XCII.
XCII. JOHN TYLER.
XCII. Governor.
XCII. December 1, 1825, to March, 1827.
A second time in the history of the Commonwealth of
Virginia, is a citizen bearing the honored name of John Tyler
called to the highest office within her gift. John Tyler,
made Governor in 1825, was the son of Governor John and
Mary (Armistead) Tyler. He was born at "Greenway," his
father's seat, in Charles City County, Virginia, March 29,
1790. Early in life, he exhibited a taste for books, and
entering William and Mary College at the age of twelve
years, he graduated at that institution when seventeen, delivering
on that occasion an address which was pronounced to
be singularly full of thought and of unusual merit. Leaving
college, he now devoted himself to the study of law, in which
he made such rapid progress that at the age of nineteen he
appeared at the bar of his native county as a practicing
lawyer. His success was now unqualified, and his popularity
evinced by an early summons to public office. In December,
1811, he represented Charles City County in the House of Delegates,
and was re-elected for five successive years. In 1816
he was elected to the United States Congress, and was here
twice re-elected. Towards the close of the term of 1821,
ill-health compelled his resignation, and he retired for a brief
season to his farm, "Sherwood Forest," in Charles City
County; but in 1823 we see him again in the Virginia Legislature,
taking prominent part in all matters of public interest.
In 1825 he was elected by the General Assembly Governor of
Virginia. He was re-elected the following year by a unanimous
vote, but being elected January 18, 1827, to succeed
John Randolph in the United States Senate, he resigned the
office of Governor on the 4th of March following. Thus,
step by step, was this distinguished son of Virginia advancing
to that highest honor which can be conferred upon an American
citizen. Whilst efficiently representing Virginia in the
United States Senate, Mr. Tyler also was a member of her
memorable Constitutional Convention of 1829-30. After
several years of important and exciting service in the United
States Senate, Mr. Tyler was in 1833 re-elected to this body
for six years. In the spring of 1838, Mr. Tyler was elected
again to the Virginia Legislature, and in 1839 was sent a
delegate to the Convention that met at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,
to nominate a candidate for President of the United
States. He was chosen Vice-President of the Convention. The
choice of this body having fallen upon General William Henry
Harrison for President, Mr. Tyler was chosen Vice-President.
They were both elected, and were inaugurated March 4, 1841.
President Harrison dying April 4, after one brief month's administration,
Mr. Tyler became President of the United States.
President Tyler's term was full of interest and importance.
During this period the valuable territory of Texas
was annexed to the United States and became an influential
addition to the Union; the act establishing a uniform
system of proceedings in bankruptcy was passed in August,
1841, and the protective tariff law created in 1842. During
the excitement of the Democratic Convention at Baltimore,
Maryland, assembled to nominate candidates for President
and Vice-President in 1844, Mr. Tyler was the first choice
of a large following for the office of President, but he withdrew
from the contest and retired after many well-spent
years of public service to the leisure of private life. From
this repose he was again called by the stirring events of 1861.
He presided with great dignity over the momentous deliberations
of the Peace Conference, which was proposed by the
Virginia Legislature at his suggestion, and which met in
Willard's Hall, at Washington, D. C., February 4, 1861.
Subsequently he was a member of the first Confederate States
Congress, and died at Richmond, Virginia, January 17, 1862,
while holding that office. He was buried in Hollywood
Cemetery, and was laid to rest in the bosom of his native
state, deeply and widely mourned.
