The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-08-23
MEN WHO DECLINED.
POLITICIANS WHO REFUSED TO BE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.


PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
fused Both Presidency and Vice Presi-
dency In 1s44-The Cases of Washing
ton and Jefferson.
Every now and then somebody rises
to remark oracularly that no man ever
declined the presidency of the United
States. This is mistake. 1t is we'll
known that two presidents, Washington
and jefferson, refused to be candidates
for third term. but it is probably not
so well known that two American states
men of great ability and famous in
their day actually refused the presiden-
cy itself. And this, too, when it was
within their reach, and not, as in the
case of Mr.. Whitney and some others
who would put away the crown, mere
possibility
In 1874 Martin Van Buren, was the
popular Democratic candidate for the
nomination of that year. He was not
altogether acceptable to the south be-
cause of his known opposition to the an
nexation of Texas, but when the Demo-
cratic convention assembled at Balti-
more in May it was found that Van Blu
rem had clear majority of the delega-
ton over all other candidates. But the
two-thirds rule, which even then had
become Democratic tradition, having
first been adopted in 1882, doomed him
to defeat, and the politicians cast around
for an available candidate in Van Bu-
ren's place.
They at once pitched upon Silas
Wright, a senator from New York, who
was himself an ardent supporter of Van
Buren,. If Senator Wright had said the
have had the nomination, but he utterly
and absolutely refused to permit his
name to go before the convention. In
writing to a friend who was a member
of the convention he said, eff it were
proper 1 could tell you, with the most
perfect truth, that 1 have never been
vain enough to dream of the Office of
president in connection with my own
name, and were not Mr.. Van Buren, the
candidate of our state should find just
as little difficulty as / now do in telling
you that l am not and cannot, under
any circumstances, be candidate before
your convention for that office
This letter, read to the convention,
was final, and the next thing done was to
nominate James K. Polk. Then, in
spite of every protest, Wright was nomi
mated for the vice presidency. This hon
or he peremptorily declined. and the
national committee placed George M.
Dallas name on the ticket instead of
his. History records that Polk and Dali
las were elected, as Wright would I'M
doubtedly have been had he suffered his
name to have been used by the conven-
ton. In fact, Wright elected the ticket,
for he resigned his seat in the senate
for the express purpose of accepting the
nomination for the gOvernorship of New
York, canvassed that state most thor
oughly and carried it for himself and
the national ticket. So here we have the
example of mainland he was very
great man-who refused both the presi
dency and the vice presidency.
Almost similar state of affairs oc-
Cured in 1852 General Cass, it will
be remembered, had been defeated by
General Taylor in 1848, and he was the
most prominent candidate for the Demo
cratic nomination in 1862. In the con-
vention, however, he could not COM
mand the two-thirds vote, and the man
ayers commenced to cast about for an
available substitute. The Virginians set
their eyes on Daniel S. Dickinson of
New York, at that time a senator, as
Wright had been before him. On the
thirty fourth ballot the Virginia dele
cation cast their votes for Dickinson,
and he, being a member of the conven
ton, at once arose and in strain of
eloquence seldom heard on such an oc-
casion forbade the use of his name. He
had come there, he said, instructed to
vote for General Cass and to procure his
nomination, and no temptation could
induce him to depart from that course.
His splendid self abnegatiOn did not
secure the nomination of General Cass,
for on the next ballot the Virginians
voted for Franklin Pierce and he was
nominated. A few months later he was
elected by an overwhelming vote, carry
ing all the states but four. There are
moral lessons for statesmen in these
historic instances and much food for
reflection. Curiously enough, both these
self denying men were New York poll
ticians. Chicago Times Herald
Miniature Tower of Babel.