National Republican., 1881-07-16
VICE-PRESIDENTS.
MEN WHO HAVE HELD THE OFFICE.
Historical Sketches OF Distinguished Persons Who
Have Held the Second Place, from John
Adams to Chester A. Arthur-In.
tercsting Events.


place in the Nation, render the office he holds a
far more important one in the public eye than II
IL generally conceded TO be. IL is q curious fact
that while nearly every schoOlboy is well versed
in the knowledge OF who the Presidents of the
United states have been and what their duties
and their modes of life are, there are
comparatively few Of their elders even who can
give an intelligent account Of our Vice Presidents.
How many, for instance, know what number
General Arthur holds in the lstY
Chester A. Arthur is the twentieth Vice. Presi
dent of the United States. The first Vice Presi
dent was John Adams, who served through both
of General Washington's terms as Chief Executive,
and succeeded 10 his scat when our first President
declined to become third termer. Thomas JET.
ferson in 1907 took second place under John
Adams, and succeeded him to the Presidency Ms
Adams had followed Washington, but after only
one term. Aaron Burr was Jefersons first Vice.
President, from 1901 to 1906, and would undoubt.
edly have been his second and have succeeded
him to the Presidency but for his duel with Ham
ilton, which branded him during his second year
of Office, and nullfed all his popularity and the
influence his ability won for him. As II was, on
the second election of President Jefferson, George
Clinton was made Vice. President, and he held tho
office for the following term under President
Madison.
Elbridge Gerry, ex- Governor of Massachusetts,
TO whose name the now famous term gerry
Wandering is due was elected Vice. President for
Madson's second term in 1913. In 1917 Governor
Daniel ID. Tomkins of New York, then serving his
fourth term rs Democratic Governor of that State
was chosen Vice. President under President Mon
roe. He served until Monroe ended his second
term, IN 1875. when John g. Calhoun took his place
under John Quincy Adams. President Adams gave
way in 1929 to President jackson, but Vice Prcsi-
dent Calhoun held his place till the end Of jack
sons first term. Martin Van Buren, succeeded him
in 1888, and at the end of Jacksons second term
was elected to his seat and became President in
1887
President Van Burens Vice was Richard NJ.
Johnson. In 1si1 John Tyler was elected Vice.
President under General William Henry Harrison.
From 1915 to 1919 George NJ. Dallas Vice Prcsi
dent under james X. Polk. Millard Fillmore was
General Zachary T0ylors Vice. President and
william X. King was elected in 1853 under Presl-
dent Franklin Pierce. From 1857 to 1861 John c.
Breckinrdge served under James Buchanan. The
Vicc-P President for Abraham Lincons first term
was Hannibal Hamlln, and for the second Andrew
Johnson General Grants first Vice President was
Schuyler Colfax, and his second Henry Wilson.
Every one knows that William Almon Wheeler
was Vice. President during the Hayes admnistra.
tion, and General Arthur completes the roll call
the roll of Vice Presidents by election that is.
There have been nine Vice Presidents by the
creation of accident since Our first presidential
Presidents died In Office, These were: Under
Madison, George Clinton, who had been seven
times Governor of New York, and whom seven
years of Vice Presidentship killed in 1912; FL.
bridge Gerry who was only Vice President also
under Madison for year, from 1918 to 1874; Will
lam r. King, who died In Cuba in the same year
of his election ClS53), and without ever assuming
ollicc, and Henry Wilson. Vice-President Tyler
succeeded to the Presidency on the death of Gen.
eral Harrison, and left Vice. Presidency to be
filled; and Vice President Fillmore took President
Taylors place when he died In 1850. Vice-PTesi-
dent Johnson assumed President lincoln's seat
after his death at the hands Of Gulteau's prcde-
cessor, John Wilkes Booth.
Vice President Clinton dying in his last year of
Office, his place remained vacant till IL was filled
by his already elected successor under the new
administration. When this successor died after,
as We have said, a year of office, he was replaced
by John Guillard Of South Carolina. Vice. Presi.
dent 1ylers official shoes were filed by Samuel L.
