Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-04-15
Fiue Minutes A Day
With Our Presidents
A Political RcrolntIon.
by JAMES MORGAN.

49, 49, a@@@
against the party which had
elected him only five months before.
Death had turned out the Nhigs after
80 days of power nj caused a polit-
lcal revolution.
In vain The Harrison Cobinet,
which was largely unGer the influence
OF Clay, proposed that Tyaer should
describe himself only as Vice Presi-
dent and acting President. lie
rightly insisted nat he was full Pres
ident without qualification.
Clay looked upon this accidental
President as only a regent for the
Harrison Administration and for the
MhiS party. Early in the extra ses-
sion OF Congress that impression of
the Senator from Kentucky was
sharply corrected by n Presidential
veto OF one of his own bills-a bank
ing bill.
The Wings were wild with rage;
the Democrats filed with glee. The
Democratic senators FASTENED in a
body to the White House where they
were patting Tyler on the back while
a Wing mon outside in the yard was
making 4 vociferous, but futile pro-
test. When the next veto came in
Clay himself called the Cabinet to-
gether and the members with one ex-
ception, agreed TO resign.
The exception was no other than
NAAe VI "a RtNAt AaAE VI NIAANNf 1AA
Webster. where am l to go?" the
god-like Daniel Numbered in his be-
wilderment. Some told him to go TO
one place, some to another. He held
on for two years. II 3 he had con-
J cluded the negotiations of the Ash
| burton Treaty, which liked the dis
puted boundary between Maine and
Canada, n then he resigned.
Upon Weebster's retirement, Tyler
Installed in the STATE Department his
mentor and idol, John G. Calhoun,
and thus completed the overturn. The
Cabinet was now Put n out Demo-
cratic and of the pro-slavery brand.
Although the President only stood
true to the principles that he was
well known to entertain at the time
of his nomination n election, great
was the cutlery. Nothing like 1t has
assaiIed any other President except
Andrew johnson. The name of
Tyler became a kissing and a byword
in the mouth of every Wing in the
land. and old women blamed him
even for their rheumatic twingeS,
which they called "Tyler's grip"
A Southern States rights oligarchy
was enthroned in power in the first
of a series of p~ro-slavery administra-
lions Secretary Calhoun proclaimed
the ambitious policy of guaranteeing
the security of slavery not only in
the United States. but also through
out the whole of this continent
Texas had seeded from Mexico,
which had aboIIsned slavery and its
American settlers. h were facing
the choice of slave labor or free labor,
were anxious to be admitted to the
Union. The slave holders OF the
Southern states wanted to expand
power over the vast Texan en-
pire as an offset to the rapid expan-
- - - e. 80 IL HbA nRnnf
West. But Northern sentiment was
opposed.
At an opportune moment for the
annexationists. the ubiquitous John
Bull, with his omnipresent gunboat
appeared on the Texan scene as a
mediator between Mexicans and
Texans. John was there for "busi-
ness as usual" but he was talking In
terms of freedom-also, as usual.
His entry into the place gave the
interests the needed william for :
the play, and the cry went up that we
must annex Texas to keep the Brit |
Ish from grabbing 1t.
Nevertheless the Senate rejected |
overwhelmingly the treaty of annexa-
ton. Thereupon Tyler proposed to
beat the devil around the stump and
Texas was annexed by a simple Joint
resolution, rushed through the two
houses of Congress. |
The shadows of this Presidency |
we're deepened by q tragic occurrence
md then lightened by a domestic
romance that flower from the event.
The Presidents wife, Letitia Chris
ian Tyler. was an invalid and died
IN the next year after he had entered
White House. One day IN 1914, |
he was taking a party of friends
down the Potomac on the u. s. s. |
the explosion OF one of her
big guns killed two members of his
Cabinet and three other guests.
the latter was David Gardl-
ner, the lord OF GARDENERS Island, |
New York, whose body was carried
to the White House. followed by his
daughters.
While the widower President was
consoling the daughters he renewed
~love-maklng with Julia. h had
been deaf to his proposal before, u
she listened now and yielded; For
the sutton was qualified by his o.
years to take the vacant place of
father to an orphaned girl of "a.
John Quincy Adams, In his diary, |
revolted at the "indecency" of this
of "the old fable of Janu-
airy and May" The Wings snickered
at the nuptials, which were cele
ing Church of the Ascension on lower
Fifth e close by the town
house of the bride in Lafayette
Place. Despite disparity of years and
partisan ill-wishes. the couple lived
happily ever after, n n of their
children is at this writing president
of old William and Mary College.
The President deluded himself to
the last with hopes of Democratic
support Of his election for a second
term. The Democrats tossed him
aside like q WORKOUT tool.
In his retirement, he was not above
serving as a road overseer. He did
not appear In National politics untIi
after 10 years, when he acted as
chairman of the abortive peace con
ference at Washington, on the eve of
lLincoln's Inauguration.
One of those infatuated political
leaders who had sown the wind. J0hn
Tyler could not stop the whirlwind
of civil war. AS a member of the
Confederate Congress. and in rebel
lion against the Union. over which he
had presided. died this Tenth Presi-
dent of the United States.