and ignored him. But the man came straight for him, and as he drew closer, Christopher realized thathe looked vaguely familiar. His features were sharp and foxlike in a round face framed by a luxuriant set of side-whiskers.
"Might you be the young Christopher Groves I have heard so much about?" asked the man pleasantly, his mellow voice perfectly modulated, his diction precise.
Christopher stood up quickly. "Yes, sir, I am."
The man fumbled with trying to hold the roses and shears in one hand, then gave up the attempt and placed them on the bench Christopher had just vacated. Peeling off one of the heavy leather gauntlets, he extended a small, soft, white hand.
"I am very pleased to meet you at last, sir."
Christopher gripped the hand firmly and shook it. "You have me at a disadvantage, I'm afraid."
The man's eyes twinkled with merriment. "Martin Van Buren, at your service."
"Mr. Secretary!" Christopher was mortified. "I . . . I didn't recognize you!"
Van Buren chuckled good-naturedly. "And how could you, lad? I am not my usual picture of sartorial perfection, now am I? The President is kind enough to permit me to putter about in this splendid garden of his. Horticulture is a passion of mine. He, on the other hand, prefers trees to flowers. By his order they are transforming these grounds into a veritable jungle. Ah, well. There is nothing done that cannot be undone. That's my motto. Or one of them, anyway. I am fond of mottoes. My goal is to have one for every occasion. So tell me, are they treating you well?"
"Like royalty, sir."
"Good, good. I suppose the President has been trying his best to talk you into going to Texas."
"Why, yes, as a matter of fact he has been."
Van Buren nodded. "It has become something of an obsession with him. A knotty issue, Texas."
Christopher found himself completely at ease with thisman, the wily politician they called the Fox of Kinder-hook. Van Buren was an extremely ambitious man, but so disarming in his amiable charm that few could dislike him for it. That was the key to his uncanny ability to manipulate others into doing his will. His cherubic features and warm, genuine smile disguised a man of extraordinary intelligence and cunning.
Van Buren was a New Yorker, an "Old Republican" and longtime foe of DeWitt Clinton. A master at political organization, he had proved instrumental in Jackson's triumph at the polls in the Northeast. He believed in small government and free trade, and so was strongly opposed to the "American System" of internal improvements and high tariffs which defined the politics of John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay. For this reason he had allied himself—at first reluctantly—with Old Hickory. They were a most unlikely pair, the rough-hewn backwoods planter and military hero, and the smooth-tongued, urbane gentleman from the East, the warrior and the scholar, the one preferring to settle quarrels with pistols and swords, the other with words.
Jackson had chosen Van Buren to be his Secretary of State, largely out of gratitude for the "Little Magician's" invaluable support during the election of 1828. At the time, Jackson had known precious little about Van Buren, and what little he did know he did not particularly like, being by nature as well as experience critical of professional politicians, especially those of the eastern variety. But now Van Buren was Old Hickory's most trusted confidant and loyal associate. And while the volatile John C. Calhoun of South Carolina was the vice president, and the most obvious choice as Jackson's heir-apparent, it was said that the General preferred Van Buren for his successor. This was due in no small measure to the fact that Calhoun was on the wrong side of the Peggy Eaton controversy, at least from thePresident's perspective, while the crafty Fox of Kinderhook had wisely become Peggy's champion.
"Sir, what do you think will happen with Texas?" asked Christopher.
"Oh, I do not doubt for a moment that the General will
"Might you be the young Christopher Groves I have heard so much about?" asked the man pleasantly, his mellow voice perfectly modulated, his diction precise.
Christopher stood up quickly. "Yes, sir, I am."
The man fumbled with trying to hold the roses and shears in one hand, then gave up the attempt and placed them on the bench Christopher had just vacated. Peeling off one of the heavy leather gauntlets, he extended a small, soft, white hand.
"I am very pleased to meet you at last, sir."
Christopher gripped the hand firmly and shook it. "You have me at a disadvantage, I'm afraid."
The man's eyes twinkled with merriment. "Martin Van Buren, at your service."
"Mr. Secretary!" Christopher was mortified. "I . . . I didn't recognize you!"
Van Buren chuckled good-naturedly. "And how could you, lad? I am not my usual picture of sartorial perfection, now am I? The President is kind enough to permit me to putter about in this splendid garden of his. Horticulture is a passion of mine. He, on the other hand, prefers trees to flowers. By his order they are transforming these grounds into a veritable jungle. Ah, well. There is nothing done that cannot be undone. That's my motto. Or one of them, anyway. I am fond of mottoes. My goal is to have one for every occasion. So tell me, are they treating you well?"
"Like royalty, sir."
"Good, good. I suppose the President has been trying his best to talk you into going to Texas."
"Why, yes, as a matter of fact he has been."
Van Buren nodded. "It has become something of an obsession with him. A knotty issue, Texas."
Christopher found himself completely at ease with thisman, the wily politician they called the Fox of Kinder-hook. Van Buren was an extremely ambitious man, but so disarming in his amiable charm that few could dislike him for it. That was the key to his uncanny ability to manipulate others into doing his will. His cherubic features and warm, genuine smile disguised a man of extraordinary intelligence and cunning.
Van Buren was a New Yorker, an "Old Republican" and longtime foe of DeWitt Clinton. A master at political organization, he had proved instrumental in Jackson's triumph at the polls in the Northeast. He believed in small government and free trade, and so was strongly opposed to the "American System" of internal improvements and high tariffs which defined the politics of John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay. For this reason he had allied himself—at first reluctantly—with Old Hickory. They were a most unlikely pair, the rough-hewn backwoods planter and military hero, and the smooth-tongued, urbane gentleman from the East, the warrior and the scholar, the one preferring to settle quarrels with pistols and swords, the other with words.
Jackson had chosen Van Buren to be his Secretary of State, largely out of gratitude for the "Little Magician's" invaluable support during the election of 1828. At the time, Jackson had known precious little about Van Buren, and what little he did know he did not particularly like, being by nature as well as experience critical of professional politicians, especially those of the eastern variety. But now Van Buren was Old Hickory's most trusted confidant and loyal associate. And while the volatile John C. Calhoun of South Carolina was the vice president, and the most obvious choice as Jackson's heir-apparent, it was said that the General preferred Van Buren for his successor. This was due in no small measure to the fact that Calhoun was on the wrong side of the Peggy Eaton controversy, at least from thePresident's perspective, while the crafty Fox of Kinderhook had wisely become Peggy's champion.
"Sir, what do you think will happen with Texas?" asked Christopher.
"Oh, I do not doubt for a moment that the General will
Similar Books
