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VOICE ONE:

THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a program in Special English.

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Four of the first five presidentsof the United States came from Virginia. They were GeorgeWashington, Thomas Jefferson, James madison, and James Monroe. Thesecond president, John Adams, was a New Englander. In the nationalelection of eighteen-twenty-four, his son -- John Quincy Adams --was one of four leading candidates for the presidency. And for thefirst time, the west began to make its weight felt in nationalpolitics. General Andrew Jackson of Tennessee got the most electoralvotes: ninety-nine. But he needed one-hundred thirty-one to win amajority. The Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams, was second witheighty-four votes. Treasury Secretary William Crawford receivedforty-one. And Henry Clay of Kentucky got thirty-seven.

VOICE TWO:

None of the candidates, however, got a majority of the votes. Andthe decision went to the House of Representatives. The House votedon only the three top candidates for president. The most powerfulman in Congress -- Henry Clay -- was not, therefore, a candidate.But Clay's support would be the greatest help any of the candidatescould receive. All three wanted his support. Treasury SecretaryCrawford had suffered a serious illness before the election, and hishealth was bad. Clay felt he could not support him for that reason.

VOICE ONE:

This left Adams and Jackson. Claydid not agree with all of Adams' policies. But he did believe Adamshad the education and ability to be president. Clay did not likeJackson, the hero of New Orleans during the war of 1812. He knewJackson was poorly educated and easy to anger. Clay did not thinkJackson would be a good president. So Clay decided to support Adamsfor president. He said nothing about this for a time. Several ofClay's friends visited Adams. They told him that Clay's supportersin the west would be pleased if Adams, as president, named Clay asSecretary of State. Adams told them that if the votes of the westelected him president, he would put a westerner in his cabinet. Buthe would not promise that the westerner would be Clay, or that thecabinet job would be that of Secretary of State.

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Clay still had not said publicly which candidate he supported.But it became known that his choice was Adams. Late in January, thePhiladelphia newspaper, "Columbian Observer," published an unsignedletter. The letter charged that Clay and Adams had made a secretagreement. Clay, the letter said, would give his support to Adams.In exchange, Adams would name Clay his Secretary of State. Clay wasfurious. He not only denied the charge, but offered to fight a duelwith the letter-writer, should his name be known. Much was made ofthe charge that Clay had sold his vote to Adams. But no proof wasever given. Clay demanded an investigation. But the man who accusedhim in the newspaper letter refused to say anything. Clay was sureJackson's supporters were responsible.

VOICE ONE:

Snow was falling in Washington on the morning of February ninth,the day that Congress would elect the president. At noon, members ofthe Senate walked into the House of Representatives. The electoralvotes were counted, and it was announced officially that nocandidate had won. The Senators left, and the House began voting.Each state had one vote for president. Adams was sure he would getthe votes of twelve states. Crawford had the votes of four andJackson, seven. New York was the question. Seventeen of the New Yorkcongressmen were for Adams, and seventeen were opposed to him. Adamsneeded just one of these opposition votes to get the vote of NewYork and become president.

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One of those New Yorkers opposed to Adams was a rich old man whorepresented the Albany area, Stephen van Rensselaer. Although vanRensselaer had supported Crawford or Jackson, he really was not surenow whom to support. Henry Clay had taken the old man into hisoffice that morning and talked to him. Daniel Webster also wasthere. They both told the New York congressman that the safety ofthe nation depended on the election of Adams as president. Clay andWebster told the old man that his was the most important vote in thewhole Congress. . . That Stephen van Rensselaer would decide whowould be president. The old man's head was not too clear afterlistening to Clay and Webster. He still did not know what to do.

VOICE ONE:

When the New York congressmen voted, van Rensselaer still was notsure of his choice. And he put his head down on his desk and askedGod to help him make the right choice. After this short prayer, heopened his eyes and saw on the floor at his feet a piece of paperwith Adams' name on it. Van Rensselaer picked it up and put it inthe ballot box as his vote. This gave Adams the vote of the state ofNew York and made him president of the United States. A committee ofcongressmen was sent to Mr. Adams' home to tell him of the vote. Onemember of the committee described the Secretary of State: "Sweatrolled down his face. He shook from head to foot and was so nervoushe could hardly stand to speak."

VOICE TWO:

Later in the evening, Adams hadcontrol of himself. President Monroe gave a big party at the WhiteHouse. Adams was there. So was Jackson, and Clay. During the party,Adams and Jackson met face to face. Jackson had his arm around ayoung lady. "How do you do, Mr. Adams," said Jackson. "I give you myleft hand, for the right -- as you see -- is devoted to the fair. Ihope you are well, sir?" "Very well, sir," answered Adams, coolly."I hope General Jackson is well."

VOICE ONE:

Two days later, Adams told President Monroe that he had decidedto offer the job of Secretary of State to Clay. He said he was doingso because of the western support he had received. Clay thoughtdeeply for a week about the offer. He asked a number of friends foradvice. Most of them urged him to take the job. They told him that aman of the west was needed in the cabinet. And they said beingSecretary of State would greatly help his own chances of becomingpresident some day. Clay accepted the offer. He said he would serveas Adams's Secretary of State. Until now, General Jackson hadrefused to believe the charges that Clay had sold his vote to Adamsfor the top cabinet job. Now he was sure of it. He wrote to afriend: "Was there ever before such bare-faced corruption? What isthis trade of vote for office, if not bribery."

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Many of Jackson's supporters did not believe John Quincy Adamshad the ability to be political leader of the party. They believedthat Clay would seize the party leadership and use this power tohelp himself become elected the next president. Jackson, himself asenator, showed his feelings when the Senate was asked to approveClay as Secretary of State. He voted no. And thirteen other senatorsjoined him against the nomination. But they were too few to preventClay from getting the job. The next presidential election was fouryears away. General Andrew Jackson promised himself this would beone election he would not lose. Before he left Washington to returnto Tennessee, Jackson wrote a letter that soon became public. "Ibecame a soldier for the good of my country," Jackson wrote."Difficulties met me at every step. I thank God that it was my dutyto overcome them. I am in no way responsible to Henry Clay. There isa purer court to which I will put my case. . . to the intelligentjudgment of our patriotic and honest voters."

VOICE ONE:

General Jackson returned to Nashville to rest and plan. He wasstill a senator, and he questioned if it might not be best for himto resign from the Senate. He would be free of Washington politicsand able to build his political strength for the election ineighteen-twenty-eight. He decided to resign.

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VOICE TWO:

You have been listening to the Special English program, THEMAKING OF A NATION. Your narrators were Maurice Joyce and StuartSpencer. Our program was written by Frank Beardsley. THE MAKING OF ANATION can be heard Thursdays.