The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-06-06
PRESIDENT PoLK5 NOMINATION.
Its News Received by the Candidate az Q
joke While in Court.


Colonel John Brownlow, q son of the IA
nous fighting parson, tells me there is a
letter in existence, written by James K.
Polk few weeks before he was nominated
| at Baltimore In this letter Polk writes
to Andrew Jackson Donelson, endeavor-
ing TO get the support of "Old Hickory
to make him vice president. Afrer stat
ing his qualifications for the place, he
closes as follows: 81 hope the Tennessee
delegation will exert its influence in my
behalf as the candidate for vice president;
this has been the ambition of my life
Four years ago desired the nomination,
but l gave way to others, and now / hope
my friends will support me-"
"The Tennessee delegation" said Colo
mel Brownlow, chad no idea of making
Polk their candidate for the presidency,
and their support of him as vice president
was merely nominal The convention,
however, did not know this. The friends
of the other party were fighting hard, and it
was in one of the bitterest of the struggles
that, merely to divert the attention of the
convention, Major Donelson arose and nom
mated James X. Polk as a candidate for the
presidency. Donelson was supposed to be
the mouthpiece of old Hickory and the in
fiuence of Andrew Jackson was such that
this caused a stampede toward Polk, and
he was nominated. When Andrew Jack
son heard of it he was not pleased. He
had contempt for Polk because he would
not fight duel with Henry A. Wise when
he pulled his nose during his stay in Wash
ington as speaker of the house of repre-
sentatives."
"What did Polk say as to his nomina-
tion?" / asked.
"They tell queer story concerning it in
Tennessee" replied Colonel Brownlow.
1.-THE news was announced to him by his
brother, William Polk, and James K. Polk
would not believe it. William Polk was a
much brighter man than James K Polk.
He was the Tom Corwin of Tennessee in
his days, and was noted as wag. He
could tell stories by the yard, and Presi-
dent Lincoln, who knew him we'll, was
very fond of him.
'Well, William Polk was the first man |
to get the news of James K. Folks nomi- |
nation. He heard of it while his brother |
was trying petty ten dollar justice of the |
peace case in the town, and he came into |
the lawyers Office and interrupted the
trial, saying:
Jim, have you heard the news from
''The future president replied that he had
not.
well, Jim, the nominations are made,
and you are nominated for the presidency
James K. Polk laughed, and so did the
rest of the crowd. They all thought it was
one of Bill Folks jokes, but they soon
learned that it was the truth, and Polk
made an active canvass during the cam
paign.
President Polk was killed by anxiety
and hard work." Colonel Brownlow went
On. Ale was laid in his grave by the
Mexican war, and in some way he got the
dea that the responsibility for that war
rested on him. He was conscience stricken,
and felt himself responsible for the lives
ost in it. This feeling preyed upon him,
and the anxiety and hard work connected
With his position brought him to his grave. I
When he entered the White House he was
7oung, straight, black haired and about
fifty years of age. When he came out he
vas stopped, wrinkled old man, whose
lair was gray and whose step was feeble.
lie went back to Nashville, and he died in
few months after he left the presidency"
Washington Letter.