Sold – On The Eve of the 1824 Election, Adams Withdraws His Support of John C. Calhoun

The presidency of James Monroe had seen a one-party government in the United States, as the Federalists had dissolved, leaving only the Democratic-Republican Party. In the election of 1824, the Democratic-Republicans splintered as four separate candidates sought the presidency. The faction led by Andrew Jackson was the largest and would evolve into the Democratic Party, while the factions led by John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay would become the National Republicans and later the Whig Party. William Crawford was a party favorite and the caucus choice as nominee. The election was more a contest of favorite sons than a conflict over policy, as the candidates were backed by different sections of the country: Adams was strong in the Northeast, Jackson in the South and mid-Atlantic, Clay in parts of the West, and Crawford on the Southeastern seaboard. John C. Calhoun of South Carolina had thought about entering the race but then dropped out by announcing his bid for the vice presidency, a move that both Adams and Crawford endorsed, each for different reasons. Calhoun was virtually a favorite son for the Georgian Crawford, while Adams had often agreed with Calhoun’s nationalist positions while the men served in President Monroe’s cabinet.

However, many of Adams’ supporters were less than happy about his seeming support for the fierce slavery advocate Calhoun and opposition set in. As election day – Novenber 3, 1824 – drew close, Adams approval of Calhoun had become an issue in his native northeast. George Sullivan was a lawyer and former U.S. Congressman from New Hampshire who returned to his home state in 1816 to serve for two decades as its attorney-general. J.E. Sprague was a member of the Massachusetts legislature for Salem and a friend of Adams. In 1848, he would deliver Adams’ eulogy. On October 28, 1824, Sullivan wrote Sprague that Adams backed Calhoun and that this position was necessary if Adams was to prevail in the House of Representatives in the likely event that no candidate received a majority of electoral votes. “I am authorised to say that the support of Mr. Calhoun as Vice President by the friends of Mr. A[dams] will be very agreeable to Mr. A. and I beg leave to add that the mode in which that support shall be announced ought plainly to show that we act on general principles…Mr. C is entitled to the support of N. England because he has been the uniform friend and support of Mr. Monroe's administration which Mr. Adams will continue and carry out to the end. It must be apparent to you all that the friends of Mr Crawford are making two movements, one in support of Mr. Clay as Vice President…the other by giving support to…bring Jackson to the House with more votes than Mr. Adams. In such event, Mr Clay VP and both Crawford and Jackson before Mr Adams in the House..The only mode of counteracting these designs is by a prompt and general nomination of Mr. Calhoun…” Sprague was concerned about this letter and immediately sent it to Adams, saying “I received this morning the enclosed letter from Mr. Sullivan, I shall take no steps in relation to it until I receive your answer which I hope will be by return mail. I have but little confidence in Sullivan…I cannot count on the enclosed without a direct assurance that it is agreeable to you.”

Autograph Letter Signed, Washington, November 2, 1824, to Sprague, retracting his advice that his supporters vote for Calhoun and recommending that they vote their consciences. “Your letters of the 22nd and 28th ult. are received, with their enclosures, which I retain for the present. My views not of principle but of its application have varied since I had the pleasure of seeing you, in consequence of changes in the aspect of public affairs. I believe that the preference which on exclusively public considerations I expressed to you, has prejudices so strong to encounter that it cannot be pressed with any prospect of success. I wish you therefore to consider all objection to the course recommended in the letter to be so far as it has reference to my opinions heretofore expressed, withdrawn; and I wish our friends in Massachusetts to act and vote as they themselves shall under all circumstances, think most conducive to the public welfare…” The timing of this letter is interesting and shows Adams’ political skills in action. It was written the day before the election, too late to dissuade any of his supporters from voting for Calhoun as he had originally suggested, would not offend Calhoun coming at the last minute and would maintain the likelihood of Calhoun’s support in the House, yet it afforded Adams the opportunity to state with honesty that he had, on a matter of principle, taken a stand against Calhoun before the election.

In the end, none of the four presidential candidates received a majority of the electoral vote, so the presidential election was decided by the House of Representatives. There only the top three candidates in the electoral vote were eligible: Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, and William Crawford. Left out was Henry Clay, who happened to be Speaker of the House. Clay detested Jackson and had said of him, “I cannot believe that killing 2,500 Englishmen at New Orleans qualifies for the various, difficult, and complicated duties of the Chief Magistracy.” Moreover, Clay's American System was far closer to Adams' position on tariffs and internal improvements than Jackson's or Crawford's, so Clay threw his support to Adams, who was elected President on February 9, 1825, on the first ballot. Calhoun became his vice president, despite the sentiment expressed in this letter.