Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1842-01-01

jority of those who composed that commit
tee for Vice President, in case Gen. Harri- |
son or Gen. Scott should be nominated for
the Presidency. And mentioned to the
Virginia delegation that that was my impress
sion as to the sentiment of the general COM
mittee. Mr.. Tyler was present and dis
claimed all wish upon the subject. Gov
ernor Owen told Inc priUately that he
thought the nomination of Mr.. Tyler
would be iudicous and particularly that il
would be acceptable to the Wings of n.
Carolina, because he had been run on the
ticket with Judge White at the previous
election, and had thus become known to
them, and they had formed favorable sem
timents of him, and nave no doubt he
said the same thing to other members of
the committee; but he never, to my knowl-
edge, publicly suggested the nomination Of
Mr.. Tyler.
What passed among the members of the
Convention who were not members of the
general committee. touching the nomination
for the Vice Presidency, l knew not then,
nor do now know. No one informed me-
was so constantly in tho general committee
that had hardly any opportunity for inter-
course or conversation with the other men,
bers of the Convention, except those Of
the Virginia delegation; and but one of
them said any thing to me $50 far as re-
member) on the subject, and he only ex-
pressed his strong disapprobation of the
nomination of Mr.. Tyler, not his prefer
ence for any other. am certain that no
to me, and that had not the least reason
to believe that any member of the Conven-
ton had thought of nominating bie for the
Vice Presidency till the general committee
met on Saturday morning, the last day of
the Convention.
| Let it be remembered that all the partic-
uIar committees were expected to come pre-
pared at that meeting, with Instructions
from their respective delegations to cast
their votes for the nomination of the Vice
President. have no doubt that every one
of them did come SO prepared and instruc-
ted, except myself. The delegation from
! Virginia gave me no instruction, excepting
| las understood) that the nomination would
not be made on the first vote, and intend
ing, in that case, to make its selection among
the nominees who should be presented by
the other delegations; or, if the nomination
should be made by general consent on the
! first vote, to concur in it.
| When the general committee proceeded
to collect the votes for the nomination of
the Vice President, the States were called
in the order in which they are generally
called in the House Of Representatives of
the United States. The COMMITTEES from
Maine and New Hampshire announced the
votes of the delegations of those States;
the votes Of one were given for the nomi-
nation of Mr.. Tyler; those of the other q
think, but am not postive) were given for
some other gentleman. Massachusetts be-
ing next called, Mr.. Ashmun announced
the vote of the delegation of that State for
me. Upon this, said, in substance, that,
considering the part had borne in the
Convention, and especially in that all-im-
portant general committee, being the only
member Of it from the Virginia delegation,
no one Of whom had ever suggested my
name for the Vice Presidency--if, under
such circumstances, should receive the
nomination, it might be said. without truth
indeed, but with enough verisimiltude to
make the imputation probable, and there
fore very distressing to my feelings, that
| had procured the nomination for myself;
|
giving any strength to the ticket, would
probably weaken it, even in Virginia; and
that | was resolved, for other reasons, that
l would not accept any such nomination
q did not state those reasons, and it
would be idle to state them now)-and,
therefore, | suggested to the committee
from Massachusetts that it should return
to its delegation, and suggest to them the
Propriety of changing their vote. That
committee saw at once that | was sincere
and decided, and, adopting my suggestion,
Immediately retired.
1t soon appeared that my "delcacy' had
been "overstrained," but for a reason very
different from that which you, gentlemen,
have supposed. The voting proceeded in
the absence of the committee from Mas
sachusetts. The several committees from
the other delegations chat from Virginia
excepted) acting under instructions given
before | had said word on the subject, and
therefore uninfluenced by my declining the
nomination, announced, in order as they
were called, the votes of their respective
delegations. Not another vote was given
for ME. a majority Of the whole number
of votes, and large majority too, was
given for the nomination of Mr.. Tyler
The other votes were scattering. Ii was
then suggested to the committees which
had given the scattering votes, that they
should return 10 their delegations, report
the state of the vote whereby Mr.. Tyler
was already nominated, and propose that
their votes should also be given for him.
Those committees retired in nursuanro IF