Evening star., 1944-12-10
Our Past and Present
Secretaries of State
Wide World Photo.

Dy the VICE FTeSlQeilt. MrS. CdllOuH
won out over Mrs Eaton Calhoun in
the end lost the presidential nomina-
tion and the presidency, and five cab
met officers resigned, some because they
were invited 10 do so. Van Buren, was
sent as Minister to England, Maj. Eaton
and Jackson, no doubt. felt happier-at
least the satellites of society Gained
down.
Martin Van Buren had John Forsythe
as his principal Secretary, and Daniel
Webster held office under william Henry
Harrison. Abel P. Upshur served under
John Tyler, as did John C. Calhoun.
Secretary Upshur met with a tragic
death due to an explosion aboard the
U. S. S. Princeton on February %, 1874.
The deaths also included the Secretary
of the Navy. Thomas w. Gilmer; Com
modore Beverly Kennon, Virgil Maxey
of the diplomatic service and Mr.. Gar
diner. formerly a member of the New
York State Senate. Seventeen seamen
were wounded, some of them probably
fatally. Among those stunned by the
conclusions were the commanding OIL
Ger of the Princeton, Capt Stockton;
Senator Thomas H.. Benton of Missouri,
1t. Hunt of the Princeton, w. W., Rob-
inson of Georgetown and others.
But after all. as has often been said,
every cloud has its silver lining, and SO,
out of this calamity came the tender
sympathy Of President John Tyler for
Julia, the daughter of State Senator
Gardiner. Soon sympathy turned to
love, as is SO aften the case, and in less
than four months time President Tyler
led Miss Gardiner to the altar of the
Church of the Ascension, New York
City, and she returned to Washington
as mistress of the White House. She
was little more than a. the President
had passed his saith year. They had 1S
years Of happy married life, up to the
time of his death, January 10, 1862. Mrs.
Tyler passed away at Richmond, Va,
July 10, 1889
James K. Polk had as his adviser on
state affairs James Buchanan. John
M. Clayton served for Zachary Taylor,
Daniel Webster and Edward Everett for
President Fillmore, William L. Marcy
for Franklin Pierce and Lewis Cass and
jeremiah S. Black for James Buchanan
Secretary Seward
William H. Seward served as Secre-
tsry of State under Mr. Lincoln and
when the martyr President was assassi-
mated. he, too. was brutally attacked.
Under Andrew johnson he was instru-
mental in purchasing Alaska from Rus
sia for $1,000 900. territory more than
twice the size of Texas. AT the time,
the deal was referred to as Stewards
folly" Not SO nowadays.
Ehhu B. Washburn and Hamilton
Fish served as Secretaries under Presi-
uent Grant in his first administration,
Fish alone during the second William
M. Everts acted for Rutherford B. Hayes
and James G. Blaine for the lamented
Garfield. Frederick T. Frelinghuysen
was President Arthur's Secretary and
Cleveland selected Thomas F. Bayard.
Other Secretaries of more recent date
include Walter Q. Gresham, Richard
Olney. John Sherman, william r. Day,
John Hay, Elihu Root, Robert Bacon,
Philander c. Knox, William Jennings
Bryan, Robert Lansing, cambridge Col
by, Charles Evans Hughes, Frank B.
Kellogg and Henry L. Stimson, the pres
ent Secretary of War.
John Hay
John Hay, though born in Salem, Ind,
nevertheless, claimed the District of
Columbia as his home when he was
appointed Secretary of State In McKin-
ley's cabinet In 1893, and subsequently.
Indeed, he came here in 1861 as assist
ant secretary to President Lincoln, and
was connected with the State Depart
ment years before he became its chief.
His home was at the northwest corner
of H and Sixteenth streets, opposite st.
Johns Church, where is now the Hay
Adams house. When available timber
was being suggested for President. as
early as 1908, to be put forward in the
convention the following summer, John
Hays name was prominently mentioned,
though Theodore Roosevelt was nomi-
mated and elected to succeed himself.
But though Mr.. Hay did not become
President, yet six men who did hold the
State ONCE later became Chief Execu-
tive. They were Thomas jefferson,
James Madison. James Monroe. John
Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren and
James Buchanan.
No doubt We, as Washingt tonians, do,
or should. feel proud Of the fact that