specie circular, passed the Senate, by a vote of thirty-four to nine, and the other House, by a hundred and fifty-one to twenty-seven:-"Resolved, That it shall not be lawful for the secretary of the treasury to make, or continue in force, any general order which shall create any difference between the different branches of revenue, as to the money or medium of payment in which debts or dues accruing to the United States may be paid."

The Florida war was still in progress, and proved a source of great trouble and almost incredible expense. The removal of the Indians was a settled measure, (p. 380,) and when they proved reluctant, collisions naturally followed. The war with the Seminoles, began in December, 1835, and lasted for five years. Some of the ablest men in the army were sent against them, as Scott, Jessup, Taylor, Worth, and others; but led on by such chiefs as Osceola, Jump

er,

and Tiger-Tail, and with a country abounding in swamps and marshes, extensively fatal to the whites, they resisted every attempt to subdue them. No treaty stipulations were regarded by them, and they seized every occasion to inflict severe blows upon the Americans. More than once they repulsed with great loss superior numbers. In July, 1836, General Jessup officially announced the war at an end, yet next season it was carried on as actively as ever. In March, 1837, the same general proceeded so far as to negotiate a treaty, which stipulated that all hostilities were to cease, and that by the 10th of April, all the Indians were to be at Tampa, with their fami

lies, ready to be transported to their new country. But the treaty was not fulfilled, and the war went on. The capture of Osceola, and his death in January, 1838, did not terminate hostilities. In May, 1839, the chiefs agreed to retire below Pease Creek, in Florida, removal being impossible; but in the following July, the Indians broke the treaty, and the war began afresh. Bloodhounds were obtained, at considerable cost, from Cuba, to the disgust of civilized men, every where; but they proved of no avail in hunting Indians. The United States had under arms nearly nine thousand men, and the cost of the war exceeded considerably $15,000,000. It was not till the year 1842, that an entire cessation of troubles in Florida took place.*

In the Senate, Mr. Preston, of South Carolina, introduced resolutions in favor of the annexation of Texas, but they did not receive much attention at the time. The independence of the Texian republic had been recognized in the last year of Jackson's administration, (see p. 402,) and it was the earnest desire of the inhabitants of Texas, as well as of many in the United States, that it should be added to the Union. On the 9th of July, 1838, the twenty-fifth Congress closed its second session.+

An attempt at revolutionizing Can

* For the particulars in relation to this war, we must refer the reader to Captain J. T. Sprague's "Origin, Progress, and Conclusion of the Florida War." New York, 1848. Pp. 557.

†The United States exploring expedition to the South Seas, under Lieutenant Wilkes, with six vessels and a corps of scientific assistants, set sail in August, 1888.

CH. III.]

1937.

ada was made in the latter part of 1837, and quite a number of the citizens of the United States sympathized with the movement, and were ready to give it assistance. Mackenzie in Upper, and Papineau in Lower Canada, were the active spirits in this revolt, and various bodies of Americans joined the rebels, so that it speedily became evident, that collision would ere long take place, in which our country's faith and honor were involved. A party of Americans, some seven hundred strong, under Van Rensselaer of Albany, took possession of Navy Island, in the Niagara River, about two miles above the falls. Colonel M'Nab, with a body of militia, was posted opposite this island, with instructions to watch the insurgents, and not to violate the American territory. Finding that most of the supplies for the island were conveyed by a small steamer, named the "Caroline," from a landing-place on the American side, called Fort Schlosser, M'Nab despatched some of his militia in boats, to take or destroy her. This they accomplished in the middle of the night of the 29th of December, after a short but desperate struggle, in which they killed or drove out of the vessel all the crew, and having set it on fire, let it drift down the rapids, and over the Falls of Niagara. But the act, however to be regarded in itself, having been committed on American territory, caused no little excitement in the United States.

On the 5th of January, 1838, the president issued a proclamation against all persons engaged in such unlawful schemes as the invasion of Canada, and

411.

