Memoirs of John Adams Dix; comp. by his son, Morgan Dix.

1830-1842.] RENEWED POLITICAL EXCITEMENT.

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national character, and that time will record their indelible disgrace.
They will stand before the world, not merely in the light of men who
have brought dishonor upon the character of the country, but in the still
more odious light of political adversaries, who, in ministering to the purposes of injustice and persecution, have accomplished a double object
of personal revenge.'
There can be no doubt that the attack on Mr. Van Buren,
by directing general attention to him, as a sufferer under a
malicious persecution, proved to be one of the causes of his
nomination by the Baltimore Convention, in the following
May, for the office of Vice-President.
In the autumn of 1832 the Presidential election took place,
as well as that for Governor of this State. General Jackson
was the candidate of the Democratic Republicans; Henry
Clay was nominated by the National Republicans; while the
political Antimasons supported Mr. William Wirt. On the
question of Governor the National Republicans and Antimasons united on Francis Granger; the candidate of the
Administration party was William L. Marcy. The result was
that Mr. Marcy received a majority of about 13,000, while
the President was kept in office for a second term. Mr. Van
Buren, the successful rival of Mr. Calhoun, was elected VicePresident, and thus advanced one step nearer to the highest
prize in American politics.
The election of Governor Marcy caused a vacancy in the
Senate of the United States, which was filled by the appointment of Silas Wright, then Comptroller of the State. Azariah C. Flagg became Comptroller in Mr. Wright's place, and
General Dix was made Secretary of State, in the place of Mr.
Flagg. His appointment, January 15, 1833, was accepted on
the following day.
With the opening of that year came a renewal of excitement in the political world. The policy of the government
on the tariff question had assumed a grave significance in consequence of the action of South Carolina, where the doctrine
was now advanced that a State has the right to nullify the