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VOA慢速英语2014 'Tippecanoe and Tyler Too' Bring Whigs to White House 蒂珀卡努河和泰勒使辉格党入主白宫

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'Tippecanoe and Tyler Too' Bring Whigs to White House 蒂珀卡努河和泰勒使辉格党入主白宫

From VOA Learning English, welcome to The Making of a Nation, our weekly program of American history for people learning American English.  I’m Steve Ember.

 

In November of 1840, the American people elected William Henry Harrison as their ninth president.  Harrison was a retired1 general and a well-known Indian fighter.  Many people considered him a hero for his victory over Native Americans at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. 

Americans elected John Tyler as Harrison’s vice2 president.  The two men ran on the campaign slogan “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!”  Harrison was the first president from the Whig party.  Some Whig leaders, including Senators Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, believed they could control the newly elected president.

Harrison asked Daniel Webster to edit the speech he planned to give after the swearing-in ceremonies.  Webster removed some material from the inaugural3 speech and suggested other changes.

The inauguration4 took place on March 4, 1841.  It was the coldest inaugural day in the nation's history.  Harrison spoke5 on the front steps of the Capitol building.  He gave the longest inaugural address of any president.  It lasted almost two hours. 

But Harrison did not wear a winter overcoat or hat.  He got sick, probably from standing6 so long outside in the cold.  Rest was his best treatment.  But the new president was so busy, he had little time to rest.

Harrison Dies After One Month as President

Harrison's health grew worse.  Late in March 1841, he developed pneumonia7.  Doctors did everything they could to cure him.  But nothing seemed to help.  On April 4, exactly one month after he became president, William Henry Harrison died.

Vice President John Tyler was then at his home in Williamsburg, Virginia.  Daniel Webster, the new secretary of state, sent his son on horseback to tell Tyler of the president's death.  

The vice president was shocked.  He had not even known that Harrison was sick.  Two hours after he received the news, Tyler was on his way to Washington.                                                                                  

There was some question about Tyler's official duties.  Harrison’s death marked the first time that a president had died in office.  No one was sure what the Constitution meant when it said that the powers of a deceased president should go to the vice president.                                                                            

Eventually, Tyler, Webster and other cabinet members decided8 that Tyler should be president and serve until the next election.

“That was a very controversial claim.  Because people said no, he’s not the president, he’s an acting9 president.  He’s just temporarily filling the office, but he’s not president.”

Historian Michael Holt taught at the University of Virginia.  He says although not everyone supported John Tyler’s claim, he set an important example.  He showed how power could transfer peacefully to the vice president after a U.S. president died in office. 

John Tyler Becomes President 

Tyler was sworn-in as the nation’s 10th president on April 6, 1841.  He was 51 years old.  No other man had become president at such an early age.

Tyler was a slave-holding southerner.  He was born and grew up in the same part of Virginia as William Henry Harrison.  His father was a wealthy landowner and judge who had been a friend of Thomas Jefferson.

Tyler completed studies at the College of William and Mary, and became a lawyer.  He entered politics and served in the Virginia state legislature.  Then he was elected a member of Congress and, later, governor of Virginia.  He also served as a member of the United States Senate.

Tyler believed strongly in the rights of the states.  As a congressman10 and a senator, he had voted against every attempt to give more power to the federal government.  In fact, historian Michael Holt says that in many ways, Tyler was more like a member of the Democrats11 -- the opposing party at the time.

“He favored the typical position of Democrats on what we could call domestic policy, which is ‘that government is best which governs least.’ So the less federal domestic policy you have trying to generate economic growth or improve society or whatever, the better.”

In comparison, many Whig Party members firmly supported the ideas of a national bank, a protective tax on imports, and federal spending to improve transportation in the states.  Tyler was just as firmly against these ideas.

At the same time, many Democrats did not like the president either.

“Most Democrats regarded him as a traitor12 who had jumped from the Jackson party and joined the Whigs, however temporarily.”

Michael Holt says even Tyler’s appearance made him seem difficult and unpleasant.

“You look at this guy and he’s sort of aesthetically13 thin, and with sunken cheeks, and a long pointed14 nose. He just looks like he’s unhappy with the world.”

Support for National Bank Costs Tyler Support

President Tyler quickly became even more unpopular over the issue of a new national bank.  He wanted to establish such a bank in the nation’s capital, Washington, DC.  The national bank could open offices in a state, but only if the state approved.

Tyler’s proposal was not the kind of bank most Whigs in Congress supported.  They wanted no limits of any kind on the power of a national bank to open offices anywhere in the country.  

Whigs in Congress suggested a compromise: bank offices would be permitted in any state where the state legislature did not immediately refuse permission.

But President Tyler vetoed the compromise.  He sent the bank bill back to Congress.

The congressmen wrote another bill.  They said it was exactly what the president wanted.  But the president did not agree.  He said the states must have the right to approve or reject bank offices.

He said this second bill would also be vetoed unless changes were made in it.  The changes were not made.  And Tyler did as he said he would do.  He vetoed it.