1838.

exhorted them to abandon their designs or expect to suffer the consequences. General Scott was sent to the frontier to assume command, and the insurgents, on the 14th of January, evacuated Navy Island, giving up the arms, cannon, stores, etc. Van Rensselaer was arrested, but released on bail. Other attempts, however, of a similar character, were made at Detroit, Sandusky Bay, and the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario. Various acts of outrage were committed during the year. In November, an attempt was made to take Prescott, in Upper Canada, but failed, and about a hundred and fifty American citizens were captured and taken to Kingston, to be tried by court martial. The British authorities dealt more leniently with them than they deserved, the greater portion of them being pardoned, a very few suffering death.

The concluding session of the twenty-fifth Congress began on the 3d of December, 1838. Few acts, however, of general interest were passed. The Seminole war required new appropriations, and it was found that the expenses far exceeded any previous cal- 1838. culation on the subject. An act was passed abolishing imprisonment for debt in certain cases; and a sharp discussion took place upon a series of resolutions, forbidding the introduction of the slavery question into Congress. The public lands question was again discussed, as also were propositions for abolishing the salt tax and the fishing bounties. fishing bounties. Difficulties respecting the much vexed topic of the northeastern boundary seeming to require it,

the president had additional powers given him for the defence of the United States. On the 3d of March, 1839, this Congress expired.

1839.

The president's course not having been such as to please many of those who were members of the democratic party, the elections began to show a falling off, as respected the administration, and an increased efficiency on the part of the opposition. Vigorous efforts were made on both sides to obtain the majority in Congress, and the result showed, that the democrats had a small majority of members elect, leaving out of view the five or six New Jersey members, whose seats were contested. This question could not but excite much interest in view of the final settlement of it. But there was another, growing out of the alarm and distress still existing in regard to the currency,* which was awaiting the meeting of Congress, from whom some relief was earnestly looked for.

The twenty-sixth Congress assembled on the 2d of December, 1839; when, in the House, a not very creditable dispute arose, and was protracted for three

*The New York banks resumed specie payments on the 16th of May, 1838. In March of this year, Mr. Biddle resigned the presidency of the United States Bank of Pennsylvania, which soon after fell into difficulties. On the 9th of October, it suspended specie payments, and its example was followed by the banks south and west of New York, and by those of Rhode Island. Mr. Gallatin, in reviewing the disasters of this time of embarrassment, justly says: "There was a universal disregard of all considerations of prudence on the part of the managers of banks, as regarded the safety and interests of the shareholders, and of the public as recipients and holders of their issues, and of the business community generally, as interested in having the circulating medium of the country maintained in that staple and sound condition so essential to their prosperity."

weeks, as to the right to seats of the New Jersey members. These five gentlemen were whigs, and had certificates of their election under the seal of the state; but it was contended, that they were not elected by majorities of the votes, and so were not duly entitled to seats. On the 16th of December, R. M. T. Hunter was elected speaker, and the House was organized on the 21st. The president's message was received on the 24th. The committee in charge of the New Jersey question made a report in July, 1840, which gave rise to an angry debate. The whigs refused to vote; but the question was decided by the rest of the House in favor of the democratic claimants, which gave the administration a majority, though too late in the session to be of any service.

1839.

Early in December, 1839, a whig convention was held at Harrisburg, in Pennsylvania, to select candidates for the coming presidential election. Three names were laid before the convention, Henry Clay, General Harrison, and General Winfield Scott. Daniel Webster had withdrawn from the contest. Appearances at first were all in favor of Mr. Clay, who received a majority of votes (both by heads and by states,). over each of the other candidates, but not a majority of the votes of the convention. But after conferences, public and private, and various ballotings, by a final ballot the post of honor was given to General Harrison, who received a hundred and forty-eight votes, while Clay had but ninety, and Scott sixteen. John Tyler, whom we have seen a candidate for the vice-pres

CH. M.]

idency at the last preceding election, was unanimously adopted by the convention for the same honor again.

The democratic convention met at Baltimore, on the 5th of May, 1840, and re-nominated Martin Van Buren for president, leaving the question of the vice-presidency open. Colonel Johnson and Mr. Polk were generally named for support.

