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74^ Documents his arrival in town, yesterday morning, I paid him a visit of civility, and my call this morning was in consequence of a wish wh. he expressed to have some private conversation with me. He was alone, and immedi- ately entered freely into the discussion of the affairs of the Nation. He said that great changes had taken and were taking place now in the political elements and that the course of a few months would exhibit a situation of parties in the country as extraordinary, as it had been un- expected. Genl. Jackson he said was losing the confidence of the Re- publican party every where, and even Tennessee had to a man sustained him (Mr. C) in the late rupture wh. had taken place between himself and the General. Kentucky was with him, — so was Pennsylvania, and Virginia with the exception of Stevenson and Archer. In fact three fourths of the members of Congress were with him ag' the President. That he (Gen. J) had deserted all his political positions ; he had first intimated he would not be a candidate for re-election, and now was : that he would not appoint members of Congress to office and had done so continually, and in short was as jealous of his military fame, as ever was Othello of his wife and easily played upon with it, by the cunning men by whom he is surrounded. For these reasons he thought confidence of the Republican party in General Jackson very much diminished ; and for himself, he had dissolved all ties, political or otherwise, with him and forever. He did not think him as sincere a man, as he once did. With regard to the opposition,* Mr. Calhoun thought he could discern a crack in that party also. The Tariff-men were beginning to believe that to push their policy any further would be a desperate movement, that would in all probability destroy the whole of it, and therefore the most reflect- ing among them were not disposed to support Henry Clay, for fear of his going too far with the system. Mr Webster he thought the only very prominent man thoroughly in favor of Mr Clay. The members from Kentucky had gone home resolved to push the election against Clay, tho' not in favor of Jackson. Should they succeed Mr. Clay was gone, and his partizans hating Gen! Jackson and Mr Van Buren as they did, would unite upon any man to put him out. They would even take him (Mr. C.) with nullification on his head. (Judge Martin' was in the room and heard this expression also). In this state of affairs he thought best for the South to stand uncommitted on the Presidential question and to rally and concentrate her strength in pushing the principles for which she had been of late contending. He then spoke of the three great interests of the Nation, The North, the South and the West. They had been struggling in a fierce war with each other and he thought the period was approaching that was to determine whether they could be recon- ciled or not so as to perpetuate the Union. He was of opinion that they could. The interest of the North was a manufacturing and pro- tecting one, that of the South Free Trade, and that of the West was involved in the distribution of the lands and Internal Improvements. 1 William D. Martin, whose term as member of Congress had just expired.