Caleb Cushing. had been a leading Democrat, but who had been unable to withstand the strong drift to the Whigs, and had suddenly changed his party. Long before the election it was evident which party would win, especially when the hitherto strong Democratic State of Maine elected a Whig governor, as it was expressed at the time, — "Maine went hell-bent For Governor Kent." The election of Harrison and the prom inence in it of Mr. Cushing would seem to have opened up great possibilities for him, intimate as he was with Mr. Webster, the new Secretary of the State; but in one short month the President died, was succeeded by John Tyler, who vetoed Mr. Clay's Bank Bill, and the Whig party, led by their great chief, broke away from the President, and — it is not too strong a word to use — hated him. Whether wise or unwise in his action, there is no doubt President Tyler was actuated by honest motives. General Fessenden, the father of William Pitt Fessenden, stated to me at the time that Mr. Webster so believed, and had said to him that if it had been a mat ter of argument he could have reasoned with him; but when Mr. Tyler had put it as a mat ter of conscience that he could not sign what he believed to be an unconstitutional bill, he could say nothing. Mr. Webster alone of the Cabinet re mained; and Mr. Cushing, sympathizing with the course of President Tyler, also ad hered to him, and of course lost the favor of the Whigs, and cast in his lot with the Democrats, with whom he in future acted. He was nominated for Secretary of the Treasury, and his fitness was not questioned; but the party of Mr. Clay transferred their dislike of Tyler to all his adherents, and he was rejected. He was soon after sent as Commissioner to China, and negotiated our first treaty with that country, securing to us great commercial advantages. His success was a matter of national congratulation, for the anti-Chinese feeling had not then arisen.
3
On his return, he was again chosen repre sentative to the State Legislature, — an office his home was ever proud to bestow on him. The Mexican war began in 1846, and in 1847 Mr. Cushing raised a regiment, main ly at his own expense, went to the war as its colonel, served till its close, and returned with the rank of Brigadier-General. The war was not popular in New England, for it was regarded as waged for the extension of slavery, and no one could foresee its immense influence over the future of our country by the acquisition of California. To Mr. Cush ing, however, it was the war of his country, and it enabled him also to gratify a natural taste for military affairs. While in Mexico he was nominated by the Democrats as their candidate for Governor of Massachusetts, but with no hope of an election in that strong Whig State. Newburyport was incorporated as a city in 1851, and Mr. Cushing served as its first mayor. In 1851 and 1852 he was a member of the Massachusetts Legislature, and was the leader of the opposition to the coalition that elected Mr. Sumner to the United States Senate. In 1852 he was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts, discharg ing his duties to the admiration of the Bar, who wondered at his familiarity with the re ports, and the profound knowledge of law shown in his decisions, drawn as he had been so long from active practice. To prepare him self he read in nineteen days the fifty-seven volumes of Massachusetts reports. The Democratic convention for nomina ting a candidate for President met at Balti more June 12, 1852. There were several candidates. The friends of each were per sistent; and after 35 ballots in which his name had not been presented, Franklin Pierce was nominated on the 49th ballot, by a vote of 282 to 11 for all others. The nomination was a surprise to the country, as he had never been publicly spoken of for the posi tion, and it was regarded as one of those
