(MUSIC)
VOICE ONE:
THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a program in Special English by theVoice of America.
(MUSIC)
Andrew Jackson served as presidentof the United States from eighteen-twenty-nine toeighteen-thirty-seven. His first term seemed to be mostly apolitical battle with Vice President John C. Calhoun. Calhoun wantedto be the next president. Jackson believed his Secretary of State,Martin van Buren, would be a better president. And Van Buren wantedthe job. He won the president's support partly because of his helpin settling a serious political dispute.
VOICE TWO:
President Jackson's cabinet was in great disorder. Vice PresidentCalhoun was trying to force out Secretary of War John Eaton. Eatonwould not resign, and the president would not dismiss him. Van Burendesigned a plan to gain Eaton's resignation. One morning, as Jacksondiscussed his cabinet problems, Van Buren said: "There is only onething, general, that will bring you peace. My resignation." "Never,"said Jackson. Van Buren explained how his resignation would solve anumber of Jackson's political problems. Jackson did not want to letVan Buren go. But the next day, he told Van Buren that he wouldnever stop any man who wished to leave.
VOICE ONE:
The president wanted to discuss the resignation with his otheradvisers. Van Buren agreed. He also said it might be best ifSecretary of War Eaton were at the meeting. The advisers acceptedVan Buren's resignation. Then they went to Van Buren's house fordinner. On the way, Eaton said: "Gentlemen, this is all wrong. I amthe one who should resign!" Van Buren said Eaton must be sure ofsuch a move. Eaton was sure.
VOICE TWO:
President Jackson accepted Eaton'sdecision as he had accepted Van Buren's. But he was unwilling togive up completely the services of his two friends. He named VanBuren to be Minister to Britain. And he told Eaton that he wouldhelp him get elected again to the Senate. Jackson then dismissed theremaining members of his cabinet. He was free to organize a newcabinet that would be loyal to him and not to Vice PresidentCalhoun. Even with a new cabinet, Jackson still faced the problem ofnullification. South Carolina politicians, led by Calhoun, continuedto claim that states had the right to reject -- nullify -- a federallaw which they believed was bad.
VOICE ONE:
Jackson asked a congressman from South Carolina to give a messageto the nullifiers in his state. "Tell them," Jackson said, "thatthey can talk, and write resolutions, and print threats to theirhearts' content. But if one drop of blood is shed there inopposition to the laws of the United States, I will hang the firstman I can get my hands on to the first tree I can find." Someonequestioned if Jackson would go so far as to hang someone. A mananswered: "When Jackson begins to talk about hanging, they can beginto look for the ropes."
VOICE TWO:
The nullifiers held a majority of seats in South Carolina'slegislature at that time. They called a special convention. Withinfive days, convention delegates approved a declaration ofnullification. They declared that the federal import tax laws ofeighteen-twenty-eight and eighteen-thirty-two were unconstitutional,and therefore, cancelled. They said citizens of South Carolina neednot pay the tax. The nullifiers also declared that if the federalgovernment tried to use force against South Carolina, then the statewould withdraw from the union and form its own independentgovernment.
VOICE ONE:
President Jackson answered with a declaration of his own. Jacksonsaid America's constitution formed a government, not just anassociation of sovereign states. South Carolina had no right tocancel a federal law or to withdraw from the union. Disunion byforce was treason. Jackson said: "The laws of the United States mustbe enforced. This is my duty under the constitution. I have no otherchoice."
VOICE TWO:
Jackson did more. He asked Congress to give him the power to usethe army and navy to enforce the laws of the land. Congress did so.Jackson sent eight warships to the port of Charleston, SouthCarolina, and soldiers to federal military bases in the state. Whilepreparing to use force, Jackson offered hope for a peacefulsettlement. In his yearly message to Congress, he spoke of reducingthe federal import tax which hurt the sale of southern cottonoverseas. He said the import tax could be reduced, because thenational debt would soon be paid.
VOICE ONE:
Congress passed a compromise bill to end the import tax byeighteen-forty-two. South Carolina's congressmen accepted thecompromise. And the state's legislature called another convention.This time, the delegates voted to end the nullification act they hadapproved earlier. They did not, however, give up their belief in theidea of nullification. The idea continued to be a threat to theAmerican union until the issue was settled in the Civil War whichbegan in eighteen-sixty-one.
VOICE TWO:
While President Jackson battled the nullifiers, another strugglebegan. This time, it was Jackson against the Bank of the UnitedStates. Congress provided money to establish the Bank of the UnitedStates in eighteen-sixteen. It gave the bank a charter to dobusiness for twenty years. The bank was permitted to use thegovernment's money to make loans. For this, the bank paid thegovernment one-and-one-half million dollars a year. The bank was runby private citizens.
VOICE ONE:
The Bank of the United States was strong, because of the greatamount of government money invested in it. The bank's paper noteswere almost as good as gold. They came close to being a nationalmoney system. The bank opened offices in many parts of the country.As it grew, it became more powerful. By making it easy or difficultfor businesses to borrow money, the bank could control the economyof almost any part of the United States.
VOICE TWO:
During Jackson's presidency, the Bank of the United States washeaded by Nicholas Biddle. Biddle was an extremely intelligent man.He had completed studies at the University of Pennsylvania when hewas only thirteen years old. When he was eighteen, he was sent toParis as Secretary to the American Minister. Biddle worked onfinancial details of the purchase of the Louisiana territory fromFrance. After America's war against Britain in eighteen-twelve,Biddle helped establish the Bank of the United States. He became itspresident when he was only thirty-seven years old.
VOICE ONE:
Biddle clearly understood his power as president of the Bank ofthe United States. In his mind, the government had no right tointerfere in any way with the bank's business. President Jackson didnot agree. Nor was he very friendly toward the bank. Not manywesterners were. They did not trust the bank's paper money. Theywanted to deal in gold and silver. Jackson criticized the bank ineach of his yearly messages to Congress. He said the Bank of theUnited States was dangerous to the liberty of the people. He saidthe bank could build up or pull down political parties through loansto politicians. Jackson opposed giving the bank a new charter. Heproposed that a new bank be formed as part of the TreasuryDepartment.
VOICE TWO:
The president urged Congress to consider the future of the banklong before the bank's charter was to end. Then, if the charter wasrejected, the bank could close its business slowly over severalyears. This would prevent serious economic problems for the country.Many of President Jackson's advisers believed he should say nothingabout the bank until after the presidential election ofeighteen-thirty-two. They feared he might lose the votes of thosewho supported the bank. Jackson accepted their advice. He agreed notto act on the issue, if bank president Biddle would not requestrenewal of the charter before the election. Biddle agreed. Then hechanged his mind. He asked Congress for a new charter in January,eighteen-thirty-two. The request became a hot political issue in thepresidential campaign.
(MUSIC)
VOICE ONE:
You have been listening to the Special English program, THEMAKING OF A NATION. Your narrators were Harry Monroe and KayGallant.
Our program was written by Frank Beardsley. THE MAKING OF ANATION can be heard Thursdays.