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A Long and Flowing Whig
The Death of Andrew Jackson
The death of Andrew Jackson was an unexpected shock to the young republic. The very thought of assassination rocked Americans to the core. What made the situation even more humiliating was the fact that he was assassinated by an insane painter who believed he was King Richard III. The assassin, Richard Lawrence, was found guilty by the jury and sentenced to death. Justice had been done but the political ramifications still had to be dealt with.
It was January of 1835 and the next scheduled presidential election wasn’t until November of 1836. Vice President Martin Van Buren met with Jackson’s Cabinet. The Cabinet was split over how they should handle the issue of succession. Half of his cabinet thought that he should follow the constitution and simply serve as acting president until and election could be held. The other half felt that he should grab the presidency for himself and the Democrats. This was out of fear that Henry Clay’s new Whig party might win an election if held that year. Van Buren took several days to make his decision. On February 11th he decided not to claim the office as President.
He addressed a joint session of Congress in late February and spoke to them of the constitutional issue of succession. He told them that he will serve as acting president until an election could be held. He was applauded by congress for adhering to the constitution. Despite this, however, there were no attempts by any member of congress or any members of the Cabinet to set up a special election. A vote was held in congress in April on whether or not to have an election that November. They voted no, and would allow Van Buren to remain acting President until March of 1837, when the next President would be inaugurated. This would not be a set back, for Van Buren would win the Election of 1836 and be sworn in in 1837.