John Tyler: His Accidency
John Tyler was the first Vice-President to become President upon the death of the sitting President. When President William Henry Harrison died in office 31 days into his term, no one knew what would happen with the vacant office of the presidency. Harrison's unprecedented death caused considerable disarray regarding who his successor would be.
The Constitution of the United States read as follows: "In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the same shall devolve on the Vice President." No one was sure what that meant, or at least, there was no consensus about what it meant. The question under debate was whether the actual office of President "devolved" upon Vice President Tyler, or merely its powers and duties.
In keeping with the practice at the time, following his inauguration as Vice President, Tyler stayed in Washington, D.C. only long enough to preside over the Senate confirmation of Harrison's cabinet. He then left for his home in Williamsburg, Virginia. In his only month in office, Harrison did battle with Henry Clay and others who sought offices and influence in his administration. He did not seek Tyler's advice regarding cabinet appointments, and Tyler reportedly offered none. The first few weeks of the presidency took a clear toll on Harrison's health, and after being caught in a rainstorm in late March he came down with pneumonia and pleurisy.
Secretary of State Daniel Webster sent word to Tyler of Harrison's illness on April 1st. Two days later, Richmond attorney James Lyons wrote Tyler with the news that the President had taken a turn for the worse, remarking that "I shall not be surprised to hear by tomorrow's mail that Gen'l Harrison is no more." Tyler decided not to travel to Washington, because he did not wanting to appear unseemly in anticipating the President's death. However, at dawn on April 5th, two couriers (Webster's son Fletcher, Chief Clerk of the State Department, and a Senate officer named Beall) arrived at Tyler's home bearing the message that Harrison had died the day before.
By the time Tyler arrived in Washington at 4:00 a.m. on April 6th, 1841, he had firmly resolved in his own mind that he was, in name and fact, the President of the United States. He acted on this belief by taking the oath of office in his hotel room. He considered the oath redundant to his oath as Vice President, but took the oath as President to quell any doubt over his accession. Immediately after his inauguration, Tyler called Harrison's cabinet into a meeting, having decided to retain its members. Webster informed him of Harrison's practice of making policy by a majority vote. The cabinet fully expected the new President to continue this practice. Tyler was astounded and made it clear that he would not follow this practice. He said:
"I beg your pardon, gentlemen. I am very glad to have in my Cabinet such able statesmen as you have proved yourselves to be. And I shall be pleased to avail myself of your counsel and advice. But I can never consent to being dictated to as to what I shall or shall not do. I, as President, shall be responsible for my administration. I hope to have your hearty co-operation in carrying out its measures. So long as you see fit to do this, I shall be glad to have you with me. When you think otherwise, your resignations will be accepted."
He delivered an inaugural address on April 9th in which he reasserted his belief in Jeffersonian democracy and limited federal power. But Tyler's position was not immediately accepted by opposition members in Congress. Congressman and former President John Quincy Adams argued that Tyler could only assume a role as a caretaker under the title of "Acting President" and should remain Vice President in name. Foremost among those who questioned Tyler's authority was Whig leader Henry Clay, who wanted to be "the real power behind a fumbling throne". Clay had planned on exercising considerable influence over Harrison, and he transferred those intentions onto his former close friend Tyler. He referred to Tyler as the "Vice-President" and his presidency as "a mere regency".
On June 1st, both houses of Congress resolved this issue by passing resolutions declaring Tyler the 10th President of the United States. Tyler became the first U.S. Vice President to assume the office of President upon the death of the incumbent, establishing a precedent that would be followed seven times in the 19th and 20th centuries. In spite of this, it was not until 1967 that Tyler's action of assuming both the full powers and the title of the presidency was clearly set out in the Twenty-fifth Amendment.
Although his accession was given approval by both the Cabinet and, later, the Senate and House, Tyler's detractors like Clay never fully accepted him as President. He was referred to by many nicknames, including "His Accidency". But Tyler never wavered from his conviction that he was the rightful President. When his political opponents sent correspondence to the White House addressed to the "Vice President" or "Acting President," Tyler had it returned unopened.