The financial aspect of the country occupied the principal part of the president's message. The reader will find it interesting as well as profitable to examine its statements, and weigh the views and opinions of the president. One passage we may quote as containing counsel valuable at all times to our citizens. "Let it be indelibly engraven on our minds," says Mr. Van Buren, "that relief is not to be found in expedients. Indebtedness can not be lessened by borrowing more money, or by changing the form of the debt. The balance of trade is not to be turned in our favor by creating new demands upon us abroad. Our currency can not be improved by the creation of new banks, or more issues from those which now exist. Although these devices sometimes appear to give temporary relief, they almost invariably aggravate the evil in the end. It is only by retrenchment and reform, by curtailing public and private expenditures, by paying our debts, and by reforming our banking system, that we are to expect effectual relief, security for the future, and an enduring prosperity."

The independent treasury system was long and ably discussed during the session, and the prominent speakers and

413

debaters, on both sides, set forth the advantages and disadvantages of the plan with great fulness of detail. The bill passed both Houses by the beginning of July, 1840, and on the 4th of the month received the president's sig nature and became the law of the land. The chief provisions were, that, after the 30th of June, one-fourth of all payments to the United States were to be

made in gold and silver only, 1840. and so on, annually from that day, one-fourth more, until after the 30th of June, 1843, the entire amount of the revenues of every description, including payments at the post-office, would be receivable in specie alone. And similarly with regard to payments made by the United States. Four persons were very soon after the passage of the bill appointed receivers-general of the public money, for four years.

A bankruptcy law was introduced by Mr. Webster, and carried through the Senate, but it was laid upon the table of the other House by a vote of a hundred and one to eighty-nine. The graduation of prices for public lands was again attempted in vain; an issue of $5,000,000 more of treasury notes was authorized; and on the 21st of July, Congress adjourned.*

In 1888, James K. Paulding was made secretary of the navy in the place of Mr. Dickerson, who resigned in the same year; Felix Grundy received the attorney

* Some changes in the cabinei maj iare be maOL.

generalship, which had been relinquished by Mr. Butler; and in the following year, on Mr. Grundy's resignation, Henry D. Gilpin was appointed. Amos Kendall, in 1840, gave up the post-office, and John M. N'les received it. Here, too, we may state in passing, that the public debt, which was extinct at Van Buren's accession, and in 1839 exceeded $11,000,000, was reduced to nearly $4,000,000 during the year 1840.

The sixth decennial census was taken during the year, and the result, on the 1st of June, 1840, was as follows:White males, 7,249,266; white females, 6,939,842; free colored males, 192,550; free colored females, 199,821; slaves, males, 1,240,408; females, 1,240,805; making a grand total of the population of the United States, (including seamen in the national service), 17,069,453.

The presidential election, during the autumn of 1840, gave rise to unprecedented excitement, and more time and attention were bestowed upon politics, and the numerous questions at issue between the two parties, than probably had ever been the case at any previous time. There was hardly a definable limit to the conventions, the speeches, the political pamphlets, the newspaper engineering, on the thousand topics which were brought forward and debated at the time. The democratic party hoped to re-elect Mr. Van Buren; the whigs were enthusiastic in their efforts to secure the election of their candidates. The result was, that General Harrison and John Tyler received, each, two hundred and thirty-four votes;

1840.

Martin Van Buren received sixty-six votes, and Richard M. Johnson fortyeight. Consequently, Harrison and Tyler were elected president and vicepresident of the United States.

1841.

Congress met on the 7th of December; but the session was not productive of any results of moment. Another issue of treasury notes was authorized; various appropriations were made; and many schemes, which had already been much talked of in Congress, were debated anew. The mat ter of most interest, especially for the promise it gave of what might be done under the next administration, was a resolution proposed by Henry Clay, for the repeal of the subtreasury law. The Senate, however, rejected the resolution. On the 3d of March, 1841, the session closed, and with it the administration of Martin Van Buren. He came into office by a very large vote; the people denied him a re-election by an equally large vote against him. It remains to be seen whether the hopes of those who effect ed this change in the administration were to be gratified or not.