Search
Forum Home | Login
NJforever
NJforever
Join Date 11/2004
0

The Man Without A Party

Part 10 of My Presidential Review Series

March 26, 2005 11:08:50 PM from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums


Reaching the milestone 10th article, it is time for John Tyler. Tyler was the first Vice President to succeed to the presidency. Tyler was never elected in his own right, as his opposition to Whig policies, despite being a Whig, cost him the presidential nomination in 1844. He was the first president to serve without a Vice President. Tyler served April 6, 1841 to March 3, 1845.

As the first Vice President to become president because of the death of a president, Tyler began his term amid controversy. The Constitution was vague on succession. Some interpreted to mean that the duties of the president, but not the presidency, fell to the Vice President, which would mean he was only acting president. Tyler flatly rejected this idea, and returned unread all letters addressed to acting president to illustrate his point. His actions led to the precedent of vice presidential succession.

Congressional Whigs created a bill to ressurect the Bank of the United States, destroyed by Andrew Jackson. Tyler refused to comply, and vetoed 2 bills attempting to create it. Both vetoes were sustained. To protest the president's abandonment of a cornerstone of Whig principles, the entire Cabinet, except Secretary of State Daniel Webster, resigned in September 1841. The walkout was a political victory for Henry Clay and left Tyler a man without a party.

Tyler signed into law the Preemption Act, which entitled those who settled on and improved unsurveyed land first-purchase rights of 160 acres of their property at $1.25 an acre.

The Webster-Ashburton Treaty between the United States and Great Britain fixed the present boundary between Maine and New Brunswick, resolving a dispute that had erupted during the Van Buren presidency. The U.S. obtained 7,000 of the 12,000 disputed square miles. The treaty also made minor adjustments to complete the present border from the East Coast to the Rockies, leaving the Oregon question to be settled later. In addition, the treaty established extradition procedures between the two countries for most crimes of violence as well as for forgery and called for a cooperative effort to supress the slave trade. The treaty was negotiated by Secretary of State Daniel Webster and Alexander Baring, First Lord Ashburton.

On February 28, 1844, Tyler and other dignitaries inspected the USS Princeton, an advanced warship, the first steamer to be driven by a screw propeller. They planned to sail down the Potomac and back. The highlight of the trip was to be the firing of the "Peacemaker," the ship's principal weapon and the world's largest naval gun. The gun was succesfully test fired and twice thrilled the party. But on the 3rd firing, the "Peacemaker" exploded, killing and injuring those around it. Fortunately, Tyler and his future wife were below deck and as such managed to avoid injury. Those killed were Secretary of State Abel P. Usher, Secretary of the Navy Thomas W. Gilmer, David Gardiner, father of the president's future wife, an American diplomat, a naval officer, and the president's valet.

Under the Treaty of Wanghia, the U.S. gained access to Chinese ports and won the right of exemption from Chinese law in China. Negotiators of the treaty were Caleb Cushing, the first U.S. commisioner to China, and Ch'i-ying, envoy of the Emperor of China.

In April 1844 Tyler approved a treaty for the annexation of Texas, but the Senate refused to ratify it. With the election of James Knox Polk on a proannexation platform, public opinion proved to be in favor of acceptance of Texas to the Union, which forced Congress to pass a joint resolution to accomplish that. 3 days before his term ended, Tyler signed the bill; it is the first instance in history of an international agreement being brought into effect by a joint congressional resolution instead of a treaty. Under its terms, Texas became a slave state, made official in December 1845.

I think I can safely say that Tyler did almost nothing for America. Practically everything that happened during his term he had little or nothing to do with. He did nothing bad for America, but nothing that good either. That is to be expected, considering that Tyler lacked support from both Whigs and Democrats, but his performance will always be marked below average.

Overall Ranking: 34

"Patronage is the sword and cannon by which war may be made on the liberty of the human race...Give the president control over the purse - the power to place the immense revenues of the country into any hands he may please, and I care not what you call him, he is 'every inch a king.'"
history
Locked Post
Search this post
Advanced Search
Subscription Options
Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
NJforever
TheFazz
Join Date 09/2004
0
Reply #1 March 26, 2005 11:18:50 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
It seems he had little to do with any real accomplishments during his term. I think 34 is a fair rating.
Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
NJforever
NJforever
Join Date 11/2004
0
Reply #2 March 26, 2005 11:27:01 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
It seems he had little to do with any real accomplishments during his term. I think 34 is a fair rating.