The Constitution of the United States read as follows: "In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the same shall devolve on the Vice President." No one was sure what that meant, or at least, there was no consensus about what it meant. The question under debate was whether the actual office of President "devolved" upon Vice President Tyler, or merely its powers and duties.
In keeping with the practice at the time, following his inauguration as Vice President, Tyler stayed in Washington, D.C. only long enough to preside over the Senate confirmation of Harrison's cabinet. He then left for his home in Williamsburg, Virginia. In his only month in office, Harrison did battle with Henry Clay and others who sought offices and influence in his administration. He did not seek Tyler's advice regarding cabinet appointments, and Tyler reportedly offered none. The first few weeks of the presidency took a clear toll on Harrison's health, and after being caught in a rainstorm in late March he came down with pneumonia and pleurisy.
Secretary of State Daniel Webster sent word to Tyler of Harrison's illness on April 1st. Two days later, Richmond attorney James Lyons wrote Tyler with the news that the President had taken a turn for the worse, remarking that "I shall not be surprised to hear by tomorrow's mail that Gen'l Harrison is no more." Tyler decided not to travel to Washington, because he did not wanting to appear unseemly in anticipating the President's death. However, at dawn on April 5th, two couriers (Webster's son Fletcher, Chief Clerk of the State Department, and a Senate officer named Beall) arrived at Tyler's home bearing the message that Harrison had died the day before.
By the time Tyler arrived in Washington at 4:00 a.m. on April 6th, 1841, he had firmly resolved in his own mind that he was, in name and fact, the President of the United States. He acted on this belief by taking the oath of office in his hotel room. He considered the oath redundant to his oath as Vice President, but took the oath as President to quell any doubt over his accession. Immediately after his inauguration, Tyler called Harrison's cabinet into a meeting, having decided to retain its members. Webster informed him of Harrison's practice of making policy by a majority vote. The cabinet fully expected the new President to continue this practice. Tyler was astounded and made it clear that he would not follow this practice. He said:
"I beg your pardon, gentlemen. I am very glad to have in my Cabinet such able statesmen as you have proved yourselves to be. And I shall be pleased to avail myself of your counsel and advice. But I can never consent to being dictated to as to what I shall or shall not do. I, as President, shall be responsible for my administration. I hope to have your hearty co-operation in carrying out its measures. So long as you see fit to do this, I shall be glad to have you with me. When you think otherwise, your resignations will be accepted."
He delivered an inaugural address on April 9th in which he reasserted his belief in Jeffersonian democracy and limited federal power. But Tyler's position was not immediately accepted by opposition members in Congress. Congressman and former President John Quincy Adams argued that Tyler could only assume a role as a caretaker under the title of "Acting President" and should remain Vice President in name. Foremost among those who questioned Tyler's authority was Whig leader Henry Clay, who wanted to be "the real power behind a fumbling throne". Clay had planned on exercising considerable influence over Harrison, and he transferred those intentions onto his former close friend Tyler. He referred to Tyler as the "Vice-President" and his presidency as "a mere regency".
On June 1st, both houses of Congress resolved this issue by passing resolutions declaring Tyler the 10th President of the United States. Tyler became the first U.S. Vice President to assume the office of President upon the death of the incumbent, establishing a precedent that would be followed seven times in the 19th and 20th centuries. In spite of this, it was not until 1967 that Tyler's action of assuming both the full powers and the title of the presidency was clearly set out in the Twenty-fifth Amendment.
Although his accession was given approval by both the Cabinet and, later, the Senate and House, Tyler's detractors like Clay never fully accepted him as President. He was referred to by many nicknames, including "His Accidency". But Tyler never wavered from his conviction that he was the rightful President. When his political opponents sent correspondence to the White House addressed to the "Vice President" or "Acting President," Tyler had it returned unopened.