to create a money panic, and to compel the President to replace the deposits in the United States bank. Meetings were called all over the country and Jackson was denounced in the most violent terms, as the author of the "distress of the country.' This brought about the general

money panic of 1834.

A bill was passed for the equalization of gold and silver, and for making gold and silver of foreign coin a legal tender. This caused gold and silver, which paper had banished to foreign countries, to flow back in the usual course of commerce and customs. This caused manufacture, agriculture, and commerce to prosper, and with this general prosperity came the downfall of the bank. Thus, did the sagacity, patriotism, and firmness of Jackson and the democratic party save the Union from the power, oppression and dominion of a "moneyed king." In 1832, the Whigs, with Clay at their head, introduced their favorite system of a "high protective tariff.” Jackson, in his message, recommended the abolition of duties on articles of comfort and necessity. Clay threatened a dissolution of the Union, if his favorite bill for a "high tariff" was not passed. Calhoun and his friends threatened a dissolution of the Union on the passage of a "high protective tariff."

South Carolina, grieved by the passage of this high traiff bill, on the 24th of Nov. 1832, issued her nullification ordinance declaring the tariff of 1828 and 1832, unconstitutional, null and void, and declaring it unlawful to "enforce the payment of duties imposed by the said act within the limits of this state." That if the general government attempted to collect said duties they would proceed to organize a separate government and "do all other acts and things which sovereign and independent states may of right do." Calhoun resigned the Vice-Presidency and was chosen United States Senator. Jackson issued his famous proclamation against nullification; and sent a message to Congress recommending a reduction of the tariff as a compromise. This shows that Jackson, as well as the Democratic party, always considered a tariff as a mere incident to revenue and not for the fostering of monopolies. Clay offered a compromise on the tariff, and in a speech, Feb. 12, 1833, he said: "I behold a torch about being applied to a favorite edifice, and I should save it if possible, before it was wrapt in flames, or at least preserve the precious furniture which it contains." Calhoun accepted Clay's tariff compromise and gave it his support; thus, compromise saved the Union then. Oh, that we had Jackson as President in 1861, he could have averted a civil war ! On the heads of the Radicals, rests their part of that awful responsibility. 66 "The democrats have, on all occasions, tried to quiet the prejudices and fears of the people by compromise. They have adhered to the constitution and constitutional laws, justice and equal political rights. They have always endeavored to prevent a conflict between the Jurisdiction of the states and the Federal Government, by moderation and conciliatory measures. Their mottoes have been liberty, equality and fraternity. They have respected the rights of the citizens of the Union without respect to Geographical lines-No North, no South, no East, no West. Our government rests on three massive columns, liberty, equality and fraternity. Destroy any one of them; and then we may cry, alas for civil glory!"

Mr. Van Buren in his inaugural, March 4th, 1837, indicated that the policy of his administration would be a strict adherence to the principles of Thomas Jefferson-a compliance with the expressed provisions of the constitution. That the administration should give the constitution a strict construction-a strict economy in the administration of the government. The democrats held that it was dangerous for Congress to interfere with

Slavery, but to leave that question with the states that were interested. That Congress had no power to abolish slavery in the district of Columbia, or in the territories; or to interfere with it in the states.

The abolitionists held that the government has been built on anti-slavery principles. The national bank failed to pay and tried to have the President sanction its recharter. Vermont, in 1837-8, sent a memorial to Congress against the annexation of Texas, for the Whigs of the North were now becoming abolitionized. They had assumed a sectional aspect. They did not want Texas as they knew she would become a democratic state and would increase the power of the South in the Councils of the nation. For they preferred their party to the glory and prosperity of the nation. This movement of the abolitionists of Vermont was followed by petitions from the North praying for the abolition of slavery, in the territories and in the District of Columbia; and against the annexation of Texas, as they knew she would be a Slave State. The whigs and abolitionists were opposed to the acquisition of Florida, Louisiana and Texas. Greeley's Am. Conf. vol. 1, pp. 149 to 178 inclusive. This agitation of the abolitionists grew from year to year until it ended in blood, in 1861. For notwithstanding what the Radical writers may say, the slavery agitation in Congress created a sectional party which kept on increasing in power until the election of Lincoln on a sectional platform which led to secession and rebellion!! This will be the verdict of posterity. Had the American people wisely followed the admonition of Washington in his farewell address, and avoided a sectional party, there would be no rebellion. The democratic party frequently appealed to the abolitionists to keep the slavery agitation out of the halls of Congress. On this occasion Clay offered the following resolution: "That the interference by Citizens of any of the States, with the view to the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia is endangering the rights and security of the people of the district; and any act or measure of the Congress designed to abolish slavery in the district, would be a violation of the faith implied in the cessions by the states of Virginia and Maryland-a just cause of alarm to the people of the slaveholding states— and have a direct and inevitable tendency to disturb and endanger the Union."-Benton.

