The Irish standard., 1908-01-11

ee. but the men who were chiefly con-
cerned in defeating the confirmation of
Van Buren suffered more than did
their immediate victims. Calhoun, the
vice president. who was jealous of Van
ceed Jackson in the presidency, was
largely responsible for the defeat of
Jacksons appointee. but his triumph
was short. You have broken a min
lister and made a vice president" said
Jacksons friend, Benton. The proph-
ecy was correct. Jackson put Van
Buren in the second place on his own
ticket in 1882, and when jackson swept
the country III that year it was plain
that Van Buren was marked for the
succession to the White House, and he
went there in 1886. Jackson was as
proud of Van Buren's election in 1886
as he had been of his own triumphs in
1928 and 1882.
In the cabinet of William Henry
Harrison and Of Tyler was a. man who
could have been president if he had
accepted the nomination for vice pres
ident. This was Daniel Webster, who
was Harrison's secretary of state APP
preached on the question of the ac-
ceptance of the vice presidency in the
campaign of 1910 he refused. He re-
fused because he believed he was of
presidential size, and felt that accept
ance of the smaller office would be q
humiliation to him. When questioned
on this point shortly before the con-
vention which met at Harrisburg in
December, 1889, it was popularity sup
posed that Clay would head the ticket,
and Webster was averse to taking the
second place under Clay or anybody
else. The politicians, however, defeat
ed Clay in the convention and gave
the candidacy to Harrison. The vice
presidency would have gone to Webster
then if any body supposed he would ac-
cept it, but his previous peremptory re-
fusal compelled the convention to turn
elsewhere, and Tyler received the con-
didacy.
Webster Misses Two Chances.
Had Webster been on the ticket he
would have been president of the
United States for three years and elev
en- months, as Harrison died a month
after entering office. Harrison made
Webster secretary Of state. In a
vague way two other of Harrison's Of
fetal family were often mentioned in
connection with the presidential can-
didacy. These were Thomas Ewing,
secretary Of the treasury, and John
Bell, secretary of war. Bell was nom
mated for president by the Constitu
tional Union party in 1860, and with
him OH that ticket was Edward Ever
ett, who had also been a cabinet Off
Ger. BY refusing to accept the second
place under Taylor in 1S4S, who also
died in office, Webster missed another
chance of getting the presidency for
part of u term.
Calhoun, who had long been presi-
dency seeker, was secretary of state
for a short time in Tyler's cabinet, and
even at that late day his presidential
aspirations remained. In the cabinet
of Polk was James Buchanan, who
held the portfolio of state. and who
had been a strong aspirant in the con-
vention Of 1874 in which Polk, as a
dark horse, was nominated. Calhoun
received some votes also in the con-
vention Of 1874, while he was serving
in the Tyler cabinet. Buchanan's am
bition continued and he received votes
in several national conventions after
ward. At last, when he had almost
given up all hope Of ever getting the
nomination, it came to him In 1856, at
a particularly unfortunate time for
his peace of mind as well as for lis
reputation.
Under Pierce served William l.. Mar
cy as secretary of state--the Marcy
who put tho "spoils to the victor" doc
trino in pithy phrase. Marcy had
long been a presidential aspfrant. In
the Fillmore cabinet, when Webster
was secretary of state. the country
had the strange spectacle of the chief
and the subordinate each actively cam
vassing for the presidential nomina-
tion. This was in 1852, when Winfield
Scott beat Fillmore and Webster for
the candidacy, and led the Whig par
ty to the most disastrous defeat which
it ever received. That was also the
last presidential canvass in which the
Whig party appeared as a. great ma
tional organization. The Republican
party was born shortly after Pierce
overwhelmed Scott in 1852, but that
party was the Democracy's competitor
in 1856, when Buchanan carried the