Since then, he had been living quietly on his farm in Ohio, with no
expectation of anything but passing his remaining years in quiet, for he
was nearly seventy years of age. But Clay, with a sort of prophetic
insight, picked him out as the Whig leader, and "Tippecanoe and Tyler
Too" became the rallying cry of a remarkable campaign, which swept the
country from end to end and effectually swamped Van Buren. It was too
strenuous for a man as old as Harrison, and he died at the White House
within a month of taking the oath of office.
The "Tyler Too" was John Tyler, who had been elected Vice-President, and
who assumed the office of President upon Harrison's death. His accession
was little less than a bomb-shell to the party which had nominated him
and secured his election. For he was a Virginian, a follower of Calhoun
and an ardent pro-slavery man, while the Whigs were first, last and all
the time anti-slavery. He had been placed on the ticket with Harrison,
who was strongly anti-slavery, in the hope of securing the votes of some
disaffected Democrats, but to see him President was the last thing the
Whigs desired. The result was that he soon became involved in a bitter
quarrel with Clay and the other leaders of the party, which effectually;
killed any chance of renomination he may have had. He became the mark
for perhaps the most unrestrained abuse ever aimed at a
holder of the presidency.
Pages:
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123