The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-01-13
NUMBER 1873.


ll183l-2, over the confirmation of Mr. Van
Buren, as Minister to England. During a
running fire of some days he was unmerci-
fully seathed by Clay, Poindexter, Hayne
and Webster, and heartily, but Inadequate
ly, defended by Marcy, Forsyth, and Smith.
"A breach had been made in the Democratic
party. Calhoun, then Vice President and
four OF his friends, had Joined the opposi-
tion, ana Van Buren, was rejected by the
casting vote OF Calhoun. Marcy's colleague
was q. f. Dudley, wealthy gentleman of
Albany, whose amiable widow has in our
day contributed her money and her name to
an Observatory which seems quite as pro-
vocative of strife as Van Buren's nomina-
ton. Marcy was poor debater; Dudley
'was'no debater at all. Mareyls extraordina-
ry administrative talents did not enable him
to cope with the great orators in the SEN
atej and he gladly assumed the gubernato-
rial chair OF New York, snrrendering his
Senatorial seat to Silas Wright.
We must also pass over, with the faintest
allRsions, the South Carolina nullifying or
dihanee, which never was intended to be
put in force, and Gen. Jackson,s counter
proclamation, not one of which he was ever
suspected of writing; and those twin Con-
gressional measures, the "Force bill,n and
e"'Tariff' compromise designed to com
pei Carolina to pay her sugar duties and to
sweeten the oompulsion by the prospective
ruin of the New England manufactnrers-
all of which questions kindled controversies
whose fires, yet burn: - ~ s.ag-
The passage of a. bill re-charterine the
United States Bank and its veto by the
President, and the trmult which followed
and the reelection of jackson, and the
brawl soon after on the floor of the Senate
between Clay and Benton, where each gave
the other the lie, and used language which
would disgrace pot house-are not all
these things written in the "Thirty Years
View ?as} s1sI 49, @t A
During these stormy times many renown-
ed party chiefs gathered in the Senate
Though Hayne, Holmes and Livingston had
left the Chamber, the coming in of Clay,
Calhoun, Gtundy, Dallas, Buchanan, John
Davis, Wright, Talmadge, Leigh Reeves,
Southard Mangum, Preston, Forsyth, Poin-
dexter, Grittenden, Ewing, Walker and
Hill, enabled the Senate to stiIf more impe-
riously dominate Congressional proceedings
during Jackson's last term. BY the bys. it
was Hill that introduced into Congress that
worst of nuisances, the reading of manu-
script essays nuisance which continues
unabated, and grows more noxious with
every session.
/ In the autumn of 1893, Jackson removed
Duane because Duane would not Hremove
the deposits" from the United States Bank:
and he appointed Taney in his place be-
cause he would This was the boldest act
ever ventured upon even by jackson. The
Secretary who did his bidding was, two
-of arIo 1a1 Al,
so long worn by the illustrious Marshal.
The "Bank War" now ragged furiously
on all sides, the Senate Chamber being the
principal field of combat Calhoun had de-
scended to the floor and Van Buren presided
in his place. The union of Clay, Calhoun
and Webster was likened to the conspiracy
of Caesar, Pompey and Crassus. They were
called the Triumvrate" CLAY offered his
famous resolutions denouncing the removal
of the deposits. The debate was of surpass-
ing interest. Infammatory public meet
ings, held even on Sunday, there being "no
Sabbaths in revolutionary times long
rolls of memorials-the visit of numerous
committees to Washington-the fulmina-
tions Of the press-the resolutions of State
Legislatures, stimulated the Senatorial COM
batants. Clay's proud crest lowered high
over the field, like the plume of Henry of
Navarro at the battle of Ivry. As usual, he
was imperious and brilliant, while Webster
was argumentative and majestic, Benton
learned and dogmatic, Wright logical and
digni6ed, Woodbury. statistical and respect
ful. But Calhoun, stung by Jackson's pref
erence for Van Burcn, and driven to the op-
position by his Proclamation, he hisged out
through compressed lips his scathing ana
themas of the President and his protege-
After three months debate the resolutions
were adopted. Then followed the celebrated
"Protest" of Jackson against the Senate
rial proceedings. No sooner was the paper
laid on the Secretarys desk, than "Old
Poins," (as the galleries used to call Poin-
dexter) made a motion that it be not re-
ceived. The debate now broke forth afresh;
and after raging with rare virulence three
weeks, resolutions strongly condemning the
Protest were adopted. 1t is Websters
speech against the Protest that contains the
graphic figure, where he speaks of our rev.
olutionary fathers contending against " a
power which had dotted over the surface of
the whole globe with her possessions and
military posts, whose morning drum beat
I following the sum- and keeping company
with the hours, circles the earth with one
continuous and unbroken strain of the mar
tial airs of England
During these turbulent months, the Hero
of the Hermitage coursed up and down the
White House, roaring and chatting like
Gagged lion; while he of Undertook presid-
ed over the gladiators with visage as placid
| and pulse as evens:when walking among
his lindens on the banks of the Hudson.
On the adoption of Clays resolutions,
Benton offered his famous "expunging"
resolution, giving notice that he should CON
| tinue to offer it till itpassed or he ceased to
be Senator. After two or three warm de-
bates on this resolution in different years,
he called it up for final action in January,
/ 1887. Calhoun and Clay uttered severe
I phillipics against it. Webster read solemn
protest against it. Other Senators protract-
ed the beaten discussion far into the night.
The lobbies galleries, and floor were crowd
ed with excited spectators The question
was put-the resolution was adopted. The
manuscript journal of the Senate was pro-
duced. The Secretary proceeded to draw
! black lines around the obnoxious resolutions
/ of Clay. A storm of misses, groans, and
/ execrations burst from the galleries. Ben
ton, shouting like a bedlamite demanded