Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. II.djvu/90

64 LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS Buren, rejected his colleague, Richard M. John son, and cast its twenty-three electoral votes for William Smith, of Alabama, for vice-president. Mr. White obtained the electoral votes of Tennes see and Georgia, twenty-six in all, but Mr. Tyler made a better showing; he carried, besides these two states, Maryland and South Carolina, making forty-seven votes in all. The unevenness of the results was such that the election of a vice-president devolved upon the senate, which chose Mr. John son. In the course of the year preceding the elec tion an incident occurred which emphasized more than ever Mr. Tyler s hostility to the Jackson party. Benton s famous resolutions for expunging the vote of censure upon the president were before the senate, and the Democratic legislature of Virginia instructed the two senators from that state to vote in the affirmative. As to the binding force of such instructions Mr. Tyler had long ago, in the case of Giles and Brent, above mentioned, placed him self unmistakably upon record. His colleague, Benjamin Watkins Leigh, was known to enter tain similar views. On receiving the instructions, both senators refused to obey them. Both voted against the Benton resolutions, but Mr. Leigh kept his seat, while Mr. Tyler resigned and returned home, February 29, 1836. About this time the fol lowers of Calhoun were bringing forward what was known as the "gag resolution" against all petitions