“Tyler also displayed an independent streak as a politician. In fact, at times he seemed to have no use for formal party affiliations…Charges of partisan disloyalty never troubled Tyler. He seemed to enjoy his reputation as a political renegade” – President Without a Party
Although the political catchphrase “drain the swamp” has been around since 1830, its meaning has varied over time, from the rooting out of one kind of evil or another. In modern times, both President Ronald Reagan and Presidential candidate Donald Trump re-popularized the phrase when promising to remove waste and corruption from the federal government. But for our tenth President, John Tyler, words weren’t enough. Instead, he spurned the practice of patronage, a spoil system for sycophants, which would lead to his exit from one party and eventually his exile by another.
In Christopher Leahy’s 2020 book, “President Without a Party”, Leahy provides a comprehensive history of America’s tenth president, John Tyler, who was the first vice-president to rise to office following the death of the elected President. As a member of the early Democratic party, Tyler supported Andrew Jackson’s rise to office, until his policies veered far from party principles. Then despite being drafted by the opposing Whigs, he held to the policies of Virginia’s Old Dominion that centered on state’s rights, strict constructivism, and nullification. Tyler would have difficulty pleasing either party, choosing to honor his longstanding principles over political convenience.
After ascending to office following their victory in 1840, the Harrison/Tyler administration had a mandate to advance the Whig agenda to reestablish a national bank and increase tariffs, both adverse to Tyler’s own views. This immediately put him at odds with William Henry Harrison’s cabinet, which Tyler inherited upon Harrison’s death in office. Although he often attempted to moderate his positions on issues in order to address the nation’s ills, Tyler would lose his entire cabinet, save one, within months, and eventually be expelled by the Whigs altogether.
A born aristocrat, Tyler was a one-time roommate of Thomas Jefferson, and a supporter of his sound constitutional principles of federalism, meritocracy, free trade, and personal independence, a philosophy that Tyler would adhere to for his entire political life. By shunning the nationalism and statism of his time, Tyler strongly opposed his adversary’s philosophy of a strong federal government.
After serving as a Virginia state legislator, a representative in the United States House, the Virginia Governorship, and finally the US Senate, Tyler went on to become both US Vice President and President. Like most Presidents, his administration would offer a mixed bag of policies, not always holding to the principles he held dear. As one of the best constitutional presidents and defenders of states’ rights, Tyler ultimately supported secession, leading to Virginia’s exit from the Union. During his term, he vetoed several unconstitutional bills, even though they were offered up by his own party. He held to his principles against a national bank, by devising a plan to allow states to refuse participation. He economized the government to reduce the public debt and attempted to remove partisanship from politics. But the highlight of his presidency would be the annexation of Texas into the Union.
Southern through and through, Tyler, a slave owner, also held the Jeffersonian position on slavery, the belief that although it must end, it was a Southern problem to solve. Thomas Jefferson may have penned the words, “All men are created equal”, in the Declaration of Independence, but like Tyler, held slaves of his own. Believing it was anti-democratic for the federal government to intervene on a state issue, and in an attempt to stymie the use of national political power, Tyler opposed all legislative attempts to abolish it. Instead, like Jefferson, he supported a weakening of the institution by banning its use in new territories, favoring the colonization of Africa for freed slaves, and hoping for a change of heart in the South. As such, neither did much to advance its demise. Despite the hypocrisy, both men suffered financial debts, and in part because of that, chose to hold on to their slaves until death.
But most of all, Tyler became known for setting the precedent for vice presidents who would ascend to the presidency mid-term. Rather than accept the demotion of acting president, Tyler went all in, making the office his own from day one. Thereon, what used to be considered a benign political choice, would raise the stakes for the VP candidate for the century that followed. Unfortunately, modern-day cultural nihilism has led to a surrender to identity politics, giving America one of the most unpopular VPs in Kamala Harris.
The District of Columbia became the site of the federal government, chosen for its prime location near the tidewaters of the Potomac River, mid-country between the North and the South on land ceded from Maryland and Virginia. But George Washington’s decision to birth his new nation on this solid foundation would eventually devolve into the swampy politics of today, with a capital city bulging at the seams. Cleaning up Washington isn’t easy. We need more Tyler’s to help drain the swamp.
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