Page:Lives of the presidents in words of one syllable (1903).djvu/67

 was Sec-re-ta-ry of State when Jack-son was Chief, from 1829 to 1831, Vice-Pres-i-dent in 1833, and Pres-i-dent in 1837.

The first thing Pres-i-dent Van Bu-ren did was to end the war with the In-di-ans. Then, in a few months, came hard times, when the banks failed and trade was at a stand still. There was no work, and some tried to put the blame for these things on the Pres-i-dent. Van Bu-ren said that one cause of the hard times was that folks now had a wish to live too high and spend too much, in place of the plain ways of the old times.

Some of the folks in Can-a-da, late in the year of 1837, said they would set up their own laws and that we must help them. The Pres-i-dent was firm and said we should not do it. Still there were some who thought they would give their help, and quite a large force left New York and set out for Can-a-da, but they were soon put down.

It was a long pull and a hard pull for Van Bu-ren all through his term of four years. It was write, talk, act, and try to keep down the flings of those who did not like him. Van Bu-ren was a bright man, and did the best that could be done at that time. As his four years were near their end it was known that a race would come as to the one who should next have the chair. Some said "Give the post to the rich man, Van Bu-ren, of the White House." More said, "Give the chair to the poor man, Gen. Har-ri-son of the Log Cab-in." Har-ri-son had made a name in the In-di-an wars, and stood high as a he-ro in the land, and more votes came to him, so he got the post.

When near four score years old, Van Bur-en died, in 1872, at his old home at Kin-der-hook.