from the United States Senate, in 1825, White was unanimously elected to succeed him. He was continued in the Senate until 1840, when he resigned, because he could not conscientiously obey the instructions of the Legislature to support the leading measures of Van Buren's administration. In 1832, he was made president pro tem. of the Senate a position that has been. held by only two other Tennesseans: Joseph Anderson and Isham G. Harris. White was in perfect sympathy with the principles of Jackson's administration, and continued so until his death. he stoutly refused to sanction his purpose to make Van Buren his successor. He was, himself, mentioned as a candidate. Jackson undertook to placate him, first by the tender of a cabinet position, afterwards by the offer of a position on the bench of the Supreme Court of the United States, and finally, by the suggestion that he accept the place of Vice-President on the ticket with Van Buren. All these overtures were firmly declined. White was then informed that Jackson had threatened to denounce him as soon as it was ascertained that he was willing to be a candidate in opposition to Van Buren.1 Being both obstinate and pugnacious, HUGH L. WHITE. White now became an avowed and active candidate. But 328. John Bell Directs the White Campaign.- John Bell referred not inaptly to the followers of Judge White as the "undisciplined militia of the party." The responsibility of outlining a plan of action so as to secure something like unity of purpose in this mass of raw material devolved largely upon him. Whatever may have been his defects as a party leader, he could plan a canvass and state its issues with consummate skill. He was a native Tennessean, and a graduate of Cumberland College (University of Nashville). Soon after his admission to the bar he had a taste of public life, as a member of the State Senate, but he wisely declined a reëlection, and devoted the next ten years to the practice of his profession and the pursuit of literature. In 1827, he entered Congress, superbly equipped for his public duties. He was a member of the House of Representatives until 1839. In 1834, he was 1 1 Memoirs of Hugh Lawson White, by Nancy N. Scott, pp. 253, 254, and 359. elected Speaker of that body, but was defeated for reëlection in 1835 by James K. Polk. Subsequently, he was Secretary of War in Harrison's Cabinet. From 1847 to 1857, JOHN BELL he was a member of the United States Senate, and served with such distinguished ability that he was nominated by the Constitutional Union party for President in 1860. A man of profound intellect, he was far-seeing, deliberate, and cautious. His mental constitution was such that he could never enter heartily into the bold, aggressive, and apparently reckless methods that distinguished the Jackson party, though he supported the leading measures of Jackson's administration with perfect consistency. 329. Leaders of the Democracy.- The Tennessee election in August, 1835, received national attention on account of its supposed influence on the Presidential election in 1836. Interest was intense from the beginning, and the contest determined and bitter. It was at this time that the followers of Judge White began to be called Whigs White Whigs- though White never accepted the name for himself. The leaders of the Democracy were among the ablest men of the nation. James K. Polk was afterwards PresiIdent of the United States. Felix Grundy, a famous orator and the most successful criminal lawyer in the Southwest, knew every chord that touched the popular heart. When trouble was brewing with England in 1811, he was elected to Congress as a war Republican. He made himself conspicuous for his bold and efficient support of the war measures. was the successful prosecution of this war, against their opposition, that broke down the Federalist party. The Federalists paid a high tribute to Grundy's influence, by ascribing the war to the instigations of "Madison, Grundy, At this time, Grundy was in the United States Senate, but upon the election of Van Buren, he accepted the place of Attorney FELIX GRUNDY. and the Devil." It General in his cabinet. Quite as active and hardly less efficient than Polk and Grundy was John Catron, a man who stood very close to President Jackson. He was reared in the Mountain District of Middle Tennessee, and raised himself to the head of his profession by the force of his own talents and energy. He made much reputation by a series of articles published in aid of President Jackson's fight against the United States Bank. At the time of the White revolt, he was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Tennessee, being the first and only Chief Justice of that Court prior to the Civil War. From 1837 to his death, in 1865, he was one of the Judges of the Supreme Court of the United States, by appointment of President Jackson. Cave Johnson served on the staff of his father, General Thomas Johnson, in the Creek War. He was first elected to Congress in 1829, and, with the exception of onę term, continued there until 1845, when he became Postmaster General in President Polk's Cabinet. After his retirement from the cabinet, he became president of the last Bank of Tennessee, which he managed with ability and success. JOHN CATRON. 