HENRY CLAY: THE GREAT COMPROMISER, PART II

With the Missouri Compromise accomplished, Clay returned to Kentucky. His ten years in Washington had caused him financial problems and left him in debt. Some of these problems were the result of his gambling and some the unfortunate habit of co-signing promissory notes and loans for friends. He spent two years in Kentucky practicing law and getting his financial affairs back in good order.

In 1823, he returned to Congress, again having been elected to the House of Representatives, and again being elected Speaker of the House. He was Speaker during the Presidential election of 1824, a fact that would prove crucial in the outcome of the election. In 1822, the Kentucky legislature had nominated Clay for the Presidency in the 1824 election, and a few other states joined in recommending Clay to the nation.

Clay had continued to be a leading advocate of the American System, which passed Congress only to be vetoed by President Monroe who felt that internal improvements at federal expense were unconstitutional. This program was an attempt by Clay to link the agricultural West where internal improvements were needed to the commercial Northeast that favored protective tariffs. Unfortunately for him, both sections had a favorite candidate other than Clay. The Northeast supported John Quincy Adams and the West put forward Andrew Jackson. In a four-way race, Clay finished fourth behind Jackson, Adams and Secretary of the Treasury Crawford. Since no candidate received a majority of the electoral votes, the election would be decided in the House of Representatives, where Clay was Speaker. Clay would become the kingmaker, ultimately deciding the election. In such cases, the House must choose from the top three on the list of electoral votes.

Clay came very close to becoming President in 1824. In Louisiana, several legislators traveling to the meeting of the legislature, where the state’s electors would be chosen, had an accident and arrived too late to vote. These legislators were Clay men, and would have changed the close vote in favor of Clay, giving him the state. This would have placed Clay among the top three candidates, and chances are the House, which had almost unanimously elected him Speaker his first day in Congress, would have quickly chosen Clay President, had he been eligible.

Crawford suffered a stroke during the campaign, and was not seriously considered by the House. It came down to a race between Jackson and Adams. A few weeks before the

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