The decision created a crisis in the cabinet.  All the president’s advisors15 but one — Daniel Webster — resigned.  

Michael Holt says that, several days later, most cabinet members and a large group of other Whig congressmen voted to expel Tyler from the party.

“And they read this paper saying he’s no Whig, don’t blame us for all his vetoes.”

Harrison appointed a new cabinet of Whigs he hoped would be more friendly to him.  But after a while, they too resigned.  Michael Holt says Tyler made more changes in his cabinet than any other U.S. president.

Tyler Faces Other Crises

President Tyler struggled with his party over other issues.  One was about import taxes. 

Two years into Tyler’s presidency16, the government found itself short of money.  It was spending more than it had.  Congress decided that import taxes should be raised, some even higher than 20 percent.

But President Tyler vetoed the bill.  He said it was wrong to raise the tax so high and, at the same time, continue to give the states money from land sales.  He said the federal government itself needed the land-sale money.  

Michael Holt says once again, the Whigs were angry.  Their party controlled both houses of Congress and the White House, but they could not reach their goals.

“The Whigs were elected with this agenda that they wanted Congress to pass, that they had promised would rescue the country from a very serious depression.  And this included a new national bank, higher tariffs17, distribution of federal revenues from public land sales.”

President Tyler, he adds, frustrated18 the entire Whig legislative19 program. 

It was clear the Whigs would not nominate him for the next election.  So Tyler turned his attention to the Democrats.  He hoped they would ask him to be their presidential candidate in 1844.   

Tyler Seeks Support from Democrats

Tyler began appointing Democratic advisors to his cabinet.  And he gave his support to one of the Democrats’ causes: making Texas a state in the Union.

Texas was an independent nation at the time.  Some Americans wanted to bring Texas into the United States to further expand the country.  But others were afraid that the territory would permit slavery.  They wanted to keep an equal balance between slave-holding and non-slave-holding states.

President Tyler had the opposite fear.  Michael Holt explains that Tyler was afraid that Texas would remain an independent republic and abolish slavery there.

“He and other southerners thought that was a terrible idea.  But he also believed that this is what’s going to put him in the history books.  He’s going to be responsible for adding this enormous republic of Texas -- although it wasn’t quite as big as what they claimed -- to the United States.”

The election of 1844 and the question of Texas statehood will be our story next week.


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1 retired Njhzyv     
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的
参考例句:
  • The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
  • Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。
2 vice NU0zQ     
n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的
参考例句:
  • He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
  • They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。
3 inaugural 7cRzQ     
adj.就职的;n.就职典礼
参考例句:
  • We listened to the President's inaugural speech on the radio yesterday.昨天我们通过无线电听了总统的就职演说。
  • Professor Pearson gave the inaugural lecture in the new lecture theatre.皮尔逊教授在新的阶梯讲堂发表了启用演说。
4 inauguration 3cQzR     
n.开幕、就职典礼
参考例句:
  • The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
  • Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。
5 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
6 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
7 pneumonia s2HzQ     
n.肺炎
参考例句:
  • Cage was struck with pneumonia in her youth.凯奇年轻时得过肺炎。
  • Pneumonia carried him off last week.肺炎上星期夺去了他的生命。
8 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
9 acting czRzoc     
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的
参考例句:
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
10 Congressman TvMzt7     
n.(美)国会议员
参考例句:
  • He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
  • The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。
11 democrats 655beefefdcaf76097d489a3ff245f76     
n.民主主义者,民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
  • The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 traitor GqByW     
n.叛徒,卖国贼
参考例句:
  • The traitor was finally found out and put in prison.那个卖国贼终于被人发现并被监禁了起来。
  • He was sold out by a traitor and arrested.他被叛徒出卖而被捕了。
13 aesthetically EKPye     
adv.美地,艺术地
参考例句:
  • Segmental construction contributes toward aesthetically pleasing structures in many different sites. 对于许多不同的现场条件,分段施工都能提供美观,颇有魄力的桥型结构。
  • All isolation techniques may be aesthetically unacceptable or even dirty. 所有的隔离方法都有可能在美观方面使人难以接受,或甚至是肮脏的。
14 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
15 advisors 9c02a9c1778f1533c47ade215559070d     
n.顾问,劝告者( advisor的名词复数 );(指导大学新生学科问题等的)指导教授
参考例句:
  • The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网
16 presidency J1HzD     
n.总统(校长,总经理)的职位(任期)
参考例句:
  • Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
  • Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。
17 tariffs a7eb9a3f31e3d6290c240675a80156ec     
关税制度; 关税( tariff的名词复数 ); 关税表; (旅馆或饭店等的)收费表; 量刑标准
参考例句:
  • British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
  • The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。
18 frustrated ksWz5t     
adj.挫败的,失意的,泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 );挫败;使受挫折;令人沮丧
参考例句:
  • It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
  • The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》
19 legislative K9hzG     
n.立法机构,立法权;adj.立法的,有立法权的
参考例句:
  • Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
  • Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

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