Latest / State of the Union Addresses 1829-1836 / 011 - Andrew Jackson December 3 1833 part 2

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011 - Andrew Jackson December 3 1833 part 2 · State of the Union Addresses 1829-1836

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Speaker 1: Section eleven of State of the Union, Addresses eighteen twenty
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Speaker 1: nine to eighteen thirty six. This is a LibriVox recording.
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Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
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Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Andrew Jackson,
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Speaker 1: December third, eighteen thirty three, Part two. It gives me
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Speaker 1: great pleasure to congratulate you upon the prosperous condition of
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Speaker 1: the finances of the country, as will appear from the
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Speaker 1: report which the Secretary of the Treasury will in due
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Speaker 1: time lay before you. The receipts into the Treasury during
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Speaker 1: the present year will amount to more than thirty two
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Speaker 1: million dollars. The revenue derived from customs will, it is believed,
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Speaker 1: be more than twenty eight million dollars, and the public
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Speaker 1: lands will yield about three million, nine hundred thousand dollars.
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Speaker 1: The expenditures within the year for all objects, including two million,
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Speaker 1: five hundred seventy two thousand, two hundred and forty dollars
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Speaker 1: and ninety nine cents on account of the public debt,
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Speaker 1: will not amount to twenty five million dollars, and a
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Speaker 1: large balance will remain in the treasury after satisfying all
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Speaker 1: the appropriations chargeable on the revenue for the present year.
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Speaker 1: The measures taken by the Secretary of the Treasury will
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Speaker 1: probably enable to pay off in the course of the
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Speaker 1: present year the residue of the exchange four point five
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Speaker 1: percent stock redeemable on January first, eighteen thirty four. It
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Speaker 1: has therefore been included in the estimated expenditures of this
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Speaker 1: year and forms a part of the sum above stated
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Speaker 1: to have been paid on account of the public debt.
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Speaker 1: The payment of this stock will reduce the whole debt
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Speaker 1: of the United States, funded and unfunded, to the sum
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Speaker 1: of four million, four million, seven one hundred and sixty
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Speaker 1: eight thy eighty two dollars and eight cents. And as
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Speaker 1: provision has already been made for the four point five
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Speaker 1: percent stocks above mentioned and charged in the expenses of
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Speaker 1: the present year, the sum last stated is all that
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Speaker 1: now remains of the national debt, and the revenue of
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Speaker 1: the coming year, together with the balance now in the treasury,
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Speaker 1: will be sufficient to discharge it after meeting the current
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Speaker 1: expenses of the government. Under the power given to the
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Speaker 1: Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, it will, i have no
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Speaker 1: doubt be purchased on favorable terms within the year. From
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Speaker 1: this view of the state of the finances and the
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Speaker 1: public engagements yet to be fulfilled, you will perceive that,
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Speaker 1: if Providence permits me to meet you at another session,
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Speaker 1: I shall have the high gratification of announcing to you
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Speaker 1: that the national debt is extinguished. I cannot refrain from
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Speaker 1: expressing the pleasure I feel at the near approach of
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Speaker 1: that desirable event. The short period of time within which
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Speaker 1: the public debt will have been discharged is strong evidence
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Speaker 1: of the abundant resources of the country, and of the
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Speaker 1: prudence and economy with which the government has heretofore been administered.
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Speaker 1: We have waged two wars since we became a nation
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Speaker 1: with one of the most powerful kingdoms in the world.
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Speaker 1: Both of them undertaken in defense of our dearest rights,
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Speaker 1: been successfully prosecuted and honorably terminated. And many of those
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Speaker 1: who partook in the first struggle, as well as in
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Speaker 1: the second, will have lived to see the last item
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Speaker 1: of the debt incurred in these necessary but expensive conflicts
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Speaker 1: faithfully and honestly discharged, and we shall have the proud
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Speaker 1: satisfaction of bequeathing to the public servants who follow us
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Speaker 1: in the administration of the government, the rare blessing of
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Speaker 1: a revenue sufficiently abundant, raised without injustice or oppression to
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Speaker 1: our citizens, and unencumbered with any burdens, but what they
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Speaker 1: themselves shall think proper to impose upon it. The flourishing
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Speaker 1: state of the finances ought not, however, to encourage us
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Speaker 1: to indulge in a lavish expenditure of the public treasure.
