The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1866-06-25
PRESIDENTS TYLER, FILLMORE,
fr. AND JOHNSON.

Gal newspapers throughout the country
during several recent months TO taboo THR
PREsrDKSr by associating his name with
those Of Ex-Presidents TYLER and FILLMORE
the two former Vice Presidents who came
by the deaths Of incumbent thereunto
elected and by force Of the Constitution into
the Executive chair, as IL there was some
resemblance in their cases. As this does
manifest injustice to President JOHNSON and
the leading members Of his Cabinet it seems
to be our duty to remind our readers Of
some Of the leading points Of difference be-
tween them.
Neither Presidents TYLER nor FILLMORE
accepted the mantle, the Cabinet, or the policy
Of their predecessor. President johnson
inherited and accepted them all. That is DIFF
ference between them so great and SO striking
as to destroy at once the force Of the efforts
made to bring them upon common level.
And there are SO many other dssimilarities
between them and the circumstances under
which they came to the Presidency that no
sensible critic Of any political recollection or
reading would attempt to class them together.
They are unlike in almost every way.
When the death of President HARRISON
brought JOHN TYLER to the Executive chair,
Mr.. CLAY was in the height of his power with
the old Wing party. His popularity at that
time completely shut away from the people
the imperious traits Of his nature. He was
permitted, with the consent Of his party, to
flourish his whip in the United States Senate
with all the IMMUNITY Of lordling. He had
been so long and SO publicly committed to
the policy Of rechartering the United States
Bank that he had come to consider that
measure as his own exclusive thunder Mr.
TYLER, on the other hand, was not committed
to the measure and doubted its propriety
Mr.. CLAY pushed the measure through Con-
gress, and il met with an Executive veto.
This excited Mr.. CLAY to such pitch that
he denounced President TYLER as 4 traitor to
his party and his country and compelled all
the members Of the Cabinet except Mr..
WEBSTER, out Of Difference to his wishes, TO
resign their places. The denunciations Of
the President by Mr.. CLAY were echoed.
throughout the country in every town and
hamlet until the body of the Wing party was
withdrawn from his support Mr.. CLAY had
long been candidate for the Presidency
himself, and had q very great number Of po-
litical devotees, who seconded his efforts on
that account TO drive the President out Of
his way. The rest is known.
When the death Of President TAYLOR
brought WILLARD FILLMORE into the Execu-
tive chair the same Mr.. CLAY was yet alive
and in the United States Senate. He had
failed to secure the special favor Of the Pres
ident for his omnibus bills in advance Of
their passage for the reason that he declined
from principle to NEEDLE with legislation I'M
til the laws came TO him formally for his sig
nature. Mr.. CLAY and others had appealed
to him in vain for his influence to aid in the
passage. None Of his Cabinet Ministers were
allowed to urge the passage of any Of his
measures. Mr.. FILLMORE, sharing largely in
the feelings Of Mr.. CLAY, had himself become
to some extent arrayed against the Admins
tration: so that at the death Of President
TAYLOR another case Of Mr.. CIAYs making
existed for the rupture which then occurred
in the party. Mr.. FILLMORE, upon taking the
Executive Office, accepted neither the policy
nor the Cabinet. nor even the friends Of his
predecessor. IL called around him Mr.,
CLAYs particular friends, and few of his
own, and struck of into channel in which
he ultimately stranded. TIE rest Of his Ad,
ministration is known.
When the death Of President LINCOLN
brought ANDREW JOHNSON into the Executive
chair, it brought there man infinitely wiser
than either TYLER or FILLMORE. 1t brought
there an admirer Of President LINCOLN and
firm and thorough supporter of his foreign
as well as his domestic policy. He as cheer
fully as gracefully accepted the mantle Of the
sainted martyr, and retained for his own use
and that of the country his predecessors
constitutional advisers. No pretended line
of apostolic succession is more complete than
is his succession to the known public policy
Of his predecessor which bore the country SO
trumphantly through the war. He was iden-
tilted with the same policy before, it is true,
and underwent no change in coming into the
Presidency; but that is immaterial to the
point we are considering. The fact that he
is carrying forward the foreign and domestic
,,,olicy of President LINCOLN, which was EN-
phaticai',y endorsed by the Union National
Convention which nominated them both, is
the point We are demonstrating. And the
argument we dednce from II iAthat he is just