334 HARRISON, TYLER 



In the Senate Mr. Tyler took a conspicuous stand 

 against the so-called " tariff of abominations," which 

 even Benton and Van Buren, who were not yet in 1828 

 quite clear as to their proper attitude, were induced to 

 support. There was thus some ground for Tyler's 

 opinion, expressed at this time, that the Jacksonians 

 were not really orthodox defenders of strict construc- 

 tion. It was on the occasion of Jackson's famous veto 

 of the Maysville turnpike bill, May 27, 1830, that 

 this most rigorous stickler for constitutional propriety 

 found himself for the moment drawn toward the Presi- 

 dent. It was quite proper and characteristic for him 

 to attack the irregularity of Jackson's appointment of 

 commissioners to negotiate a commercial treaty with 

 Turkey, without duly informing the Senate ; but at the 

 same time he showed good will toward the President 

 by voting in favour of confirming the appointment of 

 Van Buren as minister to Great Britain. In the presi- 

 dential election of 1832 he supported Jackson, but only 

 as a less objectionable candidate than Clay, Wirt, or 

 Floyd. The preference accorded to Jackson over 

 Floyd would indicate that the President's immortal 

 Union toast had not seriously alarmed Mr. Tyler, who 

 disapproved of nullification and condemned the course 

 of South Carolina as rash and ill-considered. Herein 

 Tyler was wiser than Calhoun. On the question of the 

 tariff the South had really a strong case, and to throw 

 the gauntlet of nullification into the arena was simply 

 to offer the chances of victory to the North; But when 

 it came to suppressing nullification with the strong 

 hand, Mr. Tyler's attitude was curiously significant. 

 He was emphatic in his opposition to President Jack- 

 son's proclamation. He denounced it as a "tremen- 