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Speaker 1: The receipts of the present year do not furnish the
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Speaker 1: test by which we are to estimate the income of
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Speaker 1: the next. The change is made in our revenue system
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Speaker 1: by the Acts of Congress of eighteen thirty two and
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Speaker 1: eighteen thirty three, and more especially by the former, have
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Speaker 1: swelled the receipts of the present year far beyond the
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Speaker 1: amount to be expected in future years. Upon the reduced
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Speaker 1: tariff of duties, the shortened credits on revenue bonds, and
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Speaker 1: the cash duties on wollands, which were introduced by the
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Speaker 1: Act of eighteen thirty two and took effect on March fourth,
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Speaker 1: eighteen thirty two, have brought large sums into the treasure
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Speaker 1: in eighteen thirty three three, which, according to the credits
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Speaker 1: formerly given, would not have been payable until eighteen thirty four,
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Speaker 1: and would have formed a part of the income of
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Speaker 1: that year. These causes would of themselves produce a great
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Speaker 1: diminution of the receipts in the year eighteen thirty four
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Speaker 1: as compared with the present one, and they will be
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Speaker 1: still more diminished by the reduced rates of duties which
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Speaker 1: take place on January first, eighteen thirty four on some
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Speaker 1: of the most important and productive articles. Upon the best
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Speaker 1: estimates that can be made, the receipts of the next year,
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Speaker 1: with the aid of the unappropriated amount now in the treasury,
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Speaker 1: will not be much more than sufficient to meet the
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Speaker 1: expenses of the year and pay the small remnant of
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Speaker 1: the national debt, which yet remains unsatisfied. I cannot therefore
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Speaker 1: recommend to you any alteration in the present tariff of duties.
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Speaker 1: The rate as now fixed by law on the various articles,
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Speaker 1: was adopted at the last session of Congress as a
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Speaker 1: matter of compromise with unusual unanimity, and unless it is
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Speaker 1: found to produce more than the necessities of the government
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Speaker 1: call for, there would seem to be no reason at
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Speaker 1: this time to justify a change. Though while I forbear
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Speaker 1: to recommend any further reduction of the duties beyond that
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Speaker 1: already provided for the existing laws. I must earnestly and
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Speaker 1: respectfully press upon Congress the importance of abstaining from all
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Speaker 1: appropriations which are not absolutely required for the public interest
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Speaker 1: and authorized by the powers clearly delegated to the United States.
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Speaker 1: We are beginning a new era in our government. The
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Speaker 1: national debt, which has so long been a burden on
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Speaker 1: the treasury, will be finally discharged in the course of
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Speaker 1: the ensuing year. No more memory will afterwards be needed
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Speaker 1: than what may be necessary to meet the ordinary expenses
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Speaker 1: of the government. Is the proper moment to fix our
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Speaker 1: system of expenditure on firm and durable principles. And I
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Speaker 1: cannot too strongly urge the necessity of a rigid economy
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Speaker 1: and an inflexible determination not to enlarge the income beyond
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Speaker 1: the real necessities of the government, and not to increase
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Speaker 1: the wants of the government by unnecessary and profuse expenditures.
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Speaker 1: If a contrary course should be pursued, it may happen
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Speaker 1: that the revenue of eighteen thirty four will fall short
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Speaker 1: of the demands upon it, and after reducing the tariff
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Speaker 1: in order to lighten the burdens of the people, and
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Speaker 1: providing for a still further reduction to take effect hereafter.
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Speaker 1: It would be much to be deplored if at the
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Speaker 1: end of another year we should find ourselves obliged to
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Speaker 1: retrace our steps and impose additional taxes to meet unnecessary expenditures.
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Speaker 1: It is my duty on this occasion to call your
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Speaker 1: attention the destruction of the public building occupied by the
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Speaker 1: Treasury Department, which happened since the last adjournment of Congress.