This resolution passed, yeas 340, nays 8. Second resolution:

"Resolved-That every attempt of the Congress to abolish slavery in the territories, in which it exists would create serious alarm and just apprehension in the states that sustain that domestic institution, and would be a violation of good faith towards the inhabitants of every such territory, who have been permitted to settle with, and hold, slaves therein; and because, when any such territory shall be admitted into the Union as a state, the people thereof shall be entitled to decide that question exclusively for themselves." The vote stood yeas 36, nays 8.-Benton.

This was the doctrine of Statesmen, during Van Buren's administration-to let the people of the territories decide for themselves on the question of slavery. This agitation was carried to the House, which claimed the southern members. The slavery agitation in Congress now became permanent, and entered into the debates of Congress, gradually widening the gulf between the North and South, until it finally culminated in blooduntil it brought on the most terrific rebellion known in the annals of the world! We give a brief sketch of emancipation in the North. All of the Colonies held slaves, except Massachusetts, before the revolution. The Puritans held Indian and Negro slaves. But slavery was not profitable in New England-slaves were kept as a mark of family distinction and aristocracy.-Greeley's Am. Conf. vol. i, pp. 30, 35, 36. Massachusetts

claimed that the constitution of 1780 abolished slavery. Pennsylvania passed gradual emancipation in 1780; Vermont abolished slavery in 1777; New Hampshire 1783; Rhode Island 1784; Connecticut 1784; New York 1799, and New Jersey 1804.

A bill was introduced in Congress to graduate the price of the public lands and passed the senate, but was lost in the House. The Whigs moved to amend the bill confining its provisions to citizens of the United States, only which amendment was opposed by the democracy! Let foreigners never forget that were it not for the democrats this bill would have passed which would have excluded thousands of foreigners from the public lands who would be compelled to purchase lands from speculators.

After a violent struggle between the administration of Van Buren and the Whigs the government revenue was divorced from the bank; and the government funds placed in the custody of the government officers! This measure is known as the Subtreasury Act. In 1839, the banks failed and created another money panic, as a means of defeating the democracy and electing a whig President who would favor a rechartering of the United States Bank. In the campaign of 1840, the Whigs dropped Clay and nominated General Harrison, who was elected with the promises of "roast beef and two dollars a day," the corruption of the money power, "Coon-skins," "hard-cider," and log cabins." In 1839, the abolitionists held a convention at Warsaw, New York, November 13. The convention nominated James G. Birney, of New York, for President, and Francis J. Lemoyne, of Pennsylvania for VicePresident. They received a total vote of 7,609. Thus, the abolitionists could poll but this paltry vote, 1840. Yet, in 1860, after twenty years, they were able to elect Abraham Lincoln on an anti-slavery platform! In 1853, on the political suicide of the whig party, the abolitionists fused with the Whigs, Native Americans and apostate democrats and raised the standard of anti-slavery. In the halls of Congress, in the state legislatures, through the press and from the pulpit and the Stump, private and public gatherings, nothing was heard from this fusion party but denunciation of slavery, until it finally succeeded in electing Lincoln as its standard-bearer, who in a speech, in 1858, said that the country could not exist half free and half slave. That the country could not rest secure until slavery should be ultimately abolished in the states. Greeley says the first abolition society was formed in Penn. 1774; New York Manumission society, 1785: that of Rhode Island 1786; Maryland 1789; Virginia 1791; and New Jersey 1792.-Greeley's American Conflict vol. 1, p. 107. The American Colonization society was established 1816. The society and colonization were opposed and condemned by the abolitionists-Greeley, Garrison, and Wendell Phillips.-Greeley vol. 1, p. 73. The first abolition convention was held in Philadelphia, 1824.-Greeley, p. 113. William Lloyd Garrison and other abolitionists had for their motto, "Our country is the world—our countrymen all mankind"-"No union with slaveholders"-The Constitution is a covenant with death and an agreement with hell."-Greeley's American Conflict vol. 1, p. 116. The Garrisonians were stanch supporters of women's rights. In 1776, the Quakers were opposed to slavery.—Ibid 118. The apostates of the old abolition school were infidels."-Greeley vol. 1, p. 121. But the modern Abolitionists were professed churchmen.-Ibid. The mails, in 1835, were loaded with abolition documents. Such was the feeling against abolitionists, in 1835, Garrison was led through the streets of Boston with a rope around his body.-Ibid. 127. England liberated her West Indian slaves to embarrass the south and finally to bring about a dissolution of the Union, lavished her gold on English and American abolitionists to attain her ends. For this purpose she sent over, in 1833, one

George Thompson an eminent English Abolitionist to promote abolitionism in this country and finally a dissolution of the Union. After Harrison's election, he called an extra session of Congress; but died before it met. The duties of the office of President devolved on John Tyler, the VicePresident.

On the meetings of Congress, Clay submitted the following resolution: Resolved-As the opinion of the Senate, that at the present session of Congress no business ought to be transacted, but such as being of an important or urgent nature, may be supposed to have influenced the extraordinary convention of Congress, and such as that the postponement of it might be materially detrimental to the public interest."

