The age-herald., 1898-03-02
Presidents ME1O Have
 Leaders

the hard task of maintaining statesmanlike steadiness and wisdom in establishing sound precedents for the details of the gov ernment under the constitution.
 Jefferson's power as a leader was, after he reached the presidency, revealed chief ly in his annexation of LouisiGna- Jefer- son did not expect or seek the whole of the Louisiana province, but only the part of 1t at the southerly end of the Mississippi, to give the United States control of the navigation of that river. But France was in serious trouble, and it's extremity at that particular time was the United States op- portunity. A new war between England and France was about to break out, and Bonaparte needed money more urgently than he did Louisiana He thought 1t were better to sell Louisiana for what he could get than to attempt to hold 1t and run the chance of letting England capture it. In either alternative France would lose Louisiana, but in the first one she would have some money instead of 1t and would forever place it out of England's reach, while in the second she would have neither territory nor money, and would build up England at Frances expense. Thus the United States got the whole of Louis- jana instead of little piece of it near the Mississippi's mouth. Nevertheless, the credit for Louisiana's acquisition belongs to Jefferson. It was the great exploit of his administration, and reflects nearly as much glory upon him as does his author shin of tho Declaration of Independence He SOW earlier than almost any other public man of his day the importance of getting control of the Mississippi, and he was the author of the project through which this control was acquired
 The contest by which he defeated the | movement to get an extension of the char ter for the United States bank was Jack sons greatest achievement in leadership while he was president. In this fight he showed persistence, courage, dexterity and immense power over the people. He be- gan his attack on the bank in his first an- | nual message, in 1929, seven years before the banks charter was to expire, and long before any practical attempt was made to secure it's renewal. oBth branches of con- gress were against him on this question at the outset. So was part of the cabinet. So probably was a majority of the people. So unouestionably throughout the whole contest was nearly the entire business ele- ment of the country without distinction of party A great party, the national re- publican, under one of the most eloquent and resourceful partisan chieftains, Henry Clay, whom the country has known, es- poused the cause of the bank, yet Jackson was easily and overwhelmingly victorious.
 Here was one of the most exciting and momentous contests in which a president of the United States ever engaged. Jack son assailed the bank on account of its unconstitutionality and inexpediency. These were strange charges. In the congress of 17S9-91 which created the first United States bank, were many men who had helped to frame the constitution two or three years earlier, and who, presumably, knew something of the scope of the power which that instrument gave to congress, and the man who signed the bank act In 1791, George Washington, had presided over the convention which framed the constitu- tion. The second United States bank, the one which Jackson assailed, which was on the same lines as the first United States bank, was created in 1916 by an act signed by the man, James Madison, who was called the father of the constitution" In 1S19 the legality of the act which estab- lshed the bank was affirmed by the su- preme court, one of the purposes of which tribunal is the interpretation of the con- stitution. This ought to have settled the question of the constitutionality of the | bank Its expediency was affirmed, so far | as regards the first bank, by the judgment | of Hamilton, Washington and the rest of l the federalsts, and, far as regards the second bank, by that of Gallatin, Crawford, Madison and nearly all the other democrats of national standing, and by practically the entire business interest of the country. Still Jackson swept the country on the bank issue, secured congress favorable to his view, and easily defeated all the at- tempts to extend the banks charter. Very few persons in the United States now of
 
 party, defend Jacksons course in the bank contest. His arguments against the bank were folly, his assertions of the 'malign" influence it, would have on politics and business were chimeras, and it's overthrow was one of the principal causes of the panic of 1S37 the most extensive and dis astrous financial convulsion which the country ever had. As an exhibition of power of will and of personal influence in overawing congress and cabinets and in swaying the people, however, Jacksons management of the bank contest was the greatest achievement of any president in the field of practical politics.
 No president between Jackson and Lin- coin was great leader Van Buren was the most accomplished politician who has ever been at the head of the government, and in his own state he was power for many years, but he had less influence on the people in the nation at large than sev- eral other presidents who had far less po-