Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-05-28
THE LATE PRESIDENT TYLER.
To The editor of the Alexandria Gazette:

To The editor oft AIerdndria Gazette:
NV attention has been called to an article
which has lately appeared in your paper
entitled, IA song that saved the life OF q
President" The President referred to being
my late husband, John Tyler. The article
revived in my memory many tender events
of the past, connected with the public and
private life of President Tyler, whose noble
administration of the federal government,
so distinguished for its talented men and
great achievements in the midst of every
difficulty, is typical of his whole career.
So successful was he throughout his life that
as your correspondent says, his good luck"
became proverbial. But here wish to make
a distinction. His "luck" was not Of the
character of accident. From the time that
he entered the Legislature as a youth of q
to the time of his election rs Vice-President,
he commanded fortune, by q -ere combina-
ton of prudence and good WILL attaching
his name to some of the most i'm
portant achievements Of that period And
during his administration his consummate
abilities as statesman were proved by his
success in settling questions nt tilty years
standing with Great Britain, annexing Tex.
as to the Union and restoring commercial
vigor to an absolutely bankrupt people
Mr.. Tyler made fortune and fortune loved
to crown him with her rarest flowers. He
was Felix, not FortunGtus. Indeed, the
former epithet was applied to him by Hon.
VIM. G. Rives in his eulogy upon him. By
felir, Mr.. Rives said, the Romans were &C.
customed TO to express quality that over
inspired their confidence and admiration.
BY it they did not mean to designate %
person that was merely fortunate, but ono
who BY happy combination Of we'll lem
pered attributes, knew in measure how 10
command or proptiate fortune. This SEN
timeut was embodied by them in g maxim
tersey expressed by their great satirest,
'nullum numen abcst, 81 sit prudential
Thus it was with Mr.. Tyler. By
rare union of good sense and good temper,
set off by the natural gifts of oratory and
persuasive address, he won the hearts of
the people, and commanded the favors of
fortune; and success waited upon him in
every step of his public career" It is his
tory, that to Mr.. Tyler's astonishing sagac-
ity and address is due the postponement of
the civil war from 1888, at the time of the
tariff difficulties, to 1861 when he failed at
last in his attempt to preserve the peace by
means of the Peace Conference. 1t was due
to him that Lord Ashburton did not leave
this country in 1912, when the question of
the Northeastern boundary was pending, Il
which, if it had occurred,
would have plunged the country in war
with Great Britain; and it was also through
the same happy tact that Mr.. Van Buren,
was not nominated by the democratic party
in 1914. and the country thus saved from
the loss of Texas Ito whose acquisition Mr..
Van Buren, was opposed) and all the West
ern domain SO rich with every element of
wealth, and teeming with promises for the
future.
All these happy achievements made Mr..
Tyler truly .felir. And be died, as he lived, |
crowned with the sweet blessings Of the !
gods, devotiDg his last energies to the ser
vice of Virginia, "who had nnrtured and
petted him from the early morning of man
hood, even as fond mother does her first !,
born infant" Yours truly i
JULIA GARDINER TYLER
Richmond, Va, May 26, 1856.