330. Newton Cannon Elected Governor.- Carroll had again served three consecutive terms six years as governor, but the people, having adopted a new Constitution in the meantime, he offered himself for a fourth term. He adhered, as he had always done, to the party of General Jackson, but, as it boded no good to him, he deprecated the introduction of national politics in State elections. His oppo nent was Newton Cannon, whom Houston had defeated for the same office in 1827. Cannon had served in the Creek War, but was criticised for returning home before its conclusion. In 1814, he was elected to succeed Felix Grundy in Congress, and continued in Congress, with the intermission of a single term, until his voluntary retirement, in 1825. He had never been in rapport with the Jackson party, and now appeared as the avowed champion of Judge White. The current of public sentiment in favor of Judge White was too strong to be stemmed even by CAVE JOHNSON. Carroll, and Cannon was elected by a plurality of more than 11,000 votes. In 1836, there was a call for volunteers The quota More than The East 331. Cannon Reëlected. to serve in the Florida War. for Tennessee was 2,000. double that number offered. Tennesseans were commanded by Gen. R. G. Dunlap, and those from Middle Tennessee by Gen. Robert Armstrong. The last battle in which the Tennessee soldiers were engaged, was fought on November 18-21, at Wahoo Swamp, soon after which they were ordered home and discharged, though the war dragged on until 1842 before it was finally concluded. In 1837, General Armstrong, with his military laurels fresh upon him, became a candidate for governor in opposition to Cannon, but the tide had not yet turned, and Cannon was again elected by an increased majority. Gov. NEWTON CANNON. The absorbing public question during Cannon's two terms was that of internal improvements, which is treated in Chapter XLIII. CHAPTER XXVIII. ADMINISTRATIONS OF JAMES K. POLK, 1839-1841, AND JAMES C. JONES, 1841-1845. 332. Preparation for the Canvass of 1839.-At the Fresidential election in 1836, White carried Tennessee by a majority of nearly 10,000 over all the other candidates. This result was most painful to President Jackson, who, in the last three Presidential elections had received practically the unanimous vote of the State. He believed the people had been estranged from him by partisan management. The Democrats determined to make a supreme effort to recover the State in 1839. The leading newspapers of the State had gone off with the White movement. To overcome this disadvantage, they invited two young New Englanders to Tennessee, who became famous political editors - Jeremiah George Harris and E. G. Eastman. Harris had been brought up in the journalistic school of George D. Prentice, though of opposite political principles. The Nashville Union, hitherto a small weekly paper, was newly fitted out as a tri-weekly, and he was made its editor. Gov. JAMES K. POLK. Field. He was a tower of strength to the Democracy The most influential of the many 333. The Candidates Take the Governor Cannon offered for reëlection and was accepted as the Whig candidate. The Democrats desired to put their strongest man forward to oppose him. The choice fell on James K. Polk, then serving his second term as Speaker of the national House of Representatives. Polk was a man of boundless energy, and as soon as Congress adjourned he entered the canvass, and for the first time the candidates for governor stumped the State "from Carter to Shelby." 334. Polk and Cannon on the Stump.- In 1835, General Carroll had deprecated the introduction of national questions in a State contest. Polk, on the contrary, opened his campaign with a clear and masterly discussion of national issues, in an address to the people, which has been pronounced the ablest political document which appeared in the State before the Civil War.1 Cannon was not a popular speaker. Moreover, he committed the fatal blunder of hesitating to declare his choice between Van Buren and Clay for President. Polk was handsome and attractive in person. He had coal-black hair, rather dark complexion, and steel-grey eyes. Taken as a whole, his face was clear-cut, flexible, and expressive. His style of oratory was singularly attractive. Usually grave and dignified, he was ready at repartee, quick to detect a weakness in the position of his adversary, full of humorous anecdotes and |