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Speaker 1: A thorough inquiry into the causes of this loss was
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Speaker 1: directed and made at the time, the result of which
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Speaker 1: will be duly communicated to you. I take pleasure, however,
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Speaker 1: in stating here that, by the laudable exertions of the
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Speaker 1: officers of the Department and many of the citizens of
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Speaker 1: the district, but few papers were lost, and none that
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Speaker 1: will materially affect the public interest. The public convenience requires
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Speaker 1: that another building should be erected as soon as practicable,
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Speaker 1: and in providing for it, it will be advisable to
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Speaker 1: enlarge in some manner the accommodations for the public officers
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Speaker 1: of the several departments, and to authorize the erection of
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Speaker 1: suitable depositories for the safe keeping of the public documents
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Speaker 1: and records. Since the last adjournment of Congress. The Secretary
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Speaker 1: of the Treasury has directed the money of the United
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Speaker 1: States to be deposited in certain state banks designated by him,
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Speaker 1: and he will immediately lay before you his reasons for
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Speaker 1: this direction. I concur with him entirely in the view
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Speaker 1: he has taken on the subject, and some months before
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Speaker 1: the removal I urged upon the Department the propriety of
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Speaker 1: taking that step. The near approach of the day on
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Speaker 1: which the charger will expire, as well as the conduct
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Speaker 1: of the bank, appeared to me to call for this
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Speaker 1: measure upon the high considerations of public interest and public duty.
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Speaker 1: The extent of its misconduct, however, although known to be great,
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Speaker 1: was not at that time fully developed by proof. It
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Speaker 1: was not until late in the month of August that
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Speaker 1: I received from the Government Director's and an official report
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Speaker 1: establishing beyond question that this great and powerful institution had
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Speaker 1: been actively engaged in attempting to influence the elections of
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Speaker 1: the public officers by means of its money, and that,
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Speaker 1: in violation of the express provisions of its charter, it had,
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Speaker 1: by a formal resolution, placed its funds at the disposition
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Speaker 1: of its President, to be employed in sustaining the political
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Speaker 1: power of the Bank. A copy of this resolution is
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Speaker 1: contained in the Report of the Government Directors before referred to. And,
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Speaker 1: however the object may be disguised by cautious language, no
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Speaker 1: one can doubt that this money was, in truth intended
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Speaker 1: for electioneering purposes, and the particular uses to which it
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Speaker 1: was proved to have been applied abundantly show that it
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Speaker 1: was so understood. Not only was the evidence complete as
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Speaker 1: to the past application of the money and power of
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Speaker 1: the Bank to electioneering purposes, but that the resolution of
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Speaker 1: the Board of Directors authorized the same course to be
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Speaker 1: pursued in future. It being thus established by unquestionable proof,
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Speaker 1: that the Bank of the United States was converted into
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Speaker 1: a permanent electioneering engine, it appeared to me that the
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Speaker 1: path of duty which the executive Department of the Government
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Speaker 1: ought to pursue was not doubtful, as by the terms
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Speaker 1: of the bank Charter, no officer but the Secretary of
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Speaker 1: the Treasury could remove the deposits. It seemed to me
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Speaker 1: that this authority ought to be at once exerted to
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Speaker 1: deprive that great corporation of the support and countenance of
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Speaker 1: the government in such a use of its and such
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Speaker 1: an exertion of its power. In this point of the case,
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Speaker 1: the question is distinctly presented whether the people of the
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Speaker 1: United States are to govern through representatives chosen by their
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Speaker 1: unbiased suffrages, or whether the money and power of a
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Speaker 1: great corporation are to be secretly exerted to influence their
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Speaker 1: judgment and control their decisions. It must now be determined
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Speaker 1: whether the Bank is to have its candidates for all
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Speaker 1: offices in the country, from the highest to the lowest,
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Speaker 1: or whether candidates on both sides of political questions shall
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Speaker 1: be brought forward as heretofore and supported by the usual means.
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Speaker 1: At this time, the efforts of the Bank to control
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Speaker 1: public opinion through the distresses of some and the fears
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Speaker 1: of others are equally apparent, and if possible, more objectionable
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Speaker 1: by a curtailment of its accommodations more rapid than any
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Speaker 1: emergency requires. And even while it retains specie to an
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Speaker 1: almost unprecedented amount in its vaults, it is attempting to
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Speaker 1: produce great embarrassment in one portion of the community, while
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Speaker 1: through presses known to have been sustained by its money,
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Speaker 1: it attempts, by unfounded alarms, to create a panic. In
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Speaker 1: all these are the means by which it seems to
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Speaker 1: expect that it can force a restoration of the deposits, and,
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Speaker 1: as a necessary consequence, extort from Congress a road renewal
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Speaker 1: of its charter. I am happy to know that, through
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Speaker 1: the good sense of our people, the effort to get
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Speaker 1: up a panic has hitherto failed, and that through the
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Speaker 1: increased accommodations which the state banks have been enabled to afford,
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Speaker 1: no public distress has followed the exertions of the Bank.