Southard, of New jersey, when Tyler cast them of
to assume those of President Harrison, and for the
concluding part of the term by Willie =. Mangum,
of North Carolina, Aiter the death of Vicc-Presl-
dent King, David X. Atchison, of Missouri and
Jesse d. Bright of Indiana, became in succession
incumbents of his barren Office. Lafayette s. Fos-
ter of Connecticut, and Benjamin Wade, of
Ohio, were Vice Presidents after Andrew John
sous assumption Of the Presidency, and Thomas
w. Ferry, of Michigan, took Vice President Will
sons place in 1870
OF the elected Vice Presidents seven have come
from New York, to wit: Aaron Burr, 1901 1905 !;
George Clinton, 1905 1872; Daniel d. Tompkins
lSl7.l62j; Martin Van Buren,, 1888. 1887; Mlard
Fillmore 1Si0lSjO; William A. Wheeler, 1876. 1850 ;
and Chester A. Arthur 1881 Three of the Vice
Presidents were from Massachusetts, they being
John Adams, l7S9.l797; Elbrldge Gerry, 1sl3-lsl4
and Henry Wilson, ls72-lS75. Virginia, with list
OF five Presidents to her credit only contributed
two Vice Presidents, both of whom became Presi.
dents one by election and the other by accident
They were ThosJ Jefferson 797. 1901 and John Tyler
who was installed Vice in lsil, and took President
Harrison's place the same year. There have been
two Vice Presidents from Kentucky, r. NJ. Johnson,
lsS7-lSil and John c. Brccknridge, lsj7-lS6l.
John c. Calhoun, ls25-ls32, was the only South
Caroliniau to hold the Office; George NJ. Dallas,
1Sl5-lSi9, the only Pennsylvania, and Alabama
can scarcely be said TO have been represented at
all in William X, King; Hannibal Hamn gave
Maine n Vice e.PreSdentship Andrew johnson re.
presented Tennessee in the Senate and the White
House, and schuyler Colfax gave Indiana place
in Vice Presidential history. We have, therefore,
had twenty elected Vice Presidents OF the United
esand nine acting Vice Presidents. Three Vice.
Presidents have become Presidents by the death
of the incumbents of that Office, and four Vice.
Presidents have died In office. There have been n
good many men Of high ability Vice Presidents
in spite OF the msgnAcance the public attaches to
the Office until there seems prospect of its incum
bent exchanging 1t for the higher one. Undoubt-
edly the greatest of them was Aaron Burr His
name needs no comment even now Governor
Tompkins was tremendous figure in the local
politics of his time. lie was Congressman, n
noted leader in Tammany Hall, being one of the
hundred young men Tammany bought house for
to share among themselves at the time ii was
,,np to I,n bsll Ia, nrIn tgh IA
vote IN the city, and four times Governor, during
one Of which terms he almost beggarod himself
raising and contributing money for the carry
ing on Of the war of 1872 John G, Cal
hOun was political Colossus, and John
G. Breckinrdge and Richard NJ. johnson were bot h
able lawyers and astute politicians. George NJ,
Dallas was mayor OF Philadelphia, United States
Senator and ambassador TO Russia and England at
various times and an able though not aggrossvcly
busy men. The least noteworthy of our Vice
pIesidents-Hamln, Colflx, Wilson, and Wheeler
have still won regulations as public men which
the bulk of their fellow citizens may well envy
them. Hannibal Hamlin was chosen Governor OF
his state in 1857 after having been speaker OF the
State assembly and Congressman and Senator
Schuyler Colax was in Congress IN 1855, was
chosen Speaker Uf the House of Representatives in
| 1873, and is best known nowadays as temper
Gnce lecturer. Wilson and Wheeler rank lowest
| IN the scale OF vice presidential eminence. The
latter especially presents the least significant fig
ure of any man who has held his late Office But
he is an able business man and good lawyer, and
had done excellent legislative service.
Lively and UnIueLy Thief Chase.
Detectives McElfresh and Miller had
occasion yesterday to arrest a notorious colored
thief named James w. Thompson, whom they saw
In the act Of entering secondhand store on l
street. near Eighth. Upon being ordered to halt
Thompson took to his heels closely pursued by
the detectives At the corner of Eighth street and
Market Space Miller struck his toe against the
curbstone and tumblod headlong TO tho ground