Wow...first Dr. Guy, now you start agreeing with my ratings? I'm getting freaked out.
Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
NJforever
Dr Guy
Join Date 09/2004
+129
Reply #3 March 27, 2005 11:33:09 AM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums

Wow...first Dr. Guy, now you start agreeing with my ratings? I'm getting freaked out

Here is some cold water then!

First, sorry for the mis statement in another blog on the number!  Mea culpa I lost track.

Second, now we get to real politics!  I disagree with your rating for the very reason you use to support it.  Tyler was a great president becuase the best ones are the ones that govern least, but stave off crises.  In that, I think Tyler did admirably.  I in no way think that he is top 10, but I move him ahead about 16 points to 17 or 18.

Now really, did you think I was going to agree with you all the way?  I had to have at least one that I really disagreed with you on?  But then I am a Virginian, and Tyler is in my top 3 of those presidents! (there are 9 BTW since we got Wilson!).

Excellant article again however.  I look forward to reading each and every one.

Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
NJforever
NJforever
Join Date 11/2004
0
Reply #4 March 27, 2005 2:15:27 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Tyler was a great president becuase the best ones are the ones that govern least, but stave off crises.


He most certainly governed least, but practically not at all. What crisis did he stave off? The only thing remotely like a crisis that wasn't previously cooled down was the Texas annexation, and it really took Polk to get that done.

Now really, did you think I was going to agree with you all the way? I had to have at least one that I really disagreed with you on? But then I am a Virginian, and Tyler is in my top 3 of those presidents! (there are 9 BTW since we got Wilson!).


I was prepared for the day. And, just to say, Wilson spent only a small portion of his childhood in Virginia. He spent nearly all of his life up here in New Jersey.
Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
NJforever
Dr Guy
Join Date 09/2004
+129
Reply #5 March 27, 2005 2:45:06 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
He most certainly governed least, but practically not at all. What crisis did he stave off? The only thing remotely like a crisis that wasn't previously cooled down was the Texas annexation, and it really took Polk to get that done.


I added the last for posterity. he was not challenged, and hence did not need to assert his authority.
Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
NJforever
Dr Guy
Join Date 09/2004
+129
Reply #6 March 27, 2005 2:49:06 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
I was prepared for the day. And, just to say, Wilson spent only a small portion of his childhood in Virginia. He spent nearly all of his life up here in New Jersey.


Yea, you really want him dont you! I can understand why. He was a top ten!

But we got him, so you can just envy us!

Not all 'mothers' raise their children to adulthood. Sometimes they do allow good neighbors to finish the task.

Your heritage did a great job of finishing that task. So Us Virginians thank our noble brothers of NJ!

Peace?
Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
NJforever
NJforever
Join Date 11/2004
0
Reply #7 March 27, 2005 9:21:17 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Peace?


Heh, sure. I didn't really care, just stating an historical fact. And of course we did a great job, we're New Jersey after all!
Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
NJforever
TheFazz
Join Date 09/2004
0
Reply #8 March 27, 2005 11:47:19 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
And of course we did a great job, we're New Jersey after all!


Further evidence that New Jersey does a good job is that it raised the Great, Splendid, Magnificent, Omniscient, Omnipotent Fazz.
Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
NJforever
NJforever
Join Date 11/2004
0
Reply #9 March 27, 2005 11:57:15 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Further evidence that New Jersey does a good job is that it raised the Great, Splendid, Magnificent, Omniscient, Omnipotent Fazz.


I thought he lived in Connecticut. Oh well, does he live somewhere around us?
Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
NJforever
TheFazz
Join Date 09/2004
0
Reply #10 March 28, 2005 12:00:05 AM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
He is I, you fool!
Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
NJforever
NJforever
Join Date 11/2004
0
Reply #11 March 28, 2005 12:01:33 AM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
He is I, you fool!


Couldn't be. Unless you took out one adjective when you wrote it, "exaggerating."
Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
View all recent posts
Mark all posts as read Delete cookies created by the forum Return to Top
Stardock Forums v        Server Load Time:   Page Render Time:
Facebook Twitter YouTube Google+