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Speaker 1: And it cannot be doubted that the exercise of its
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Speaker 1: power and the expenditure of its money, as well as
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Speaker 1: its efforts to spread groundless alarm, will be met and
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Speaker 1: rebuked as they deserve. In my own sphere of duty,
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Speaker 1: I should feel myself called on, by the facts disclosed
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Speaker 1: to order Assira Fascius against the Bank, with a view
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Speaker 1: to put an end to the charted rights it has
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Speaker 1: so palpably violated. Were it not that the charter itself
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Speaker 1: will expire as soon as a decision would probably be
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Speaker 1: obtained from the court of last resort, I called the
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Speaker 1: attention of Congress to this subject in my last annual message,
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Speaker 1: and informed them that such measures as were within the
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Speaker 1: reach of the Secretary of the Treasury had been taken
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Speaker 1: to enable him to judge whether the public deposits in
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Speaker 1: the Bank of the United States were entirely safe, but
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Speaker 1: that as his single powers might be inadequate to the object,
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Speaker 1: I recommended the subject to Congress as worthy of their
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Speaker 1: serious investigation, declaring it as my opinion that an inquiry
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Speaker 1: into the transactions of that institution, embracing the branches as
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Speaker 1: well as the principal bank, was called for by the
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Speaker 1: credit which it was given throughout the country to many
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Speaker 1: serious charges impeaching their character, and which, if true, might
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Speaker 1: justly excite the apprehension that they were no longer a
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Speaker 1: safe depository for the public money. The extent to which
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Speaker 1: the examination thus recommended was gone into is spread upon
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Speaker 1: your journals, and is too well known to require to
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Speaker 1: be stated. Such as was made resulted in a report
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Speaker 1: from our majority of the Committee of Ways and Means,
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Speaker 1: touching certain specified points, only concluding with a resolution that
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Speaker 1: the government deposits might safely be continued in the Bank
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Speaker 1: of the United States. This resolution was adopted at the
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Speaker 1: close of the session by the vote of a majority
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Speaker 1: of the House of Representatives. Although I may not always
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Speaker 1: be able to concur in the views of the public
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Speaker 1: interest or the duties of its agents, which may be
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Speaker 1: taken by the other departments of the Government or either
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Speaker 1: of its branches, I am notwithstanding, wholly incapable of receiving
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Speaker 1: otherwise than with the most sincere respect all opinions or
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Speaker 1: suggestions proceeding from such a source, and in respect to
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Speaker 1: none am I more inclined to do so than to
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Speaker 1: the House of Representatives. But it will be seen from
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Speaker 1: the brief views at this time taken of the subject
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Speaker 1: by myself, as well as the more ample ones presented
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Speaker 1: by the Secretary of the Treasury, that the change in
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Speaker 1: the deposits which has been ordered has been deemed to
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Speaker 1: be called for by considerations which are not affected by
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Speaker 1: the proceedings referred to, and which, if correctly viewed by
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Speaker 1: that Department, rendered its act a matter of imperious duty.
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Speaker 1: Coming as you do, for the most part, immediately from
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Speaker 1: the people and the states by election, and possessing the
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Speaker 1: fullest opportunity to know their sentiments, the present Congress will
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Speaker 1: be sincerely solicitous to carry into full and fair effect
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Speaker 1: the will of their constituents. In regard to this institution.
