Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/185

The national finances were in a very confused state at the close of the war, the debt created by which exceeded $80,000,000. The banks, except in New England, had suspended specie payments, and the want of a uniform and solvent currency was urgently felt. To remedy this latter evil, congress in 1816 chartered for 20 years a national bank at Philadelphia, with a capital of $35,000,000, whose notes furnished a convenient and uniform circulating medium, convertible at all times into gold and silver.—The presidential election of 1812 had resulted in the choice of Mr. Madison for a second term by a vote of 128, against 89 for De Witt Clinton, who was supported by the federalists. Elbridge Gerry was chosen vice president by 131 votes to 86 for Jared Ingersoll. On the approach of the presidential election of 1816, James Monroe of Virginia, Mr. Madison's secretary of state, received the democratic nomination, and in the election was chosen by 183 votes, against 34 votes given to Rufus King by the federal states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Delaware. Daniel D. Tompkins of New York was elected vice president. The administration of Mr. Madison terminated March 4, 1817. The war with Great Britain was its principal feature, but among other events of importance were the admission of Louisiana into the Union in 1812, and of Indiana in 1816. President Monroe's cabinet was constituted as follows: J. Q. Adams, secretary of state; William H. Crawford, of the treasury; John C. Calhoun, of war; Benjamin W. Crowninshield, of the navy; and William Wirt, attorney general. His administration commenced under very favorable circumstances. Party distinctions had so nearly disappeared, that democrats and federalists combined to support the government. Monroe was reëlected in 1820 by all the electoral votes except one. Daniel D. Tompkins was reëlected vice president by nearly the same vote. In the spring of 1818 Gen. Jackson led a force against the Seminole Indians in Florida, and destroyed several of their villages. The main event of Monroe's administration was the Missouri controversy, by which for the first time the country was divided upon the slavery question. The admissions to the Union hitherto had been of slaveholding and non-slaveholding states in compensating order. Vermont and Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio, Louisiana and Indiana had offset each other; and in 1817 the slaveholding state of Mississippi was admitted, followed immediately in 1818 by non-slaveholding Illinois. Congress in its session of 1818-'19 authorized the territory of Alabama, which was rapidly filling with a slaveholding population, to form a constitution without any prohibition of slavery. A similar bill was brought forward for the territory of Missouri, and James Tallmadge of New York moved in the house of representatives to insert a clause prohibiting any further introduction of slaves, and granting freedom to the children of those already there on their attaining the age of 25; and this motion was carried by a vote of 87 to 76. A few days later John W. Taylor of New York moved as an amendment to a bill for the organization of the territory of Arkansas, that slavery should not thereafter be introduced into any part of the territories ceded by France to the United States N. of lat. 36° 30′. This was intended as a compromise, but was warmly opposed, a large number both of northern and southern members declaring themselves hostile to any compromise whatever, and the amendment was consequently withdrawn. The slaveholders contended that for congress to prohibit slavery in the territories would be a violation of the constitutional right of the citizen to enjoy his property anywhere within the jurisdiction of the United States. The restrictionists, on the other hand, denied that men could be property under the jurisdiction of the United States, however the case might be under the laws of particular states; and they maintained that the constitutional question was conclusively settled by the action of the congress contemporaneous with the framing of the federal constitution, which in 1787 introduced into the bill for the government of the territory N. W. of the Ohio the proviso that “there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in said territory, otherwise than in punishment for crime.” And in further confirmation of their views, they brought forward the fact that the most distinguished statesman of the south, Thomas Jefferson, had in 1784 introduced and urged with all his influence the passing of a bill in congress prohibiting slavery not only in all the territory held by the United States, but in all that might be afterward acquired. The debate on this subject was long and excited. The southern orators declared that if the restriction should be persisted in the south would retire and the Union be dissolved. The senate refused to concur in the restriction imposed by the house, and consequently the Missouri bill failed for the session of 1818-'19. During the recess of congress a strong public agitation against slavery arose in the middle states, and finally spread to New England, both democrats and federalists coöperating in it. Alabama was admitted into the Union early in the session of 1819-'20, an event promptly followed by the admission of Maine. When the legislatures of the free states met in their annual session in 1820, the agitation among the people on the slavery question was forcibly expressed by their representatives. Pennsylvania led off by a solemn appeal to the states “to refuse to covenant with crime,” and by a unanimous declaration that it was the right and the duty of congress to prohibit slavery in the territories. The rest of the middle states also unanimously adopted similar resolutions. Ohio and Indiana took the same position; and though the New England legislatures were silent, numerous memorials from towns, cities, and public meet-