35 6 HARRISON, TYLER 



William L. Southard, then president/n? tempore of the 

 Senate. But Mr. Tyler was neither to be hoodwinked 

 nor bullied. The " fiscal corporation " bill was passed 

 by the Senate on Saturday, September 4, 1841 ; on 

 Thursday, the Qth, the President's veto message was 

 received; on Saturday, the nth, Thomas Ewing, 

 Secretary of the Treasury, John Bell, Secretary of War, 

 George E. Badger, Secretary of the Navy, John J. 

 Crittenden, Attorney-general, and Francis Granger, 

 Postmaster-general, resigned their places. The adjourn- 

 ment of Congress had been fixed for Monday, the i3th, 

 and it was hoped that, suddenly confronted by a unani- 

 mous resignation of the cabinet and confused by want 

 of time in which to appoint a new cabinet, the Presi- 

 dent would give up the game. But the resignation 

 was not unanimous, for Daniel Webster, Secretary of 

 State, remained at his post ; and on Monday morning 

 the President offered to the Senate for confirmation the 

 names of Walter Forward of Pennsylvania for Secre- 

 tary of the Treasury; John McLean of Ohio for 

 Secretary of War, Abel P. Upshur of Virginia for 

 Secretary of the Navy, Hugh S. Legare of South 

 Carolina for Attorney-general, and Charles A. Wick- 

 liffe of Kentucky for Postmaster-general. These ex- 

 cellent appointments were duly confirmed. 



Whether the defection of Mr. Webster at this 

 moment would have been so fatal to the President as 

 some of the Whigs were inclined to believe may well 

 be doubted ; but there can be no doubt that his adhe- 

 rence to the President was of great value. By remain- 

 ing in the cabinet Mr. Webster showed himself too 

 clear-sighted to contribute to a victory of which the 

 whole profit would be reaped by his rival, Mr. Clay ; 



