On the first presidential ballot of the 1852 Whig National Convention , Fillmore received 133 of the necessary 147 votes , while Scott won 131 and Webster won 29 . Although both Webster and Fillmore were willing to withdraw in favor of the other , their respective delegates at the convention were unable to unite around one candidate , and Scott took the nomination on the 53rd ballot . Webster was personally devastated by the defeat , and he refused to endorse Scott 's candidacy . Webster allowed various third party groups to nominate him for president , although he did not openly condone these efforts . Scott proved to be a poor candidate , and he suffered the worst defeat in Whig history , losing to Democratic nominee Franklin Pierce . Thousands of anti-Scott Whigs and members of the nativist Native American Party cast their vote for Webster
1852 Whig National Convention
1852 Whig National Convention
Daniel Webster