National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-08-05
~ AooLDENrAL PRes1pEN7s
THE ADMINISTRATIONS OF TYLER,
FILLMORE AND JOHNSON.

THE ADMINISTRATIONS OF TYLER,
FILLMORE AND JOHNSON.
70 the Editor OF The National Republican:
sR: In your issue of the 18th instant Is "a
article from the New York Rsrald, entitled
"Party Government" which begins BY saying;
"All experience shows that We have never had
q successful administration IN this country ex-
eept by harmonious political party" and the
cases Of Tyler, Fillmore and johnson are cited
as proof Of the correctness Of the opinions ex-
pressed. Now, II this matter Is worthy Of
space for superficial, IL is worthy Of space for
more Thorough, examination. without pro-
nouncing dogmatically upon the question
whether or not the administrations alluded 10
were failures, Il may be not without instruction
to look at the circumstances.
As . general rule, administrations are APP
proved BY the h-pieees, Individual and
journalistic, OF the party BY which they were
elected, and condemned BY those Of the party
BY which they were opposed. When this oc-
ours, the question whether or not an admins
tration has been successful fails Of defnitlVe
decision, through q mutual cancellation Of
conflicting testimonies, and the result is pre-
sumption in its favor. Tyler, Fillmore and
| johnson were placed under this disadvantages:
they were virtually arraigned by the organs OF
one party, and-in two At least Of the cases
received no support from the organs Of the
other. Assailed they were on the one side, and
abandoned or assailed on the other-a state Of
things which, without regard to the intrinsic
| qualities Of their respective administrations,
would be abundantly sufficient to raise and
perpetuate an adverse presumption.
| In order to pronounce fairly upon the merits
OF the administrations of the accidental Presi-
dents, Il would be necessary first TO ascertain
/ what 1t Is that constitutes q successful admin
istration. Into this inquiry, which would
open very broad field to the explorer, do
not propose to enter; but there are certain
facts in the cases OF the accidental Presidents
! which, In justice to them, as well as through
proper regard TO the lessons Of our political
history, should not be overlooked.
Political parties are not often absolutely
homogeneous. When we had North and
South there was always q Northern and
Southern wing. The Northern wing of the
Wing or Republican party leaned towards the
Federalistie or centralizing, and the Southern
towards the Democratic or State rights idea:
and If q President was taken from the one, for
the purpose Of Cancellation, and to preserve the
balance between the factions, the Vice Presi-
dent was taken from the other. Forparty rea-
sons the two candidates were chosen, not be-
cause they were, but because they wers not, in
harmony. Thus Tyler, with anti-bank and
State rights antecedents, was selected TO Offset
the thorough Whiggery Of Harrison, and hold
VIC GSALuCih NAuk W o0ppOit-
an anti-slavery man, came IN to compensate
for the fact that Taylor was STAKEHOLDER,
and johnson, an ex-Southern State rights
Democrat, was put upon the ticket to render Il
more palatGble to q large body Of electors,
whom It was thought essential to conciliate.
When these men, through the decease of
their supeTiors, came into Office It was only
necessary for them to retain the qualities and |
opinions which rendered them desirable as vice |
presidential candidates to put them ct issue |
with the most numerous and powerful faction |
Of the party BY which they had been elected. |
It Is not needful to assume that q change took |
place in their characters, plans or opinions; on
the credit OF having remained as they were. |
Personally It would have been Of great advan- |
tage 10 all three Of them to have followed In |
the steps Of their predecessors end put the |
same construction upon the party platform.
This Is what was demanded Of them by the |
dominant factions Of their respective parties;
and for not doing this they were accused OF |
treason, bitterly reproached, and failed to re-
ceive, even for that which was good In their
administrations, that approval which party
organs In general bestow upon the good and |
bad acts alike Of Presidents with whom they
are in harmony.
These are things Of the past. There Is, there
fore, no reason for denying to class Of men
who have been much spoken against such mod
The other side. It is better, when It is posi-,
BILE, TO believe that men have been honest than
that they have been dishonest; and when they
have chosen political course which is adverse
70 their personal Interests 1t is fair to presume
that, although they may have been mistaken,
hey were sincere,
do not deny that, as humanity Is consti-
suted It Is better for an administration to be in
harmony with its party. This IS what is meant
By party government, and ours is Q party
government. do not assume to pronounce
Upon the merits Of the Issues between the acci-
iental Presidents and the greater factions
" Of their repective parties, nor to decide
whether they did wrong or right IN failing to
espond TO The requirements Of the latter.
This, to say the least, is an open question.
snt, in respect TO that which Is supposed to
lnderate character, which constitutes reputa- {
ion and enters in TO make up the materials of
history, the accidental Presidents Of the United
tates have been the unfoftdnates The very &
act that they pursued 9 course which cut them
d from the hope Of prolongfng their political {
areer has been included In the list Of their !
fences, while the fscs Of the absense Of a nu-
lerous sdvocacy-which, when It Is present, Is
OF always perfectly wise or perfectly dis.
been taken as proof Of the Z
lilures Of their administrations H REED