speechless, almost blind, and practically helpless. For months he
hovered between life and death in a "mansion" on the outskirts of
Washington, while his friends labored to conceal the seriousness of
his condition and to keep his canvass going. Gradually he rallied; but
his powerful frame was shattered, and even when the caucus discharged
its appointed task of nominating him, the politicians were
cold-heartedly speculating upon who would receive the "old republican"
support if he should die. He recovered and lived ten years; but his
chances of the presidency were much diminished by his ill fortune. "He
had fallen with his face toward the goal, with his eyes and his heart
fixed upon it."

As the canvass progressed, Jackson steadily gained. His election to
the United States Senate, in the autumn of 1823, over a stanch
supporter of Crawford showed that his own State was acting in good
faith when it proposed him for the higher position. Clever propaganda
turned Pennsylvania "Jackson mad"; whereupon Calhoun, with an eye to
the future, sought an alliance with his competitor. The upshot was
that a convention held at Harrisburg in March, 1824, nominated Jackson
almost unanimously and named Calhoun for the vice presidency.
Hostility to the caucus became also a great asset. Tariff, internal
improvements, and foreign policy were discussed in the campaign, but
the real issue was the manner of selecting the President. Should he
continue to be chosen by a combination of Congressmen, or should the
people take matters into their own hands? Impatience with the caucus
system showed itself in numerous nominations of Clay, Adams, and
Jackson by sundry state conventions, legislatures, and other more or
less official bodies. The supporters of Jackson, in particular, made
"down with the caucus" their rallying cry and found it tremendously
effective. In the earlier stages of the campaign the politicians,