The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-06-25
THE VICE PRESIDENTS OF THE
UNITED STATES.

with the Vice Presidents, the sec-
ond officers Of the Government
There are few who can even name
them in the order IN which they
were e'oetcd. a few reflections up.
on thcm may, Therefore, be both IN
tereIting and instructive.
Tue first two Vice Prcsidents,-
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson,
were both fnrward Prcsidents.-
They were signers Of the Duclara.
tion of Independence, on tho com.
mitteo that drafted IL, and were the
leaders of their respective parties
The third Vice President, Aaron
Burr, Is also n great historical char.
acter, who, in this connection, VIC
may pass without notice, save the
remnrl, that his selection over the
! distinguished Revolutionary gener
ais, statesman and orators, at tho
early age of !oI oIty.one, attDsis the
remarkable talents Of the man, and
the impression they had upon pub.
lic opinion.
Tho fourth Wee Prcslden. was
George Clinton. of Now York. lie
held the Office :or eight years, un,
dor tho second term of Jefferson
and the first of Madison, and died
in 1t, the first instance of death in.
vadIng the great positions of the
Government. Ho had been the
Governor of New York for eighteen
years, during all the war OF tho Rev.
Olution, and for long time before
and after it. lie was the great Op.
: ponent of the adoption OF the Con.
sLitution Of tho United States, and
by his influence, came near defeat.
ing 1t IN the New York Convention
lIo was the uncle of still more
moro celebrated man, Dc Wit Clin.
ton.
The fifth Vice. President was FL
bridge Gerry, of Massachusetts, one
of the immortal fiity-six VINO signed
the Declaration of Independence -
Mr.. Gerry was Democrat, who
maintained the faith Of the party u
the darkest hours in Federal Mas
sachusetts. lie had been q Demo
cratic Governor of that State, ant
from his name political nomencla
turc has arisen. A Democratic Leg
isloture, under his Administration
!, Distracted tho State FOR Congress-
. OF course they regarded politicu
: lines, even more than contiguity o
territory. Party advantage wa
4 tho great Gim. The Federalist de
nouuced the bull as II 'gcrryman
DER and from that day-more thar
half Il century ago-tho phrase ha
b. always been applied TO politlca
Congressional and Legislative np
portionments. Mr.. Gerry, like hi
predecessor, Mr.. Clinton, died in of
J. iicc, anu was buried in tho Con
gressional Burying Ground, in tn
:. first year Of his term.
Daniel ID. TOmpkIns, of New
:, York, was the sixth VIco. President
twice elected, holding the position
through all the eigt-l ear admins
tratloE of James Monroe. lie &C
quircd his reputation as war Gov
ernor, in 1872. On one occasion
during that struggle, the credit o
! tho Nation had sunk 80 low, undo
;, tho Federal opposition OF New En-
gland, that when the State Of Ne,
. York put it's bonds for SI00, 900 up
r on tho market, there were no Ia
Kers. lt was not until GOvcrno
Tompkins, who was a very wealth,
man, Endorsed them personally
that tho capitalists stepped fJrwar
&c and took them. JIo was a inar q
such popular and pleasing manner
that il was said refusal from hin
was more highly prizeu than an nc
ceptance by his great rival De Wit
y Clinton. 1t is generally believe
Il that the death of Vice PresiJen
= Tompkins was produced by m i'm
moderate indulgence in the use {
spirtUus liquors.
III The seventh Vice President wa
O. man well known to us IN mIddl
life who have taken any part IN po
.. ,tics John g. Calhoun, of Sout
Carolina, the ablOss man, with III
= possible exception of Jefferson, wi
ever held the position. He wi
Vice. President under John QuInC
-, Adams, and also, under Gcner
10 Jackson, Before hls term was OF
l. he resigned, in order 10 take b
he seat upon the fioor of the Unite
es States Senate, 10 combat what !
" considered tho Federal heresios
ISL Daniel Webster III regard to the I,
spectivo rights of tho States and /!
- Federal Government. He was Il
great apostle of State rights, al
=, when he arose TO address tho Sci
ate, his salutatiOn was not ON
President" but always Senators
en- lie considored tho Senate a me
ee convocatiou of State ambassador
Tho eighth Vice President W
Martin Van Buren,, of New Yor
who, was aflerward elected Pres
dent. IIo was u very successf
, man, who, by his Talleyrand a
! dress, occupied, in succession, evel
high position in the Government
-. Governor, United States Senate
re-, Minister to England, Secretary
ny State, Vice. Presidentand Presider
.@ Of all his friends thoro were nol
~ IN whom Andrew Jackson repos
a so much confidence.
a. Colonel Richard NJ. Johnson,
A A.