Andrew Jackson

Acervo de la BIblioteca Jurídica Virtual www.juridicas.unam.mx Andrew Jackson , March 4, 1833, to March 4, 1837 Andrew Jackson SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. FRLLOW-CITIZENS:The will of the American people, expressed tliroiigh their iinsolicited suffrages, calls rrie before you to pass througli the solern- iiities preparatory to takirig upoii niyself the duties o€ Presiderit of the Uiiited States for ariother terrii. For their approbation of my public con- diict througli a period ~vlriclihas not been without its dificiilties, arid for tliis reiiewed expressioii o£ their coiifiderice iti rny good iiiteiltions, 1 ani at a loss for teriiis adeqtrate to tlie expressiori o€ i11y gratitude. It sliall be dispkiyed to the exte~itof riiy liuiiible abilities iii coritinued efforts so to adiriiirister tlie Goverument as to preserve their liberty aiid promote tlieir liappiriess. So iiiariy events have occurred xvitliiu the last four years ~vliiclillave necessarily called fortli-sonietimes under circumstances tlre niost cleli- cate aud pairiiul-riiy views of tlie priiiciples arid policy ~rliicliought to be pursued by tlie General Gorernriieiit that 1 rieed ori this occasiori but allu<letu a fe~vleadiiig corisideratioris couriected witli soiiie of tlieiii. Tlie foreigii policy aclopted 11y our Governxnerit soon after tlic fornia- tioii of our present Constitutiori, aiid very generally pitrsiied by successive Adiriitiistrations, has been crowrie<i witli alrriost coniplete success, aud lias clevated our character ailiorig tlre natiotis of the eartli. To do jiis- tice to al1 aiid to subiriit to mrroiig from nolie lias beeii diiriiig xriy Adriiiri- istratioii its goveriiitig iilaxirii, aiid so happy have beeri its results that -\\,e are iiot oiily at peace witli al1 tlie world, biit 1i:lve few causes of con- troversy, arid those of riiinor iiiiportarice, rexiiairiiiig unadjiisted. Iii tlie doriiestic policy of this Governiiierit tlierc are t\rro ol~jectswhich espwially dcserve tlie attciitioii of tlie people arid tlieir reprcseutatives, aud ~\~liiclillave been aiid will coiitiiiue to be tlie subjects of riiy iticreas- iiig solicitude. They are the preservatiori of tlie rights of tlie several States and the integrity of the Uiiioii. These great objects are necessarily contiected, and can only be attained by311 eilligliteried-exercise ofrlie powers-of eacli witlih its appropriate spliere in co~ifoririitywith tlie public will constitutionally expressed. To this end it becoxnes the duty of al1 to yield a ready and patriotic sub- mission to the laws constitutionally eoacted, and thereby promote and strengthen a proper confidence in those institutions of the several States S Deeply impressetl witíi riie truth of tliese observations, aud under the obligatiori of tliat solernn oath which 1 arii about to take, 1 shall contiriue to exert al1 iiiy faculties to iiiaintairi the jiist powers of the Coristitu- tiori and to trarisinit uninlpaired to posterity tlie blessings of our Federal Unioii. At tlic same time, it will be rny aim to inculcate by my oficial t. acts tlie necessity of exercising by the General C>overrimetrt tliose powers orily tliat are clearly delegatcd; to encoitrage simplicity nnd ecotiomy .in tlie expenditi~resof the Govertirrient; to raise no rriorc iiioiicy froni tlie people tliari may be reqiiisite for tliese objects, and iri a riiniirier tliat will bcst proiiiote tlie interests of al1 classes of the comniiitiity aiicl of al1 portion'; of tlie Uniori. Constarit!)- bearing iii riiiiid tliat ir1 eiitcririg itito societ), " iridividuals niitst give iip a sliare of liherty to prcseroe tlie rest," it \vil1 be rriy clesire so to discliarge rtiy duties as to foster with oiir I>rctlireri iri al1 parts of the country a spirit o€ liberal coricessiori atid c«niprornisc, arid, by recoriciling our fellow-citizciis to tliose partial sacri- ficcs \vliicli tliey rriust unavoidahly makc for tlie preserratiori of a greater goocl, to recotiinend our invaluable Governrricnt arid Uriioii to tlie confi- dencc and affectioris of tlie Americnii people. E'iually, it is niy niost fervetit prayer to that Almiglity Beiiig before w110111 1 iiow stand, and whohas kept us iri His liands frotii tlie iiifarlcy of our Republic to tlie preseiit day, tliat He will so overrule al1 niy ititeri- tions aiid actions and inspire the liearts of rny fellow-citizcns tliat we niay bc preserved from daugers of al1 kirids and contiriue forever a uuited 7 and liappy people. [Rcad to the Cahinet Septetnher 18. 