war we were engaged in to a
speedy and honorable termination; that by being considered a
candidate for that situation, would have the effect to make the President
hostile to me even without his being aware of it, and in such
a way as to impair my usefulness in the field, if not to destroy it, as
regarded the object I had nearest my heart, which has been realized to the full
extent of my expectation; for ever since the battle of Monterey, until I left
Mexico, the hand of the Executive was laid heavily on me.
My name continued to
be constantly referred to through some of the newspapers, from the time
previously mentioned, as a candidate for the Presidency, until the battle of
Buena Vista, soon after which I began to receive many letters from some of the
first political men of the nation, and from several States, in which they
stated that it was in contemplation to bring my name before the country as the
Whig candidate for the Presidency, in November, 1848. In reply, I frankly
stated my objections to their doing so; among others, that I was no politician,
and that it might be considered presumption in me to aspire to that high
station, when there were such statesmen who might be elevated to it as
yourself, Mr. Crittenden, Judge McLean, and John M. Clayton, and hundreds of
others unknown to me, who were, I conceived, much better qualified to preside
over the destinies of the country than I was; that you were my first choice,
nor did I wish to be in the way of any prominent Whig who might be brought out
for that office. To which they replied some of whom were your warm political
and personal friends that you would not again permit your name to be brought
before the country as a candidate, and that they did not believe any other
Whig, owing to events which had taken place, was so likely to be elected, in
opposition to the party in power, as myself; and that I owed it to the country
to permit my name to be used for said object; that I "could not avoid
being a candidate if I would, and ought not if I could." Under this state
of things I reluctantly yielded to their wishes. About the same time, I
informed a distinguished member of Congress, that the arrangements for the next
Presidential campaign were to be made during the approaching session of that
body, which would shortly meet; and if, after consulting the members of both
branches of the same, it was thought advisable to take up some other individual
of the party who was more available, he was authorized to withdraw my name from
the contest, and if it was you who was fixed on, so much the better. After
writing said letter, I received the proceedings of the people called together
in primary assemblies in several of the States, nominating me as a candidate
for the Presidency at the next election, and in several instances stating it
was understood that, in the event of any distinguished Whig being brought out
as a candidate, I would at once withdraw my name; but urging me not to do so,
but to continue as a candidate under all circumstances, on the grounds I had
taken, which was not to be the exclusive candidate of any party, etc.; and on
reaching New Orleans many friends called on me to let it be publicly announced
that my name as a candidate for the office in question would not be withdrawn,
let who would be in the field, which I consented to, and advised my friends in
Washington of my change in that respect, without delay. I therefore now
consider myself in the hands of the people, a portion of whom have placed my
name before the country, for the highest office in their gift, without any
agency of mine in the matter, and if they should think proper to drop me and
take another, which they ought to do, provided they can fix on a more available
candidate, and one better qualified to serve them, and cast their votes for him
at the proper time, and should succeed in electing him, it will neither be a
source of mortification or disappointment to me. On the contrary, if he is honest,
truthful, and patriotic, I will rejoice at the result. And I can say, in all
sincerity, that should you receive the nomination of the Whig National
Convention, which is to meet in Philadelphia in June, and should be elected in
November, but few of your friends will be more gratified than myself. And
should you be unsuccessful, and should it be thought your being a candidate had
the effect of preventing my election, it will not produce the slightest
feeling of unkindness toward you, but I will continue to cherish those kind
feelings which I have entertained for you for many years, which I hope are
reciprocal.
SOURCE: Calvin Colton, Editor, The Private Correspondence of Henry Clay, pp. 557-60
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