any delegates as there were members of the Assembly, to be
chosen by voters opposed to William H. Crawford for President and in
favour of restoring the choice of presidential electors to the
people--should assemble at Utica, on September 21, 1824, to nominate
candidates for governor and lieutenant-governor. It had long been a
dream of Clinton to have nominations made by delegates elected by the
people. That dream was now to be realised, and the door to a new
political era opened.

Though Clinton had announced a determination to support Andrew
Jackson, he displayed no zeal in the state contest, and contented
himself with writing gossipy letters to Post and in watching the rapid
growth of the Erie canal. As early as 1819, the canal had been opened
between Utica and Rome, and from the Hudson to Lake Champlain. The
middle section, recently completed, was now actively in use between
Utica and Montezuma. In little more than a year, the jubilee over the
letting in of the waters of Lake Erie would deaden the strife of
parties with booming of cannon and expressions of joy. Throughout all
the delays and vexations of this wonderful enterprise, DeWitt Clinton
had been the great inspiring force, and, although for several years
the board of canal commissioners had been reorganised in the interest
of the Bucktails, not a whisper was heard intimating any desire or
intention to interfere with him. When it was known, however, that
James Tallmadge had been agreed upon as the candidate of the People's
party for governor, the Regency, in order to split his forces,
determined upon Clinton's removal from all participation in the
management of the canal. If Tallmadge voted for such a resolution,
reasoned the Van Buren leaders, it would alienate the political
friends with whom he was just now acting; if he voted against it, he
would alienate Tammany.

It was a bold game of politics, and a dangerous one. The people did
not love Clinton, but they believed in his policy, and a blow at him,
in their opinion, was a blow at the canal. Nothing in the whole of Van
Buren's history exhibits a more foolish disregard of public sentiment,
or led to a greater disaster. But the Regency, blinded by its
overwhelming victory at the last election, was prepared to pay a
gambler's price for power, and, in the twinkling of an eye, before the
Assembly knew what had happened, the Senate removed Clinton from the
office of canal commissioner, only three votes being re