Andrew Jackson, Part 4

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2004-4-28

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VOICE ONE:

THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a program in Special English by the
Voice of America.

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Andrew Jackson served as president
of the United States from eighteen-twenty-nine to
eighteen-thirty-seven. His first term seemed to be mostly a
political battle with Vice President John C. Calhoun. Calhoun wanted
to be the next president. Jackson believed his Secretary of State,
Martin van Buren, would be a better president. And Van Buren wanted
the job. He won the president's support partly because of his help
in settling a serious political dispute.

VOICE TWO:

President Jackson's cabinet was in great disorder. Vice President
Calhoun was trying to force out Secretary of War John Eaton. Eaton
would not resign, and the president would not dismiss him. Van Buren
designed a plan to gain Eaton's resignation. One morning, as Jackson
discussed his cabinet problems, Van Buren said: "There is only one
thing, general, that will bring you peace. My resignation." "Never,"
said Jackson. Van Buren explained how his resignation would solve a
number of Jackson's political problems. Jackson did not want to let
Van Buren go. But the next day, he told Van Buren that he would
never stop any man who wished to leave.

VOICE ONE:

The president wanted to discuss the resignation with his other
advisers. Van Buren agreed. He also said it might be best if
Secretary of War Eaton were at the meeting. The advisers accepted
Van Buren's resignation. Then they went to Van Buren's house for
dinner. On the way, Eaton said: "Gentlemen, this is all wrong. I am
the one who should resign!" Van Buren said Eaton must be sure of
such a move. Eaton was sure.

VOICE TWO:

President Jackson accepted Eaton's
decision as he had accepted Van Buren's. But he was unwilling to
give up completely the services of his two friends. He named Van
Buren to be Minister to Britain. And he told Eaton that he would
help him get elected again to the Senate. Jackson then dismissed the
remaining members of his cabinet. He was free to organize a new
cabinet that would be loyal to him and not to Vice President
Calhoun. Even with a new cabinet, Jackson still faced the problem of
nullification. South Carolina politicians, led by Calhoun, continued
to claim that states had the right to reject -- nullify -- a federal
law which they believed was bad.

VOICE ONE:

Jackson asked a congressman from South Carolina to give a message
to the nullifiers in his state. "Tell them," Jackson said, "that
they can talk, and write resolutions, and print threats to their
hearts' content. But if one drop of blood is shed there in
opposition to the laws of the United States, I will hang the first
man I can get my hands on to the first tree I can find." Someone
questioned if Jackson would go so far as to hang someone. A man
answered: "When Jackson begins to talk about hanging, they can begin
to look for the ropes."

VOICE TWO:

The nullifiers held a majority of seats in South Carolina's
legislature at that time. They called a special convention. Within
five days, convention delegates approved a declaration of
nullification. They declared that the federal import tax laws of
eighteen-twenty-eight and eighteen-thirty-two were unconstitutional,
and therefore, cancelled. They said citizens of South Carolina need
not pay the tax. The nullifiers also declared that if the federal
government tried to use force against South Carolina, then the state
would withdraw from the union and form its own independent
government.

VOICE ONE:

President Jackson answered with a declaration of his own. Jackson
said America's constitution formed a government, not just an
association of sovereign states. South Carolina had no right to
cancel a federal law or to withdraw from the union. Disunion by
force was treason. Jackson said: "The laws of the United States must
be enforced. This is my duty under the constitution. I have no other
choice."

VOICE TWO:

Jackson did more. He asked Congress to give him the power to use
the army and navy to enforce the laws of the land. Congress did so.
Jackson sent eight warships to the port of Charleston, South
Carolina, and soldiers to federal military bases in the state. While
preparing to use force, Jackson offered hope for a peaceful
settlement. In his yearly message to Congress, he spoke of reducing
the federal import tax which hurt the sale of southern cotton
overseas. He said the import tax could be reduced, because the
national debt would soon be paid.

VOICE ONE:

Congress passed a compromise bill to end the import tax by
eighteen-forty-two. South Carolina's congressmen accepted the
compromise. And the state's legislature called another convention.
This time, the delegates voted to end the nullification act they had
approved earlier. They did not, however, give up their belief in the
idea of nullification. The idea continued to be a threat to the
American union until the issue was settled in the Civil War which
began in eighteen-sixty-one.

VOICE TWO:

While President Jackson battled the nullifiers, another struggle
began. This time, it was Jackson against the Bank of the United
States. Congress provided money to establish the Bank of the United
States in eighteen-sixteen. It gave the bank a charter to do
business for twenty years. The bank was permitted to use the
government's money to make loans. For this, the bank paid the
government one-and-one-half million dollars a year. The bank was run
by private citizens.

VOICE ONE:

The Bank of the United States was strong, because of the great
amount of government money invested in it. The bank's paper notes
were almost as good as gold. They came close to being a national
money system. The bank opened offices in many parts of the country.
As it grew, it became more powerful. By making it easy or difficult
for businesses to borrow money, the bank could control the economy
of almost any part of the United States.

VOICE TWO:

During Jackson's presidency, the Bank of the United States was
headed by Nicholas Biddle. Biddle was an extremely intelligent man.
He had completed studies at the University of Pennsylvania when he
was only thirteen years old. When he was eighteen, he was sent to
Paris as Secretary to the American Minister. Biddle worked on
financial details of the purchase of the Louisiana territory from
France. After America's war against Britain in eighteen-twelve,
Biddle helped establish the Bank of the United States. He became its
president when he was only thirty-seven years old.

VOICE ONE:

Biddle clearly understood his power as president of the Bank of
the United States. In his mind, the government had no right to
interfere in any way with the bank's business. President Jackson did
not agree. Nor was he very friendly toward the bank. Not many
westerners were. They did not trust the bank's paper money. They
wanted to deal in gold and silver. Jackson criticized the bank in
each of his yearly messages to Congress. He said the Bank of the
United States was dangerous to the liberty of the people. He said
the bank could build up or pull down political parties through loans
to politicians. Jackson opposed giving the bank a new charter. He
proposed that a new bank be formed as part of the Treasury
Department.

VOICE TWO:

The president urged Congress to consider the future of the bank
long before the bank's charter was to end. Then, if the charter was
rejected, the bank could close its business slowly over several
years. This would prevent serious economic problems for the country.
Many of President Jackson's advisers believed he should say nothing
about the bank until after the presidential election of
eighteen-thirty-two. They feared he might lose the votes of those
who supported the bank. Jackson accepted their advice. He agreed not
to act on the issue, if bank president Biddle would not request
renewal of the charter before the election. Biddle agreed. Then he
changed his mind. He asked Congress for a new charter in January,
eighteen-thirty-two. The request became a hot political issue in the
presidential campaign.

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VOICE ONE:

You have been listening to the Special English program, THE
MAKING OF A NATION. Your narrators were Harry Monroe and Kay
Gallant.

Our program was written by Frank Beardsley. THE MAKING OF A
NATION can be heard Thursdays.