The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-16

service, We're friendly, though not OBJ
trusively so. Calhoun, who went to the
second office in 1925, when John Quincy
Adams went to the first office be-
longed to different party from Adams.
Theoretically, there was only one par
ty-the republican--in the country, at
that time as all that was left of the
federalist party had disappeared as a
national organization Immediately af-
ter the election of 1916, Adams, Jack
son, Crawford and Clay, the preslden-
tial candidates in 1924, all called them
selves republicans. But republicans at
that time comprised two radically diff
ferent Ingredients One of these the
strong central government element, to
which Adams and Clay belonged, would
have been federalists If the party had
been alive and in good repute at the
time, and they went to the national re-
publican and wing parties afterwards,
which We're, successfully, the oppon-
ents of the democratic party, the name
which the Jackson and Crawford in
gradients of the republicans definitely
assumed in 1929, and which had been
used, INTERCHANGEABLE, with republican
for few years previously, Calhoun,
who was elected by the same electoral
college vice president at the same time
that Adams was chosen president by
the house of representatives, belonged
to the Jackson wing, instead of the
Adams wing of the republican party,
and subsequently, as a democrat, was
an opponent of Adams. Calhoun was
opposed to most of the important mea-
sures of Adams administration and
was, by few of Adams friends, ac-
cused of melting some of the hostility
which the dominant element in con-
gress, between 1926 and 1929, frequently
displayed toward Adams.
President Jackson and Vice Presi-
dent Calhoun belonged to the same
party, but a feud sprang UP between
them early in Jacksons term, which
doubtless FASTENED or intensified the
notification contest which destroyed
Calhoun's chances of ever reaching, the
presidency, and which, by forcing Cal
houn over on to ultra state sovereignty
ground, helped to bring on the war of
secession. The quarrel begun early in
Jackson's administration. Mrs. John
h. Eaton C'Peggy' O'NeilD, wife Of the
secretary of war, with whose name
before her marriage to Eaton, scandal
had been busy, was not recognized So
cially by the wives of the other cabinet
officers or by the wife Of President
Calhoun. jackson flew to her defense
chiValrously, demonstrated with the
husbands, who declared that they had
no influence over their wives in this
matter. and it was made a political
II.
was absurd, but it had important con
sequences. 1t broke UP the cabinet,
threatened to disrupt the democratic
party. and made Van Buren,, instead
of Calhoun, JacksOn's political heir
Van Buren, who was secretary of
state in Jackson's original cabinet, had
no wife Che was a widower), and, con
sequently he was free to extend courte-
sizes to Mrs Eaton, and did do so. Jack
son had a strong regard for Van Buren,
before the Peggy" O'Neil war began.
The military precision with which Van
Burens Albany regency swung cleo
| lions in New York powerfully appealed
! to the imagination of the old soldier
Jackson. Van Buren's social attentions
to the prosecuted. Mrs. Eaton reinforced
| this admiration by an enthusiastic per-
sonal regard, which gave Van Buren,
| the vice presidency and the presidency.
| Jackson had other reasons also for
disliking Calhoun. He heard, through
| Crawford, who was secretary of the
treasury under Monroe, that Calhoun,
| then secretary of war, wanted to court
martial him (Jackson) for going beyond
his instructions in the Florida war, and
naturally this aroused Jacl1sons wrath
| The hostility between president and
| vice president in Jacksons first term
when Calhoun was vice presi-
dent, and the friendship between
! those officials in Jackson's second term
when Van Buren, was Calhoun's sue
cessor, was more ardent and demon
| strative than it ever was between the
governments first and second officer
| before or since.
In fact, Jackson's friendship for Van
Buren survived Van Buren's fatal let
ter early in 1914, opposing Texas an
| nexation. That letter turned most of
the southern delegates to the national
convention of that year against Van
Buren,, and defeated him for the nom
ination. He had a majority of the con
Vcntion at the outset, but not the re-
quisite two-thirds and in the contest
the dark horse, Polk, an ardent annex
ationist, got the candidacy. Jackson,
long before the convention Of 1874, had
written a letter favoring annexation,
yet after Van Buren's letter against
annexation appeared, and before the
convention met Jackson public de-
clared his admiration for Van Buren,
was so great that he desired the lat
ter's candidacy, notwithstanding the
difference between them about Texas
! Moreover, a letter from Jackson was
| read in the convention, urging Van Blu
rens nomination.
Between Van Buren, and Richard NJ
Johnson, the vice-president the rela-
| lions were cold and formal. The Jack
son influence, which gave Van Buren,
every vote in the national convention
of 1886, was not exerted in Johnson's 81
favor and he was nominated by a bare
two thirds for vice-president Virgil
MAS delegates refused to accept John
son, and in the election that state cast
it's electoral vote in the air by giving
it to William Smith of Alabama. who
was not q candidate. This deprived
johnson of a majority, and the contest
went to the senate, which, being demo-
cratic, elected him. This was the only
was chosen by the senate. During his
term, Johnson had no influence with
the administration.
HARRISON AND TYLER.
No one can tell what the relations
between Harrison and Tyler would
have been, for Harrison died month
after his Inauguration. In two of the
other instances in which the president
died during his term-those of Taylor
and Garfield-the president and vice
president belonged to different ele-
ments of the party. and during the
presidents life the e-president was
ostracised. Seward, whom Fillmore
dislike and opposed, shaped Taylor's
course in a large degree and whenl
Taylor's death sent Fillmore to thel
presidency, a different set Of influences
prevailed. Blaine as secretary of
state, was the dominating spirit in
Garfleld's administration, but he re-
tired when Arthur went to the White
House. In the other case, that of Lin
coin, in which the first officer died dur
ing his term, the first and second off, ]
Ger belonged to different parties, butt
they agreed on the great issue Of the
term for which they were simultan-
eously elected, that of reconstruction
Lincoln, as a recognition of the val
liable aid to the Union rendered by the
war democrats. desired the nomination