The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-18

was one of the great mistakes in the
vice presidency, although during the
campaign he played an important part
and was but little less popular than the
hero of Tippecanoe himself.
Harrison was inaugurated, and Tyler
was indicted into that office for which
Benjamin Franklin had said the fit
title should be His Most Supertiuous
Highness.' Harrison lived just one
month, after the Wing party had wait
ed for years to get a taste of power.
Tyler retained Harrisons cabinet at
first, and promised to carry out his pol
icies, but in the extra session of Con-
gress which had been called by Harri-
son, a breach soon widened between
Tyler and the Wings. 1t reached a
crisis when on Sept. 3 he vetoed a bill
which he himself had outlined, at the
request of the Wing leaders, as one
which he would approve as substitute
for the fiscal bank bill, which he had,
TO their great dismay, before vetoed.
His action in vetoing bill drawn in
accordance with his own
suggestion naturally aroused the I'M
concealed Indignation of the Whig par
ty. The cabinet, with the exception OF
Daniel Webster, Secreatry of State, re-
signed. The Wing members of Con-
gress issued an address to the people
litical connections between them and
John Tyler were at an end" Webster,
impeled by the lofty spirit of patriot
ism, decided to remain in office to fur
ther some diplomatic negotiations
which he had begun. He resigned,
however in 1913, two years after the
others, and was succeeded by Hugh >.
Legree of South Carolina, who died in
office the same year, and was succeed
ed by Abel P. Upsher of Virginia. Inc
following year Upsher was killed on
board the man, war Princeton, when
gun which had been taken down the
river for trial exploded, killing two
cabinet officers. He was succeeded by
John c. Calhoun, who was then Ty-
] ler's fourth Secretary of State. 1t was
| in his cabinet that John G. Spencer or
New York was Secretary of War, who
| is remembered on account of the exc
cution of his son by Capt Mckenzie, for
alleged mutiny on the high seas. Young
Spencer was a midshipman, only a
boy. whose feelings had been infiamed
annd whose execution is generally re-
garded as an outrage.
TyIers break with the Whig party,
which Unexpectedly occasioned the va
eating of the Harrison cabinet. FUR
nished the first precedent of this sub
iect. and one which has since pre-
vailed, Just S his decision to call him
self President instead of Acting Presl-
dent" has never since been challenged.
Had Tyler been a submissive follower
of his chief the chances are that cabl-
nets would generally expect to remain
with vice presidents suddenly called
upon to assume the presidential once.
When Fillmore succeeded to the
presidency he made up an entirely new
cabinet with the exception of Thomas
Ewing of Ohio, Secretary of the In
| terror, who held office until September
| II, or about two months. This was an
| office which had just been created, and
| he was the first occupant. Clayton,
| Secretary of State under Tyler, whose
name is associated with the Clayton
| Bulwer treaty, was succeeded by
| Daniel Webster, who died in 1852. and
was succeeded in the State Department
| by Edward Everett. Between Taylor
| and Fillmore there was less difference
| of opinion than between the President
| and Vice President of the earlier Wing
| administration, although their personal
| differences were considerable. Fill
more was a silver-gray Wing of New
| York while Taylor was a Louisianian
| and a slave-holder, who had given lit
| tie or no thought to politics The
| change in the cabinet at that time
was probably more due to personal in
| clination and PREFERENCES. and to the
| Tyler precedent, than any internal con-
1 fict in the party.
One of Mr.. Fillmore's Secretaries of
| the Navy was John P. Kennedy of
| Maryland who is remembered as the
author of a celebrated Revolutionary
novel. Horseshoe Robinson" which
| had a great vogue in it's day. His
brother, Anthony Kennedy, was the
| only man elected to the United States
| Senate distinctly as a "Know-nothing."
| In the classifications of 1857 and there
| abouts several senators appear as be-
longing to the american" party, who
| had been elected as Wings, but Ken
| needy of Maryland is believed to be the
only one originally so elected.
When Lincoln was assassinated in
1865 the cabinet question assumed large
proportions. Three members, of his
cabinet remained in office through
Johnson's term, Seward in the State
Department. McCulloch in the Treas
ury. and Welles in the Navy. Three
other members, Usher, Secretary of the
Interior Dennison, Postmaster Gener-
al. and Speed, Attorney General, re-
NAMED in office under him for about
| fifteen months. The remaining mem
her for there was then no Secretary
of Agriculture, was Edwin NJ. Stanton.
| Secretary of War. Although he had
| been a Democrat up to the time OF
| Tincoln's election, about him foSussed
the quarrel between President Johnson
and the Republican party. which pro-
| duced so violent a commotion. 1t Is
notable that a few days before fPresi-
| dent Lincoln's assassination stanton
| had rendered his resignation, thinking
that the war was over and desiring to
return to the practice of his profess
sion. Under johnson, he soon found II
necessary in the interest OF the Repuo-
iican marty. whose position on the ques-
,,on ~ reconstruction he sustained. to
remain at the helm to prevent johnson
from accomplishing too much. The