The Constitutional Crisis that Wasn’t: The Politics of John Tyler’s Presidential Succession

When finalizing the draft Constitution however, the Committee of Style consolidated two distinct passages covering the temporary exercise of presidential power, one by a vice president and the other by a designated officer appointed by Congress, thereby blurring the intended meaning of the succession clause.1 Harrison's death forced the nation's political elite to grapple with the Committee of Style's unintended ambiguity. Realizing he must try a new tactic to win the White House, Webster backed Harrison, one of his opponents in the 1836 contest, over his bitter party rival Henry Clay for the 1840 Whig presidential nomination. Old Tip, as Harrison was nicknamed, admitted Webster's support was crucial to his triumph.5 Webster intended to extract repayment for his generous assistance by seeking a high Cabinet appointment from a grateful Harrison. Because Whig doctrine preached limited executive authority and advocated coequality between the president and the Cabinet, secretaries could direct administration policy and reap personal acclaim for Whig successes. Despite facing enormous pressure from the heavily factionalized Whigs, Harrison gratified Webster by naming him to the principle Cabinet position, secretary of state, on 11 December 1840.6 Webster moved swiftly to strengthen his grip on Harrison's administration by proving indispensable to Old Tip, both personally and professionally.