1'333.1 Having carefirlly arid atixiously considered al1 the facts and arguments wliich have heen submitted to hini relative to a removal of tlie puMic deposits froni the Bank of tlie Uriited States, the I'resident deems it liis diity to commuiiicate in this manner to his Cabinet the fiual coticlusions of his own miud and the reasons on which tliey are founded, ir1 order to pi~tthcrn iii durable form aild to prevent rriiscoriceptions. Tlie Presiclent's convictiotis of tlie darigerous teiideticies of the Bnnk of the United States, sitice signally illustrated by its own acts, were so overpoweririg wlien he entered on the duties of Chief Magistrate that he z - f?lT it his duty, n&ithstandFug the"bj&tionsóf the-friends by who& he was siirrounded, to avail himself of the first occasiori to cal1 the atteil- tion of Congress aud the people to tlie question of its recharter. Tbe 6 Messages and Pajers ofthe Pp-csidenfs opinions expressed in his annual message of December, 1829, were reiter- ated in those of Uecember, 1830 and 1831, and in that of 1830 he threw out for consideration sotne suggestions in relation to a substitute. At the session of 1831-32 an act was passed I>y a majority of both Houses of Congress reshartering the present bank, upon which the President felt it his duty to put his constitutional veto. In his message returning that act he repeated and enlarged upon tlie principles and views briefiy asserted in his annual message, declaring the bank to be, in liis opinion, both inexpedient and unconstitutional: and announcing to his country- men very unequivocally his firm determinatioti never to sanction by his approval the continuauce of that institution or the establishment of any other upon similar priuciples. There are strong reasons for believing that the niotive of the bank in asking for a recharter at that session of Congress was to make it a leading question in the election of a President of the United States the ensiiing November, and al1 steps deemed necessary were taken to procure froni the people a reversal of the President's decisioxi. Although the charter was approaching its termination, and the bank was aware that it was the intention of the Government to use the public depositas fast as it has accrued in the payment of the public debt, yet did it extend its loans from ~anuary,b31, to May, 1832, frorn$qz,402,304.24 to $70,428,070.72, being an increase of $28,025,766.48 in sixteen months. It is confidently believed that the leading object of this immeuse exten- sion of its loans was to briug as large a portion of the people as possible uuder its power and infliience, and it has been disclosed that some of the largest sums were granted on very unusual terxus to the conductors of the public press. In some of these cases the motive was made manifest by the nominal or insufficient security takeri for the loans, by the large amounts discounted, by the extraordinary tinie allowed for payment, and especially by the subsequent conduct of those receiviiig the accomrnoda- tions. Havinghken these preliminary steps to obtain control over public opinion, the bank came into Congress and asked a new charter. The object avowed by many of the advocates of the bank was to put the Presi- dent to the test, that the country might know his final deternlination relative to the bank prior to the ensuing election. Many documents and articles were printed and circulated at the expense of the bank to bring the people to a favorable decision upon its pretensions. Those whom the bank appears to have made its debtors for tlie special occasion were warned of the ruin which awaited them should the President be sus- tained, atid attempts were made to alarm the whole people by painting the depression in the price of property and produce and the generailoss, inconuenience, .zud&&es which it was represed mmld immedktely - follow the reelection of the President in opposition to the bank. Can it ww k %id fkaf the questiae of a, recharter of the bank W+.S - not decided at tlie electioii ~vliiclieiisiied? Hail tlie reto bceti equivocal, or liad it iiot coxFered tlie wliole groiiti(l; if it liacl iiierely taken excep- tions to the details of tlie bill os to tlie tiiiie of its passage; if it liad ilot riiet tlie wliole grourid of coiistitiitionality and expeciieiicy, tlien tlicrc itiiglit Iiave 1)eeri soine p1;iiisibility for tlie allegatioii tliat tlie questiori was iiot decided 1)y tlie people. It was to conipel tlie Presiclent to take liis stand tliat tlie (luestioii mas hrouglit for\\.ard at tliat particular tiiiie. IIe riiet tlie clialleiige, williiigly took tlie positioii iiito wliich liis adcer- saries souglit to forcc liiiii, aiid fraiikly declarecl his uiialtcral~leopposi- tioti to tlie baiik as beiiig botli iincoiistitiitioiial aiid iiiexpedieiit. Oii that groiiiid tlie case \vas argued to tlie people; niid iiow tliat tlie pcoplc liaxre sustairied tlie Presideiit, riotwitlistaiiditig tlie arrny of influei~ceaiid power wliich was txoi~glitto 1wnr iipoti liiiii, it is too late, he conficleiitly thitiks, to say tliat tlie questioii Iias riot 1)ecti decided. Whatever triay be tlie opiiiiotis of otliers, tlie Presideiit coiisiders liis reelectioii as a deci- siori of tlie people agaitist tlie bank.

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