f
State. Mr. Wise urged the Senator to write to Mr. Calhoun at once,
begging him not to decline the position should he be nominated and
confirmed. Mr. McDuffie did not ask Mr. Wise if he spoke by Mr.
Tyler's authority, but evidently believed that he was so authorized,
and promised to write to Mr. Calhoun by that afternoon's mail.

Mr. Wise then went to the Executive Mansion, where he found Mr.
Tyler in the breakfast room, much affected by the account of the
awful catastrophe of the previous day. Mr. Wise told him rather
abruptly that it was no time for grief, as there were vacancies in
the Cabinet to be filled, in order that urgent matters then under
his control might be disposed of. "What is to be done?" asked
President Tyler. Mr. Wise had an answer ready: "Your most important
work is the annexation of Texas, and the man for that work is John
C. Calhoun, as Secretary of State. Send for him at once."

"No, sir!" replied the President, rather coldly. "The annexation
of Texas is important, but Mr. Calhoun is not the man of my choice."
This was rather a damper on Mr. Wise, but he resolutely insisted
on Mr. Calhoun's appointment, and finally the President yielded.
The nomination was sent to the Senate and confirmed without
opposition. Mr. Calhoun came to Washington, and was soon installed
as Secretary of State. It took him only from February 28th to
April 12th to conclude the negotiation which placed the "Lone Star"
in the azure field of the ensign of the Republic. The treaty of
annexation was signed and sent to the Senate for ratification, but
after a protracted discussion it was rejected by a vote of sixteen
yeas to thirty-five nays. Stephen A. Douglas, who had just entered
Congress as one of the seven Representatives from Illinois, came
to the front at that time as the principal advocate for the remission
of a fine which had been imposed upon General Jackson by Judge Hall
at New Orleans twenty-five years before.

This was the first move made by Mr. Douglas in his canvass for the
Presidency, but he was soon prominent in that class of candidates
of whom Senator William Allen, of Ohio, said, "Sir! they are going
about the country like dry-goods drummers, exhibiting samples of
their wares." Always on the alert to make new friends and to retain
old ones, he was not only a vigorous hand-shaker, but he would
throw his arms fondly around a man, as if that man held the first
place in his heart. No statement was