Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-07-13
WEBsTER's TWO MISTAKES.
ThurlOw Weed Tells How He Twice
Failed Of Becoming President.

Detroit Post and Tribune.
at is not generally known" said Thur
low Weed to me, show near Webster
came to being President"
at is generally known" said /, "that
he was candidate for the Wing nomi-
nation five times, and missed it every
time"
"Yes," he acquiesced, "but he came
good deal nearer than that-a good
deal nearer. had always been among
his most profound admirers, and wanted
to see him President in 1910. But it be-
came obvious to me during the winter
that he couldn't get the nomination
that Harrison was leading. 1 went
down to Washington early in the spring
and called him into the cloak room. i
think shall be the Wing candidate he
said. l expressed my doubt of it. who
will be, then?' he asked. 1T looks to
me like Harrison l answered. He al
most sneered at the idea.
"'Why, you don't act as If you believ-
ed it YOURSELF be said, for you have
chosen Scott delegation from your
own State That was to prevent the
appointment of a Clay delegation l
said, and Clay can not be elected if
nominated. But, Mr.. Webster went
on, i have 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 Sc
lected for the first place. No, he wouldn't
listen to such a proposal, and he refused
with quite as much spirit as the oeca-
sion called for. So l came home, and
F1ar tn6 nd nhr1 w
Ter was made his Vice, and by the death
of Harrison Tyler became President a
month after Inauguration. Webster saw
the fatal mistake he had made, and the
next time saw him-he was then Ty-
ler's Secretary of State-he confessed it
to me.
"Well, curiously enough, that wasn't
the last of his fatal mistakes. In 1s4S
the very same thing happened right over
again. In 1874 Clay had been defeated
and taken out of the way, and now Web
ster thought he could walk over the
course. During the spring before the
nomination 1 went over to Marshfeld.
Well what do you think of it this time? ?
asked Mr.. Webster with a smile of Sc
curity.
"'I think this time I said, then Gen.
Taylor will be the man.
"He was astounded. 1t didn't look so
to him. He thought it berry wild
guess. DO you seriously think he ask
ed, that such man can be nominated? p
/ assured him that l thought it very
probable. He remembered his former
mistake and smiled, and said at last that
he would consult his two best friends,
George Ashum, of Massachusetts, and
Senator Wilson, of New Hampshire, and
do as they said.
"They were summoned and came. I
met them at Mr.. Webster's, and present
ed by figures. They were nonplussed at
first, but came finally to my conclusion
that Taylor's nomination was probable,
and they joined me in advising Mr.. Web
ster to be content with the second place
if the first should prove beyond his reach.
He reluctantly agreed to it, and 1 was
authorized to see the arrangement car
ried 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 position, and refused to
have anything to do with my proposal.
Vel, the Vice Presidency went begging.
The name of Fillmore was suddenly
sprung on the convention, and he was
put on the ticket. Taylor and he were
elected; Taylor died in one year and four
months, and Fillmore became Pres
ident, and Webster went down to
Washington and served him as Secreta
ry of State, as he had similarly served
the accidental Tyler! 1 think the pair
of curious mishaps did good deal to
sour him, and perhaps helped to make
him reckless in his personal habits"