Andrew Jackson paper
...ew Jackson would, and did. Is our system of government not a democracy and do we not have certain unalienable rights? According to Mr. Jackson, throw all your beliefs out the window. It is his way, or the road way. This issue caused for John Calhoun to step down as vice president, become the Senator of South Carolina, and take the contrasting side to Jackson. If it was not for Henry Clay, things could be very different. Who knows what great lengths Mr. Jackson would have gone to as to make sure that his commands were followed. When Clay devised the compromise tariff of 1833, a heavy sigh went through the people of South Carolina. No longer would they have to be afraid of Andrew Jackson and his temper. Again, I ask you, what type of president bullies his citizens the way that President Jackson has? Ask yourself, is this the type of president you want representing your country? Allow me to share this fine bit of information with you gentlemen. Andrew Jackson vetoed more pieces of legislation than all of our other presidents combined. When I said before that he wanted things his way, I meant it. By doing this he was expanding his power to an unconstitutional degree; he should not have had so much power. The instance of the Maysville Road in Kentucky instantly comes to my mind when I talk about Jackson and his power. This road would have connected the cities of Lexington and Maysville. Jackson said that he would not allow federal funding for this road because, “It concerned only the state of Kentucky.” Sure this may sound reasonable, but was that really the reason he vetoed the Maysville Road Bill? I say no. Henry Clay was born and raised in Kentucky and, as we are all aware, President Jackson has a strong dislike for Mr. Clay. Could this possibly be the reason for the veto? A president that would veto a bill just because someone he loathes is from that state is petty. Is it out of the character of Andrew Jackson? No. When I questioned Henry Clay about this he replied, “It would not be below President Jackson to base his actions on that fact. Did that thought cross my mind when he vetoed that bill? Yes, many times, but I thought I was just thinking foolishly. Now that I hear that others have hypothesized this, I think it is a strong argument.” My points against President Jackson just keep on piling up. Gentlemen, ask your selves, do you want a man in office that makes his decisions crudely? Is this the type of man that you want to make significant choices for the future of your country? The National Bank has had a tremendous affect on our economy. Some say that it has been a positive influence, some say not. If Andrew Jackson was asked about the bank, we all know what he would say. Jackson openly stated that he did not like the National Bank because he thought that it just represented the wealthy. In other words, it represented people like him. Jackson is part of the “hard-money” group that think that gold and sliver should be the only foundation of money. He based his beliefs in the hard-money system entirely on the Panic of 1797 when his business failed and fell deep into debt. After that, Jackson was doubtful of paper currency and banks. How can you base your viewpoints on one failure? This is even more puzzling because it was during a time of economic trouble throughout the country, not just for Mr. Jackson. To not be in favor of renewing the charter of the Bank of the United States because of one instance is insane. I asked Nicholas Biddle about what he did after he found out that President Jackson would be against renewing his charter. “I was in disarray. I am not a political man myself. So instead of trying to save the Bank myself, I tried to gain some influential men to help. I turned to Daniel Webster who, as a close personal friend, agreed to assist me. Daniel had the grand idea of convincing Henry Clay to aid us in this fight, and we won him over.” Mr. Clay and Mr. Webster convinced Mr. Biddle to apply for a bill to renew the charter of the Bank in front of Congress. Congress passed the recharter bill but “Old Hickory” himself, Andrew Jackson, vetoed it. What a surprise. Jackson based this veto on the fact that he thought that the Bank was guilty of misconception. How he came up with this reasoning, is beyond me. Unfortunately, the National Bank was eventually shut down. Mark another notch in the Jackson veto belt. Senators, please realize that Andrew Jackson is a man that does not think things through. He based his entire dislike of the Bank on the sheer fact that his business failed during a time of economic crisis. Do you want a man as your president that does not evaluate his views to the fullest potential? Could that possibly be good for the country? Andrew Jackson is man that openly states that he believes in the subjugation of African Americans and Native Americans. If he could, he would defeat all the Indians and put them under his control. He does not believe that either of these groups should have any say in the government or have any rights whatsoever. Many of you might be in agreement with President Jackson on this issue, but do you want to destroy the cultures of these people? Mr. Jackson would do so ruthlessly. He has called African Americans and Native Americans “dangerous elements” to our government. How is this so? African Americans in our country are either slaves or free people who have almost no rights. They have no way of affecting our government. Andrew Jackson says that he wants to keep the white-male democracy, that he believes is so important, protected. Before President Jackson came into office, the attitude towards Native Americans was that they were people with not a real civilization, but had a dignity that made it feasible to live among them. Jackson brought the...