The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1882-07-29
A I.UCKLESS LEADER.
How Near Daniel Webster
Came 10 being President.

" 10 NV SehSAbilN NhoNh, Soii
Thurlow Weed to me Monday even
ing after a rubber at whist-for
though, he can no longer make out
the faces Of friends he can still see
cards when placed in a good light
1T is not generally known how near
Webster came to being President. !"
1T is generally known" / said,
"that he was y candidate for the
Wing nomination five times and
missed it every time.
"Yes,' he acquiesced, "but he came
a good deal nearer than that-a good
deal nearer. | had always been
among his most profound admirers,
and wanted to see him President in
1S40. But it became obvious to me
during the winter that he couldn't
get the nomination; that Harrison
was leading. | went down to Wash
ington early in the spring and called
him into the cloak room. 4 think
shall be the Wing candidate, he said.
! expressed my doubt of it. who
will be, them he asked. 1t looks
to me like HARRISON | answered. He
almost sneered at the idea. He nat
urally had but little respect for mill
tary men. and he exclaimed, 1T is
impossible that man so ignorant as
he and so lacking in every quality
of chief magistrate can be nomi-
mated fer such a place | told him
it was simply question of who could
poll the most votes. Then | got him
to sit down and look over my figures.
They didn't convince him of course
why, you don't act as if YOU be-
lieve it yourself, he said, for you
have chosen Scott delegation from
your own State That was to pre-
vent the appointment of Clay del
cation, ! said, 'and Clay cannot he
elected if nominated. But Mr.. Web
ster,' | went on, i haven't come to
Washington to get you to withdraw
your name, but to ask YOU to accept
the nomination for Vice President
in case Harrison shall be elected for
the first place. No, he wouldn't
listen to such proposal, and he re
fused with quite as much spirit as
the occasion called for. SO | came
home and Harrison was nominated
and John Tyler was made his Vice,
and by the death of Harrison, Tyler
became President month after the
election. Webster saw the fatal
mistake he had m ade, and the next
time | saw him-he was then Tyler's
Secretary of State-he confessed it
to me.
We'll, curiously enough, that wasn't
the last of his fatal mistakes. In
lS4S the very same thing happened
right over again. In 1874 Clay had
been defeated and taken out of the
way, and now Webster thought he
would walk over the course. | saw
that Gen. Taylor was pretty likely to
be the man, for after the Mexican
war there was a great Juror over lay
Tor. During the spring before the
nomination | went over to Marsh
field. We'll, what do you think of it
this timer asked Mr.. Webster, with
smile of security.
i think this time I said, that
Gen. Taylor will be the man.
He was astonished. 1t didn't look
so at all to him. He thought it
very wild guess. DO you seriously
think he asked, that such man can
be nominated" | assured him that l
thought it very probable. Taylor
was then designated by those who
did not admire him as IAN illiterate
frontier colonel who hadn't voted for
forty years. and Webster seemed to
sympathize with this view. | then
appealed to MIN to accept the nomi-
nation for Vice President under lay
lor. He remembered his former
mistake, and smiled, and said at last
that he would consult his two best
friends, George Ashman, Of Mas
sachusetts, and Senator Wilson, of
New Hampshire, and do as they
said.
They were summoned and came. /
met them at Wr. Wedster's and pre-
sented my figures. The were nom
plussed at first, but came finally to
my conclusion that Taylor's nomi-
nation was probable, and they joined
me in advising Mr.. Webster to be
content with the second place if the
first should prove beyond his reach.
He reluctatly consented to it and /
was authorized to see the arrange
ment carried out. Just at that point
his son Fletcher, came home from
town, and he ridiculed the scheme so
energetically and SO bitterly that his
father returned to his original posi-
tion and refused to have anything to
do with any proposal. Well, the
Vice-Presidency went begging. The
name of Fillmore was suddenly
sprung on the Convention, and he
was put on the ticket. Taylor died
in four months and Fillmore became
President, and Webster went down
to Washington and served him as
Secretary Of State, as he had SINH
larly served the accidental Tyler. |
think the pair of curious mishaps did
a good deal TO sour him, and perhaps
helped to make him reckless in his
personal habits. Detroit Post and
Tribune.
The official statement shows that