New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-08


son. 49, . .
gNe fourth volume of Mr.. Schouer's History Oh
the United States opens with an lnteresuhs piCV
IRE of social life and manners at the tne vi jam
sons first Administration. 1t is in some respeos'
little more fattering than the descriptions "llio"'
when given by foreign observers sueh "S
Trolope and Dickens, raised storm OIL AnOAeH"
ton. The conditions in 1881, indeed "eio nvO
Of a kind TO invite laudatory comment rum ~
out. The country was then in the cailo"
If fulsome self-appreciatlon, and lis ways aaiu
manners were undeniably crude and unloVeH' LII
inimitable opportunities for maternal Prosi'1'
which crowded the horizon had sumui"Veu wv "
readv wel-disciplincd thrift Of the American P'O
| nile into a feverish and absorbing puieu'O
wealth Great energy and business capaci'y l.U
this passion and the superpostoh Oh ,n' 49,
race for the almighty dollar upon soci"l Wv -,
| ment previously destitute of Color er'ee anu
the civilizing influences Of leisure ana op"'o~oo
combined produced inevitably state OIL ui'hN'''
calculated to evoke harsh and bitter cr'uo'Sni.
The hard greed and dismal discomfort VI ''..'
+ransiont stare of social evolution have been re-
.noa,ooa s;nce then under widely differing CIR
cumstances. For anything like parallel 10 inc
80, 80 1871 as described by Mr.. Schoulef'
however. we must look to the far "esV "V ',0
roriod when gold and silver drew toSeiher tne
! r,oet enorCetc reckless and self-absorbed popua-
+io, on Tho face of the earth and when all thousnV
Of comfort beauty and civilized luxury was ca
| diminished by the ovcrmasterlnS lust oi r'oH'''
| The earlier society of Jacksons tne was Io'
grossly and wholly matcrallsuc thah thc SUI
| scoucnt mining communities, for the reason 'N"'
strong leaven of Puritanism stu remalneu' anu
rave n distinct flavor of eccleslasucism ~, '"0
esro,,oi1iro manners This indeed, tended TO
Of
Tho common ouest of money had left little put
49, forr, ~ rclioion in evidence. The spirit was
still deep in the hearts Of the people Dut JUS
sincere manifestations were longer to be sought'
in the swarming centres Of population. Inc
tendency of the times was mainly toward com
morce and business and what energy was uneN-
nended there found vent in politics. Mr.. Schonler
| preliminary description adds much to the general
| interest of his historical studies, ana IL kep1 III
mind may also be helpful in explaining some
poltical events which at first sight seem dlincub
| of comprehension.
| Tie view here taken Of General Jackson IS so
| we'll grounded that it is likely TO be accepted as
a final dispassionate judgment Inc President
desperate struggle with the United States Bank
which occurred so large q share of his Adminlsra-
ton, can hardly be regarded as having at any
time been n1otived By genuine public spirit. Jack
son was. in Truth, never constitutional execu-
tive, but a born absolutist, and his two terms
! illustrate the extent TO which q President OF
| Great will-power, persistence and disregard Tor
constitutional restraints may, even under so care
fully hcdged an organic Law as that OF the UGted
| States go in the direction of establishing
! one-man government. Jackson bulled and over
| rode Congress, and for a long time he was sup
! ported by the mass of the people, who failed to
perceive the dangers of his course, and who were
| fascinated by hiss unhlnchng boldness. Mr.
| Schouler holds, and tie evidence warrants the
conclusion, that Jaclson's fight with the bank
was the outcome Of purely personal quarrcl
| between himself and Nicholas Biddle. 1t is pos
sible that later on the President may have per-
suadcd himself that he was Influenced 10y public
! shirt solely. but clearly il he did think so, lie
| deceived himself. The Tcni0ydi OF the deposits
was an arbitrary and high-handcd act, which no
man possessing knowledge of finance would have
ventured upon but the cal,mitous consequences
Of which, by an irony of fate fell, not upon the
really responsible party, but upon his successor,
| Van Buren,.
The crisis of 837 not brought about by
the removal OF the deposits, Of course; but the
peonlc at the time held the Administration ac-
countable-as in point of fact the people always
have done, and perhaps always will do. Initiation
! and a thoroughly rotten currency are quite sui-
ccnt to explain the collapse Of credit; but it is a
fair question whether the Bank of the United
States, if let alone could not have withstood the
pressure better and longer than did the State
banks, among which the deposits were distributed
only to be engulfed in the general ruin. No
doubt Biddle made sad mess of his bank but
whether he would have done so had not Jackson
forced him into politics and compelled him in self
defence to become lobbyist and to administer q
corruption fund is question deserving consldera-
ton. Certain il is that there never was, since
the Middle Ages so brutal, reckless and malignant
an attack upon the credit of a great financial
| institution with whose interests the fortunes oil
thousands of helpless, innocent investors were
bound up, Jackson retired in time to avoid the
just penalty of his outrageous conduct. lie re
tired so opportunity that when the crash occurred
in Van Buren's term popular odium exhausted itsol
upon the Little Magician" and the occupant Of
the Hermitage, who had, more than any otEe
man. laid the trains and made the explosion in
evitable passed scatheless
Jackson's treatment Of the Notification husi
ness was Of quite another color. There he stood
on firm ground and there his peculiar tempcra
ment served the country well. 1t may indeed per
haps be regretted that on this occasion he was no
allowed the opportunity TO be as good as his word
The pusillanimty which for 50 many years before
and after kept the Northern representatives j!
Congress trailing at the heels OF the Southern
swashbucilers and running 10 anticipate the in
solent and ever growing demands of slavery inter
posed between the firm old man who had threat
ened TO arrest Calhoun " and hang him as high n
Hannah, for treason and the application Of In
force bill which had been tardily and timidl!
passed. There can be no doubt that If jackson
4 had had his way then South Carolina would hav
, been given no chance TO boast that she had CO
creed the North and ii is possible that Ola HEX
c ogy, in stamping out Notification, would hav
eXunguished those embers OF civil which after
! ward involved the whole country in despcrat
/ st.ife Jackson attitude, however WAS such tina
, the nulliiers were alarmed, and had Congress
simply done nothing they must have sustained