 Ritchie favored the "Old Republican" "principles of '98, '99" against what he considered the corrupting influence of Henry Clay and the divisive tactics of John C. Calhoun, whose nullification and Southern-party policies Ritchie detested.Late in his life, Ritchie denounced abolitionists but supported gradual emancipation.In the 1844 US presidential election, Ritchie supported James K. Polk because of Polk's support for the annexation of Texas.