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Speaker 1: It will be for those in whose behalf we all
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Speaker 1: act to decide whether the executive Department of the Government,
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Speaker 1: in the steps which it has taken on this subject,
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Speaker 1: has been found in the line of its duty. The
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Speaker 1: accompanying report of the Secretary of War, with the documents
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Speaker 1: annexed to it, exhibits the operations of the War Department
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Speaker 1: for the past year, and the condition of the various
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Speaker 1: subjects entrusted to its administration. It will be seen from
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Speaker 1: them that the Army maintains the character it has heretofore
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Speaker 1: acquired for efficiency and military knowledge. Nothing has occurred since
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Speaker 1: your last session to require its services beyond the ordinary
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Speaker 1: routine duties which upon the sea board and the inland
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Speaker 1: frontier devolve upon it in a time of peace. The
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Speaker 1: system so wisely adopted in so long pursuit of constructing
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Speaker 1: fortifications at exposed points, and of preparing and collecting the
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Speaker 1: supplies necessary for the military defense of the country, and
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Speaker 1: thus providently furnishing in peace the means of defense in war,
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Speaker 1: has been continued with the usual results. I recommend to
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Speaker 1: your consideration the various subjects suggested in the report of
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Speaker 1: the Secretary of War, their adoption would promote the public
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Speaker 1: service and meliorate the condition of the army. Our relations
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Speaker 1: with the various Indian tribes have been undisturbed since the
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Speaker 1: termination of the difficulties growing out of the hostile aggressions
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Speaker 1: of the Sac and Fox Indians. Several treaties have been
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Speaker 1: formed for the relinquishment of territory to the United States
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Speaker 1: and for the migration of the occupants of the region
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Speaker 1: assigned for their residence west of the Mississippi. Should these
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Speaker 1: treaties be ratified by the Senate, provision will have been
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Speaker 1: made for the removal of almost all the tribes remaining
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Speaker 1: east of that river, and for the termination of many
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Speaker 1: difficult and embarrassing questions arising out of their anomalous political condition.
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Speaker 1: It is to be hoped that those portions of two
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Speaker 1: of the southern tribes, which in that event will present
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Speaker 1: the only remaining difficulties, will realize the necessity of emigration
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Speaker 1: and will speedily resort to it. My original convictions upon
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Speaker 1: this subject have been confirmed by the course of events
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Speaker 1: for several years, and experience is every day adding to
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Speaker 1: their strength. That those tribes cannot exist surrounded by our
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Speaker 1: settlements and in continual contact with our citizens is certain.
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Speaker 1: They have neither the intelligence, the industry, the moral habits,
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Speaker 1: nor the desire of improvement, which are essential to any
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Speaker 1: favorable change in their condition. Established in the midst of
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Speaker 1: another and a superior race, and without appreciating the causes
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Speaker 1: of their inferiority or seeking to control them, they must
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Speaker 1: necessarily yield to the force of circumstances and er long disappear.
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Speaker 1: Such has been their fate heretofore, and if it is
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Speaker 1: to be averted, and it is, it can only be
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Speaker 1: done by a general removal beyond our boundary, and by
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Speaker 1: the reorganization of their political system upon principles adapted to
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Speaker 1: the new relations in which they will be placed. The
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Speaker 1: experiment which has been recent made has so far proved successful.
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Speaker 1: The emigrants generally are represented to be prosperous and contented,
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Speaker 1: the country suitable to their wants and habits, and the
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Speaker 1: essential articles of subsistence easily procured. When the report of
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Speaker 1: the Commissioners, now engaged in investigating the condition and prospects
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Speaker 1: of these Indians, and in devising a plan for their
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Speaker 1: intercourse and government is received. I trust ample means of
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Speaker 1: information will be in possession of the Government for adjusting
20:30
Speaker 1: all the unsettled questions connected with this interesting subject. The
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Speaker 1: operations of the Navy during the year and its present
20:39
Speaker 1: condition are fully exhibited in the annual Report from the
20:43
Speaker 1: Navy Department. Suggestions are made by the Secretary of various
20:48
Speaker 1: improvements which deserve careful consideration, and most of which have
20:52
Speaker 1: adopted bidfair to promote the efficiency of this important branch
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Speaker 1: of the public service. Among these are the new organization
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Speaker 1: of the Navy Board, the revision of the pay to officers,
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Speaker 1: and a change in the period of time or in
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Speaker 1: the manner of making the annual appropriations to which I
21:10
Speaker 1: beg leave to call your particular attention. The views which
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Speaker 1: are presented on almost every portion of our naval concerns,
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Speaker 1: and especially on the amount of force and the number
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Speaker 1: of officers, and the general course of policy appropriate in
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Speaker 1: the present state of our country for securing the great
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Speaker 1: and useful purposes of naval protection in peace and due
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Speaker 1: preparation for the contingencies of war, meet with my entire approbation.
