The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-03

Martin Van Buren was practically appointed by Andrew Jackson to suc- ceed him fin the White House. but the appointment did not take effect until after 1t had been ratified by the people at an election which marked the close of one of the most bitterly contested campaigns of our history. The. re- election of Jackson in 1892 upon the issue of his veto of the bill to rechar- ter the Bank of the United States had practically destroyed the National Re- publican Party. So in 1884 the ele- ments of opposition to Jackson organ ized under the name of sWhig," which. to some extent, had been the popular appeilation of the National Republicans. Henry Clay was the heart and soul of the new party, but it could not unite even fin opposition to Van Buren.
 In all the Northern States but Mas sachusetts the whigs supported Will Ham Henry Harrison. In Massachu- seffs Daniel Webster was the candi- date. Tn the South, except South Car- olina. Senator Hugh Lawson White of Tennessee was leading the anti-Jack- son battles. South Carolina was look ing out for itself, the Legislature ready 10 instruct electors to vote for any, body to defeat Jackson's man Van Bur- en. If the anti-Van Buren leaders had managed to get a majority of the elec- toral votes they would have deserted
  or some otheri leader, but that scheme was never put into effect. Van Buren had clear majority of both popular and electoral votes and Andrew Jack son's administration was once more en- dorsed.
 had been even more stormy than the frst. After Jackson was reelected the nttitude of the opposition was reflected, by such papers as The Boston Courier. which said: ''Yet there Is one comfort left God has promised that the days of the wicked shall be short; the wick ed Is old and feeble and he may die before he can be inaugurated. It Is the duty of every good Christian to pray to our Maker to have pity on
 south Carolina found out for certain that Jackson was reelected by the middle of November. 1882, and on No- veuber 2s the famous Ordinance of Notification was passed. The Tarin of Abominations was largely the work of Henry Clay and had not had much support from Jackson. But Calhoun and the Nullifyers, in fighting the tar aff., declaring 1t unconstitutional and Tui1 and void. were in the same po- litica1 bed with Clay so far as oppost. EiOn to Jackson was concerned.
 The burning words of Jackson's proc 1amatfon of December 10 was the first great and broad denial of the right or a State to oppose its single will against 4he power of the Federal Government, and Jackson's stand on that question saved the Union. But the nullihcation nuestiou was one which affected only a small portion of the people. The bank question was nationwide is- sue.
 baen vetoed during the campaign of 1sS2 and the voters had ratified the veto. The bank had exerted every poss sIbIe effort to elect Clay. IL did not take Jackson long to decide 10 use all his power to end the bank, without waiting for its charter to expire m 1888. His Secretary of the Treasury, William J. Duane, would not order the reAnoval of the Government deposits fn Vhe bank without authority from ConRress He also refused to resign his nosition. Whereupon he was re- moved and his portfolio given to Roger R Fancy of Maryland, who had been Attorney General Fancy removed the deposits and, in later years, was re. rvarded by appointment to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
 Strictly speaking. the deposits were not removed from the bank. Incoming funds were deposited in certain State banks, and the balance In the United states Bank was gradually exhausted bv drafts for current expenses. The eeIection of certain State banks as de- nosftaries gave rise to charges of fav- oritism and in the campaign of 1886 much was made of "Jackson's Pets" as such banks were known. But in spite of all the radical things and the entire destruction of the financial system up- on which the country had been con- dmcted, everybody prospered. The peo- ple were more prosperous than ever before. the government was in better financial condition than at any time, before or since, in it's history. By January, 1885. the national debt was all paid off and the country had to face the question of what to do with the surplus revenues.
 It was finally decided to distribute ft among the States in proportion to their representation In Congress. The states gave receipts for the money. over S2S,000, 900 in the aggregate, as if they were deposits, but everybody understood the money was not to be