Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-12-24
AecIpsNr.a1 rnEsIpEyas.



How T'hoY lfave Changed, ,hc Policy
ar Administrations.
baltimore sun
The death of Vice President Hendricks
and the election of president Of the
senate, who in the event Of the death,
resignation or impeachment OF Mr.. Cleve-
land becomes President, las cansed much
interesting discussion. rhe accession Of
Vice President to the Presidential chair
has happened but four times in the
history Of our government, Hnd is but
vaguely understood IL is curious fact
thnt'no Vice President has ever filled out
his term after his accession to the Pfesi-
deney with satisfaction TO the party that
elected him. Yice-P Presidents have been
elected after serving in the second Office,
and have carried out TINT which was ex-
pected of them, but there seems fatality
in the accession of Weep Presidents,
through the instrnmentnlity of death. The
first proof of this was in 1871, when, for
the first time, death removed n President
William Henry Harrison had been
elected, after most animated campaign,
over Martin Van Bnren. He had been in
augurated but month when he was
brought TO bed by bad cold contracted
while marketing. He fingered nine days
only, but his death on April 18th was no
surprise. John Tyler, the Vice President,
was ut his home in Williamsburg, Va,
when son OF Daniel Webster, the mes
senger of the cabinet, made known the
death of Harrison and the vacancy. A
government steamer had been sent from
Washington, and the Vice President was
in. the capitol within As hours. He had a
notion that he was qualified for the presi-
Dental functions without renewing the
oath originally taken when he was sworn
in as Yice-p President Tie cabinet, headed
by Webster. met min 1T his hotel, and
prevailed upon linn 10 defer to the
scriiples of the law officers and the pre-
iudices of the people, but he left his pro.
test on the district records.
Acrid as the political personalities of
modern politics ARE, aud rancorous as the
hates with which factions pursue each
other. the Tyler episode is perhaps the
most heated in the history Of adm1nistra-
tons He set 10 work to defeat every
policy dear to the heart of the opposite
faction of his day. He vetoed cherished
of his party; he dismissed all of
the cabinet of Harrison save Webster, but
even lie was afterwards forced 10 retire.
The Wings grew indignant over their be-
truyal, uni imam address to the country de-
tlared the President an inpediment to
their work of reform, and repHdiated
linn as the hend aud rs member of the
party. The Presidents course had de
mor,li1od the Wings, and the fall elections
had gone against them. They had still
majority of four in the Senate to six at
the last session, hut their majority of
twenty-five in the House had been turned
into Democratic majority of sixty-one.
The new cabinet was mnde up of men
wholly rcpugnant to the coalition that
nominated Harrison and Tyler, and the
split in the party became final and per-
manent. Tyler went daily farther and
farther toward the Democrats until the
end of his term, when he was confessed II
member of that party. Among other
points settled by Tylei's obstinacy was
the title of the Vice President succeeding
to the Office. The cabinet was of the
opinion he should use the official style
Vice President acting President On
advice from Justice fancy, Tyler rejected
the suggestion, and was in name, as well
as fact, President of the United States.
Gen. Zachary Taylor was the second
President who died III office. He had
been in the White House a year and a.
half when. on the 9th of July, 1850, he
exposed himself hcedIessly in the hot sun
Mt the inaugural ceremonies of the WASH
ington monument, went home, ate
copiously of ripe cherries. and upon
these drank cold milk. The effect was
almost instantaneous. Five days after
wards he WINS corpse. The cabinet
caused the notification 10 be made to
Congress, over which the Vice-president,
Willard Fillmore, presided, and he was
inaugurated July 10th, 1850.
As Nice-President Mr. Fillmore had
been persistently snubhed by the opposite
or Seward faction of the party. lie had
asked and asked in vain for the appoint
ment of collector and postmaster in hi
own town of Buffalo, aud his bitteres
enemies had been appointed instead. II,
made short work of everything and every
body THAT had ilourished in the noontid,
of the defunct administration. DAME
Webster was appointed Secretar,
of State Fillmore's law partner
n. X. Hall, of Buffalo, was mad
Postmaster General, and changes con
tinued down to the remotest tidewaite
to vindicate the new rulers wrath. |
was the feud of the Stalwnrts and Hall
breeds over again, only the chance wa
reversed; it wasthe leader of the Stalwar
wing that died, and it was the Half-bree,
or Silyer-gray Wing that came to tn
presidency. The luminosity growing on
of these successive vice presidential acces
sions brought the Democrats to power i
the elections in November. 1852, the Wing
carrying only Massachusetts, Vermont
Kentucky and Tennessee. They never re
covered from the shock, lost their organi
zatlon, and never ran another presidential
candidate.
The third Vice President transferre
by death to the presidency was Andre,
johnson. On the 9Th of April, 1865
General Lee surrendered to Genera
Grant at Appomattox Court House til
remnant of the Confederate army, an
the great rebellion was practically ended
On the night of April 18th, Good Fri
day, 1865, President Lincoln was sho
by John Wilkes Booth, and died on tn
morning of the 18th. On the same da
Andrew johnson was notified of the even
by the cabinet, save Seward, who wa
thought to be expiring, and was sworn in
I
military governor of Tennessee, and ha
won the confidence of the military au
thorities. He was nominated at Bait
more as II Southern loyalist, but wa
never very cordially received by the Re
publican party. Upon his accession t
the Presidency, his policy did not receiv
the support OF the Republican party. A.
antagonism therefore sprang up betwce
the administration and the maiorit
party, which was fiercer even than thn
between Tyler and the Wings. The Pres
ident, however, forced his measures a
best he could, and carried with him whu
was known at the time as the ''amnest
sentiment Of the country, and also til
Democratic sentiment. He was SQUARED
outside OF the party which In
elected him Vice President frol
the very beginning Of his term .
President. At the first session of I'll
Forticth Congress the Presidents attitud
TO the majority in Congress had becom
hostile aud defiant, and on the oath {
/ February, 1865, a resolution to impeac
: him passed the House by a vote of i2G [
Z. Articles We're drawn up and passe
! March 2.
} On the 9Th the trilll began and Taste
, till May 10th, when Il test vote was take
; on the eleventh article, leading on
The result was For conviction. 30 Sen;
I tors; for acquittal, ~ Senators, II of I'll
T latter being Democrats and Republican
The constitution requiring n two-thirt
vote to convict, the verdict WINS acquitt
, on this article. On May 26th vote W,
. | had an the first and second articlas Wit