Henry Clay had returned
to Kentucky to resume the practice of the law as a means of
restoring his financial fortunes, and the importance of his
leadership was emphasized by his absence. Without mastery, and in
the absence of party discipline, Congress degenerated into a. mere
arena for the conflicts of rival personal factions, each anxious to
destroy the reputation of the candidate favored by the other.
In December, 1821, Barbour, of Virginia, was chosen speaker, by a
close vote, over Taylor, the favorite of Adams, thus transferring
the control of the congressional committees again to the south,
aided by its New York allies. The advantage to Crawford arising from
this election was partly neutralized by the fact that in this year
his partisans in Georgia were defeated by the choice of his
bitterest enemy for the governorship. It may have been this
circumstance which aroused the hope of Crawford's southern rivals
and led to the calling of a legislative caucus in South Carolina,
which, on December 18, 1821, by a close vote, nominated William
Lowndes instead of Calhoun for the presidency.
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