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Speaker 1: It will be perceived from the report referred to that
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Speaker 1: the physical concerns of the establishment are in an excellent condition,
21:46
Speaker 1: and it is hoped that Congress may feel disposed to
21:48
Speaker 1: make promptly every suitable provision desired, either for preserving or
21:53
Speaker 1: improving the system. The General Post Office Department has continued,
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Speaker 1: upon the strength of its own resciss to facilitate the
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Speaker 1: means of communication between the various portions of the Union
22:06
Speaker 1: with increased activity. The method, however, in which the accounts
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Speaker 1: of the transportation of the mail have always been kept,
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Speaker 1: appears to have presented an imperfect view of its expenses.
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Speaker 1: It has recently been discovered that from the earliest records
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Speaker 1: of the Department, the annual statements have been calculated to
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Speaker 1: exhibit an amount considerably short of the actual expense incurred
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Speaker 1: for that service. These illusory statements, together with the expense
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Speaker 1: of carrying into effect the law of the last Session
22:37
Speaker 1: of Congress establishing new mail routes, and a disposition on
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Speaker 1: the part of the head of the Department to gratify
22:44
Speaker 1: the wishes of the public in the extension of male facilities,
22:47
Speaker 1: have induced him to incur responsibilities for their improvement beyond
22:52
Speaker 1: what the current resources of the department would sustain. As
22:57
Speaker 1: soon as he had discovered the imperfection of the method,
22:59
Speaker 1: he called, caused an investigation to be made of its results,
23:03
Speaker 1: and applied the proper remedy to correct the evil. It
23:06
Speaker 1: became necessary for him to withdraw some of the improvements
23:09
Speaker 1: which he had made to bring the expenses of the
23:12
Speaker 1: department within its own resources. These expenses were incurred for
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Speaker 1: the public good, and the public have enjoyed their benefit.
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Speaker 1: They are now but partially suspended, and that where they
23:24
Speaker 1: may be discontinued with the least inconvenience to the country.
23:29
Speaker 1: The progressive increase in the income from postages has equaled
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Speaker 1: the highest expectations, and it affords demonstrative evidence of the
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Speaker 1: growing importance and great utility of this department. The details
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Speaker 1: are exhibited in the accompanying report of the Postmaster General.
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Speaker 1: The many distressing accidents which have of late occurred in
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Speaker 1: that portion of our navigation, carried on by the use
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Speaker 1: of steam power, deserved the immediate and unremitting attention of
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Speaker 1: the constituted authority of the country. The fact that the
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Speaker 1: number of those fatal disasters is constantly increasing, notwithstanding the
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Speaker 1: great improvements which are everywhere made in the machinery employed,
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Speaker 1: and in the rapid advances which have made in that
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Speaker 1: branch of science, shows very clearly that they are, in
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Speaker 1: a great degree the result of criminal negligence on the
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Speaker 1: part of those by whom the vessels are navigated, and
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Speaker 1: to whose care and attention the lives and property of
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Speaker 1: our citizens are so extensively entrusted. That these evils may
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Speaker 1: be greatly lessened, if not substantially removed, by means of
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Speaker 1: precautionary and penal legislation seems to be highly probable. So far, therefore,
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Speaker 1: as the subject can be regarded as within the constitutional
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Speaker 1: purview of Congress, I earnestly recommend it to your prompt
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Speaker 1: and serious consideration. I would also call your attention to
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Speaker 1: the views I have heretofore expressed of the propriety of
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Speaker 1: amending the Constitution in relation to the mo of electing
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Speaker 1: the President and the Vice President of the United States,
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Speaker 1: Regarding it as all important to the future quiet and
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Speaker 1: harmony of the people, that every intermediate agency in the
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Speaker 1: election of these officers should be removed, and that their
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Speaker 1: eligibility should be limited to one term of either four
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Speaker 1: or six years. I cannot to earnestly invite your consideration
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Speaker 1: of the subject, trusting that your deliberations on all the
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Speaker 1: topics of general interest to which I have adverted, and
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Speaker 1: such others as your more extensive knowledge of the wants
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Speaker 1: of our beloved country may suggest, may be crowned with success.
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Speaker 1: I tender you in conclusion the cooperation which it may
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Speaker 1: be in my power to afford them. In the section
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Speaker 1: eleven