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Transcriber's note:

Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).

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[Illustration: titlepage]

[Illustration: _J. Rodgers, sc._

_View of the Senate of the United States in Session._

M^{R.} BENTON ON THE FLOOR.

_from a large Engraving Published by E. Anthony_

New York, D Appleton & C^{o.}]




  THIRTY YEARS' VIEW;

  OR,

  A HISTORY OF THE WORKING OF THE AMERICAN
  GOVERNMENT FOR THIRTY YEARS,

  FROM 1820 TO 1850.

  CHIEFLY TAKEN

  FROM THE CONGRESS DEBATES, THE PRIVATE PAPERS OF GENERAL JACKSON,
  AND THE SPEECHES OF EX-SENATOR BENTON, WITH HIS
  ACTUAL VIEW OF MEN AND AFFAIRS:

  WITH

  HISTORICAL NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS, AND SOME NOTICES OF EMINENT
  DECEASED COTEMPORARIES.

  BY A SENATOR OF THIRTY YEARS.

  IN TWO VOLUMES.

  VOL. II.

  NEW YORK:
  D. APPLETON AND COMPANY,
  1, 3, AND 5 BOND STREET.
  LONDON: 16 LITTLE BRITAIN.

  1883.




  Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1856, by
  D. APPLETON AND COMPANY,
  in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the
  Southern District of New York.




CONTENTS OF VOLUME II.




  CHAP.                                                           PAGE

  I. Inauguration of Mr. Van Buren                                   7

  II. Financial and Monetary Crisis--General Suspension
  of Specie Payments by the Banks                                    9

  III. Preparation for the Distress and Suspension                  11

  IV. Progress of the Distress, and Preliminaries
  for the Suspension                                                16

  V. Actual Suspension of the Banks--Propagation
  of the Alarm                                                      20

  VI. Transmigration of the Bank of the United
  States from a Federal to a State Institution                      23

  VII. Effects of the Suspension--General Derangement
  of Business--Suppression and Ridicule
  of the Specie Currency--Submission
  of the People--Call of Congress                                   26

  VIII. Extra Session--Message, and Recommendations                 28

  IX. Attacks on the Message--Treasury Notes                        32

  X. Retention of the Fourth Deposit Instalment                     36

  XI. Independent Treasury and Hard Money Payments                  39

  XII. Attempted Resumption of Specie Payments                      42

  XIII. Bankrupt Act against Banks                                  43

  XIV. Bankrupt Act for Banks--Mr. Benton's
  Speech                                                            45

  XV. Divorce of Bank and State--Mr. Benton's
  Speech                                                            56

  XVI. First Regular Session under Mr. Van Buren's
  Administration--His Message                                       65

  XVII. Pennsylvania Bank of the United States--Its
  Use of the Defunct Notes of the expired
  Institution                                                       67

  XVIII. Florida Indian War--Its Origin and Conduct                 70

  XIX. Florida Indian War--Historical Speech of
  Mr. Benton                                                        72

  XX. Resumption of Specie Payments by the New
  York Banks                                                        83

  XXI. Resumption of Specie Payments--Historical
  Notices--Mr. Benton's Speech--Extracts                            85

  XXII. Mr. Clay's Resolution in Favor of Resuming
  Banks, and Mr. Benton's Remarks
  upon it                                                           91

  XXIII. Resumption by the Pennsylvania United
  States Bank; and others which followed
  her lead                                                          94

  XXIV. Proposed Annexation of Texas--Mr. Preston's
  Motion and Speech--Extracts                                       94

  XXV. Debate between Mr. Clay and Mr. Calhoun,
  Personal and Political, and leading
  to Expositions and Vindications of
  Public Conduct which belong to History                            97

  XXVI. Debate between Mr. Clay and Mr. Calhoun--Mr.
  Clay's Speech--Extracts                                          101

  XXVII. Debate between Mr. Clay and Mr. Calhoun--Mr.
  Calhoun's Speech--Extracts                                       103

  XXVIII. Debate between Mr. Clay and Mr. Calhoun--Rejoinders
  by each                                                          112

  XXIX. Independent Treasury, or, Divorce of
  Bank and State--Passed in the Senate--Lost
  in the House of Representatives                                  124

  XXX. Public Lands--Graduation of Price--Pre-emption
  System--Taxation when Sold                                       125

  XXXI. Specie Basis for Banks--One-third of the
  Amount of Liabilities the Lowest Safe
  Proportion--Speech of Mr. Benton on
  the Recharter of the District Banks                              128

  XXXII. The North and the South--Comparative
  Prosperity--Southern Discontent--Its
  True Cause                                                       130

  XXXIII. Progress of the Slavery Agitation--Mr. Calhoun's
  Approval of the Missouri Compromise                              134

  XXXIV. Death of Commodore Rodgers, and Notice
  of his Life and Character                                        144

  XXXV