Studies in American History 
143 
vigorously conducted during its period. In the Senate, he 
made a speech saying that Calhoun's State Rights position 
was of recent origin and inferred his own leanings in that 
direction. He explained away his apparent inconsistencies 
on the tariff issue and invited attention to his past conduct on 
political issues.®® After making his Niblo Garden speech, he 
made a speaking tour in the West. He was well received, but 
on the whole he was discouraged with the outlook. Richard 
Houghton, editor of the Boston Atlas, showed him that he 
could not become president and then came out for Harrison. 
Webster withdrew with great reluctance about August 1, 
1838.^®® He further removed himself from politics by going 
to Europe, but his friends were believed to be active in pre- 
venting the nomination of Clay. 
In the summer of 1837, the friends of Clay met in New 
York to organize for the next presidential election. Clay 
wrote them that the meeting was premature and that it was 
not right to “disturb or distract the public attention by intro- 
ducing another exciting but remote topic" when the currency 
and business of the country were prostrate. This letter was 
given wide publication perhaps to show the patriotism of 
Clay. But he also stated. 
To guard against misconception, I ought to add that too much delay 
as well as too much precipitation should be alike avoided, in arrange- 
ments connected with the next election of a Chief Magistrate of the 
Union.^o^ 
As in the previous campaign. Clay pretended an unwilling- 
ness to become a candidate. He said: 
I should be extremely unwilling, without very strong reasons, to be 
thrown into the turmoil of a Presidential canvass. . . . Should a Na- 
tional Convention of our friends nominate any other person, he shall 
have my hearty wishes for success and my cordial support.^^ 
On August 14, 1837, he wrote G. D. Prentice that it was prob- 
able that 
I shall be again forced into the Presidential arena. ... In the city 
of New York, notwithstanding, and subsequent to the movement there 
for Mr. Webster, my friends spontaneously resolved to organize.^”^ 
Speech of Daniel Webster in U.S. Senate, March 22, 1838. 
100 Tuckerman (ed.). The Diary of Philip Hone, I, 262; National Intelligencer, Janu- 
ary 8, 1837; Seward (ed.), William H. Seward, an Autobiography, I, 336, 337; Congdon, 
Reminiscences of a Journalist, 69 ; The Globe, August 1, 1838. 
Colton, The Private Coo-respondence of Henry Clay, 416. 
^^Ubid., 417. 
^^nbid., 418. 
