MARTIN VAN BUREN.—This gentleman, having been dropped by his own party in their national convention at Baltimore, may now be safely said to have reached the final termination of his political career. A few devoted followers who staked all their hopes of political honors and spoils upon his success adhered to him firmly to the last, and made every effort that desperation could suggest to save him from oblivion. They boasted that the delegates from no less than nineteen states were pledged to his support, but so desperate had his fortunes become that the utmost force of party intrigue, discipline and management, could not avail to avert his doom.

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Their [Democratic] convention at Baltimore, in reference to which they talked gravely, and as if something was really to be done by it, was proved the most magnificient humbug and farce of the age. While [b]ragging about “principles and not men,” it took said convention four days to get through with its business of selecting men to represent such a mighty party, and after trying all reasonable ways to agree upon some one who would not disgrace them, they wound up with nominating, instead of Van Buren, Cass, Johnson, or Buchanan, men who have some talent and can command a little respect, as a last kick of desperation Mr. James K. Polk, of Tennessee, as their man for the Presidency! To make the nomination a little decent, and take away a portion of its utterly ridiculous character, they added the name of Silas Wright for the Vice Presidency. But Wright was decidedly too old a fox to be caught by such a trap, and promptly and positively declined the nomination. They then finished their labors by selecting Geoge M. Dallas, of Pennsylvania for the Vice Presidency, so that the grand conclusion reached is, James K. Polk for President, and George M. Dallas for Vice President!

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. . . Yet with such a candidate for the first office in the gift of the people they are talking about making fight against such a statesman as Henry Clay, whose reputation is firm as the hills and who ranks as the first statesman of the age!

Besides all this, Polk is and always has been a whole hog free trade man, and as hostile to the tariff as John C. Calhoun. The people, unless they are absolutely blind, therefore, will no sooner elect such a man to the Presidency, than Joe Smith, the Mormon Prophet.