Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. II.djvu/85

JOHN TYLER 59 message of the latter, May 27, upon the Mays- ville turnpike bill. He attacked the irregularity of Jackson s appointment of commissioners to negotiate a commercial treaty with Turkey with out duly informing the senate. On the other hand, he voted in favor of confirming the appointment of Van Buren as minister to Great Britain. In the presidential election of 1832 he supported Jack son as a less objectionable candidate than the others, Clay, Wirt and Ford. Mr. Tyler disapproved of nullification, and condemned the course of South Carolina as both unconstitutional and impolitic. At the same time he objected to President Jack son s famous proclamation of December 10, 1832, as a "tremendous engine of federalism," tending to the "consolidation" of the states into a single political body. Under the influence of these feel ings he undertook to play the part of mediator be tween Clay and Calhoun, and in that capacity earnestly supported the compromise tariff intro duced by the former in the senate, February 12, 1833. On the so-called "force bill," clothing the president with extraordinary powers for the pur pose of enforcing the tariff law, Mr. Tyler showed that he had the courage of his convictions. When the bill was put to vote, February 20, 1833, some of its opponents happened to be absent ; others got up and went out in order to avoid putting them-