XIV. ADMINISTRATION OF WILLIAM HENRY HAR RISON (1841) AND OF JOHN TYLER (1841-45).
Cabinet.—Seeretary of State, Daniel Webster, Massachusetts. March 5, 1841: Hugh S. Legare, South Carolina, May 9, 1843; A. P. lTpshIu•. Vir ginia, July 24, 1843; John C. Calhoun, South Carolina, March 6, 1844. Neeretary of the Treas ury, Thomas Ewing, Ohio. March 5, 1841; Walter Forward, Pennsylvania, September 13, 1841; John C. Spencer. New York, March 3, 1843; George M.bh, Kentucky. June If). 1844. Secretary of liar, John Bell, Tennessee, March 5. 1841 ; John McLean, Ohio. September 13, 1841: John C. Spencer. New York, October 12, 1841 ; James M. Porter, Pennsylvania. March 8, 1843; William Wilkins, Pennsyl vania, Febrhary 15, 1844. Sceretary of the Nary, C. E. Badger, North Carolina, March 5, 1841: A. P. Upshur, Virginia. September 13, 1841 ; David Henshaw, Massachusetts, .July 24, 1843; T. W. Gilmer, Virginia, February 15. 1844; John Y. Mason, Virginia, March 14, 1844. Attorney-G(/(TO, John J. Crittenden, Ken tucky, March 5. 1841 ; Hugh S. Legare, South Carolina. September 13, 1841 ; John Nelson, Maryland. July 1, 1843. Postmaster-General, Francis Granger, New York. March 6, 1841; Charles A. Wickliffe, Kentucky, September 13, 1841.
Two weeks after his inauguration, President Harrison issued a proclamation calling an extra session of Congress to consider the financial dis tress prevailing throughout the country and other questions that beset the Government. The extra session was called for May 31st, but on April 4th the President died after a short illness. The new President, John Tyler, retained for a few months his predecessor's Cabinet. When Congress met in accordance with General Harri son': call of March 17th, the Whigs, who had a majority in both Houses, began to carry out the changes to which their party had pledged itself in the campaign of the preceding year. A bill was passed for the incorporation of a new United States Bank, to be called the 'Fiscal Bank of the United States,' planned somewhat after the model of that which had been so vigorously attacked by President Jackson. To the consternation of the Whigs, the new President on August 16th vetoed it as being unconstitutional, since it provided for the establishment of branches of the bank in the various States without securing the prior consent of these States. The leading members of the
party then conferred with President Tyler and asked him to suggest the provisions of a bill that he would be willing to accept. He agreed to do so, yet after the bill framed largely in accordance with his own ideas had paced the two Houses (September 3d) it promptly met the fate of the former act. It now became evident that the President was at heart a Democrat, and that his political principles would prevent him from act ing cordially with the party that had elected him to office. The indignation and chagrin of the Whigs was unbounded. The entire Cabinet with one exception immediately resigned. Webster re maining in the State Department until pending negotiations with England had been completed. On September 11th the leaders of the Whig Party issued a manifesto 'reading the President out of the party. and holding him responsible for the failure to effect the reforms that had been promised. President Tyler immediately filled the places in his Cabinet with conservative politi dans. and having been cut off from political affiliation with his own party, turned to the Democrats for support.
During Tyler's administration the relations between the United States and Great Britain became very strained. In the course of an insurrection in Canada in 1837 a party of supporters of the Canadian Government had crossed over to the American territory and de stroyed a vessel, the Caroline, owned by the friend: of the insurgents. In the affair one American had been killed. In 1840 one Aiexander McLeod, who had come to New York State and boasted of having taken part in the destruction of the Caroline, was arrested and indicted for murder. England protested vigorously and seri ous international complieations for a time seemed imminent. (See CAROLINE.) Again, in October, 1841, the British freed most of the slaves aboard an American vessel, the Creole, which had been seized by them and carried into a port in the ( See CREOLE CASE.) Thus each nation had a grievance against the other, and such ill feeling resulted that war was feared.