The Whigs passed a bill, entitled A bill for incorporating a United States bank, which was vetoed by the President, John Tyler, who was once a democrat but went over to the Whigs. The President was now denounced by Clay, in the senate, who charged him with bad faith towards the Whigs. A second bill passed and was vetoed by the president. Such was the violence and mortification of the Whigs and the friends of the bank that they hissed the veto message in the galleries of the senate. This was only eclipsed by the Radicals hissing in the galleries of the senate on the impeachment trial of President Johnson because he was acquitted !!

Such was the chagrin and disappointment of the Whigs, that immediately after the second veto, the cabinet who were Whigs, resigned, with the exception of Webster, the Secretary of State; who exclaimed "where shall I go?" The President was denounced by the Whigs. A final separation took place between the President and the Whigs about the close of this session of Congress. The United States bank after a vigorous struggle with the democratic party expired and became an "obsolete idea; " until the Federalists, under the guise of a Republican party name got into power in 1860, and as soon as they found the country disturbed by a stupendous rebellion, they established, not only a United States bank, but banks, until now, their name is legion! An attempt to annex Texas during Tyler's administration failed. The annexation of Texas was made an important issue in the election of James K. Polk. John Quincy Adams and others said, in 1843, that an annexation of Texas would justify a dissolution of the Union.-Greeley, vol. 1, p. 160. Clay was opposed to the annexation of Texas without the consent of Mexico.-Ibid. 164. Greeley and the abolitionists opposed the annexation of Texas--Ibid. 168-9. The abolitionists renewed the agitation of slavery in Congress. On 12 August 1846, Mr. Wilmot, of Pennsylvania, offered his famous proviso, as a condition of the annexation of Texas.

"That no part of the territory to be acquired should be open to the institution of slavery. This proviso formed the nucleus for the Free soil party, in 1848, and for the fusion party in 1853-4. This sectional party had but one idea -Hostility to slavery, the abolition of slavery, no more slave states. democrats held that congress had "no power to legislate upon slavery in the territories."

The

This doctrine of "non-intervention," got the name of squatter sovereignty from John C. Calhoun, in 1848, for the extremists north and south were opposed to non-intervention. The abolitionists claimed that Congress had the right of excluding slavery in the territories, while the Calhoun party claimed that Congress had power to protect slavery in the territories, the same as other property, while the friends of non-intervention held that the people of the territories were the best judges whether they wanted slavery or not, so that Congress should leave the whole subject of slavery with the

people of the territories who could vote slavery up or down. Texas was annexed to the Union during Polk's administration, which led to the Mexican war.

CHAPTER XI.

The Democratic party met in convention, at Baltimore, in 1848. Two sets of delegates presented themselves from the State of New York, one set in favor of the nomination of General Cass; the other of Martin Van Buren. The convention rejected both, leaving the great State of New York unrepresented which had voted for a democratic President, since the organization of the party by Thomas Jefferson. General Cass was the regular nominee of the democratic party. The disappointed Van Buren party met at Utica, and afterwards at Buffalo and nominated Martin Van Buren for President. The Buffalo platform consisted of one idea-hostility to slavery-the negro hobby for politicians to ride into power. It held that it was the duty of the Federal government to abolish slavery, whenever it could be done, under the constitution, that in the states wherein slavery existed, the people thereof had the exclusive right to interfere with it. That Congress alone had the right and power to abolish slavery in the territories. This "free soil or Barnburners" opposed General Cass and though Van Buren did not carry a single state, yet, by this division they defeated Cass and elected General Taylor, the Whig candidate. The popular vote of 1848: Taylor and Fillmore 1,360,752; Cass and Butler 1,219,962; Van Buren and Adams 291,342. Thus we see that the Van Buren split defeated the democratic party in 1848, (7.193.) The party catchwords of the free soil party were "free speech," "free labor," " "free soil" and "free men;" which were afterwards taken up by the so-called Republican party. Seward, in 1848, held that slavery (speech at Cleveland, Ohio, Oct. 26, 1848) was the great living issue which divided the national parties, (b. 199-200). Henceforth the Whig party became abolitionists. The slavery question threatened a dissolution of the Union in 1850. The cry of disunion resounded from one end of the country to the other. The conservative Whigs and democrats of the North, forgetting their mutual political differences, saved the Union by compromise and conciliation! The compromise measures were denounced by the abolitionists of the North and by the extreme agitators of the South. The abolitionists were dissatisfied on account of the fugitive slave law, and the extremists of the South because the Missouri compromise line was not extended to the Pacific ocean. Jefferson Davis said that he would take nothing less than the Missouri line to the Pacific.-Ibid. 204-5. Clay in a speech said:

If the citizens of the territories choose to establish slavery, and if they come here with a constitution establishing slavery, I am for admitting them with such proviso in their constitution; but then it will be their own work, and not ours, and posterity will have to reproach them and not us, for forming constitutions allowing the institution of slavery to exist among them; and I care not how extensively or universally they are known." Clay said, "That the great principle, which lies at the foundation of all free governments is, that the majority must govern; from which there is or can be no appeal but the sword.-Clay's Speeches vol. 2, p. 47. Had the policy of Clay been adhered to, the Union could never be disturbed. Had the slavery agitation been excluded from the halls of Congress we would not have had the recent war-we would not have sacrificed thousands of lives-leaving thousands of destitute widows and orphans-we