Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-29
Some Things You Want to Know
The American Congress-Jackson Versus The Senate.

mittance. The servant explained that the
surgeons were cutting a bullet out OF the
presidents arm. Then III 20 In and see
It. I was present when the bullet went in,
said Benton, striding past the servant and
into the house.
Clay, supported by Webster and Calhoun.
fought Benton to the bitter end. Once
Benton was persuaded to permit the amend
ment Of his resolution by striking out the
word "expunge' and Inserting "rescind,
reverse and make null and void" webster
then made the mistake Of g~loating over
this amendment as an antl-Jackson victory.
Webster's speech renewed Benton's courage
and determination and he Immediately Of
fered the resolution In its original form
with the Objectionable word in its old place.
The fight was on again.
The issue before the country was to ex-
punge or not to Cxpunge. Legislatures
elected senators with that question in mind,
and gradually the Jackson forces became
stronger and stronger. The Bank war was
carried on into the next presidential cam
paign, when Jackson practically ordered
the people to elect Martin Van Buren, in
his stead. The Wings were demoralized and
the Jackson forces again swept the country
in spite of the effort to stem the tide with
another war hero-General william Henry
Harrison. The election over, Benton re-
newed his battle in the senate. It was ap-
parent that the hour of victory had come,
the three great chiefs, Clay, Calhoun and
Webster, fought on. Senators came to the
capitol armed, in anticipation Of violence.
Washington was practically divided into
two armed camps, bank men and Jackson
men.
But the winning ~eloquence Of Clay, the
icy logic of Calhoun and the profound
reasoning Of Webster were not equal to the
popularity Of Jackson marshalled under
the admirable captaincy Of Benton. On
January 16, 1887, the resolution to ex-
punge was adopted by a vote of twenty
four to nineteen. The secretary Of the
senate produced the journal, and in the
open senate In the presence of the demo-
Gratis, nearly all the wings had left the
chamber, he drew a series Of broad, black
lines around the resolution of censure,
and wrote across it's face the words: Elk
plunged by order Of the senate this. the
18th day Of January, 1887" That page is
one of the most interesting things to be
seen in the capitol today, and the slip on
which the roll call was noted by the
clerks is on exhibition in a glass case at
the library Of congress.
This was complete vindication of jack
son by congress for his action in defylng
the will Of congress, but 1t did not end the
bank war. Van Buren, failed Of recollection,
being defeated by the whig hero, General
Harrison, whom he had defeated four
years earlier. Clay considered himself the
leader Of the whig party, however, hold
ing to the old notion that congress was
supreme. Harrison, unfortunately for the
whig plans, lived but a month and was
succeeded by John Tyler, whom the wings
had nominated for vice president in the
hope of conciliating the old "nullifier''
element. Clay made the mistake Of ignor-
ing Tyler, and set himself UP to lead and
rule the party and to dictate to the presi-
dent. Tyler was incensed with Clay, and
ne listened to promises of reelection from
men who surrounded him. Congress passed
a bill to charter a bank and another re-
pealing the Independent treasury act. Tyler
signed the treasury repeal bill and vetoed
the bank charter. He pointed out his OBJ
tectlons carefully In his veto message. The
whig congress, led by the enrased Clay
passed another bill, meeting Tyler's OBJ.
j~ections. But Tyler vetoed it also.
The influence of Andrew Jackson was
strong in Washington then, n that in.
fluence supported a president who wai
openly despised by the leader Of the wings
Tyler vetoed the bank bill to be revenget
on Clay. Thus, for the second time, Clay
had delivered a body blow to the ~nationa
bank by overestimating his own powers
and Understanding those of his chic.
enemy.
In the tragic record Of the defeat o.
Clay's ambitions it is a remarkable fac.
that 1t was Clay's speech against the re
charter of the first bank of The United
States, delivered III 1911, which caused
jackson to question the constitutionalit
Of the bank in his first message to con
gress That Clay was right in the MAR
features of his contention for the necessity
of the bank is now generally admitted
But he was most unfortunate in the con
duct of his cempaign for his cause.
The second veto by Tyler ended the banl
war as a live issue. A greater question haC
come 10 the front. and the country wa.
about to be plunged into the strife of tn,
struggle over slavery. Jackson regaineC
domination of congress, and he nominated
and elected Polk president, His organiza
ton was compact, and the wings wer,
never able to successfully wage wal
against it, although they did once agair
elect a president. But the bank was dead
and it is only now, more than a half cen
fury since Old Hlckory's' death, that {
serious proposal has been made to establish
a national bank. Senator Aldrich is nov
fighting the ghost Of Andrew Jackson
The issue of the battle is for the future t
reveal.
BY EREDERIc ]. EAsKn.
-
TomorroW-THE AMERICAN CON
GREss-The Great Slavery Battle.