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Biographical Notes
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Thomas Hart Benton
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Once it was clear that Clay could not be elected, Benton switched his support to Jackson, but Adams emerged as President and Clay was made Secretary of State. Jackson's supporters claimed that Adams had made a "corrupt bargain" with Clay that would ensure that Clay would succeed him to the presidency in 1828. Benton rejected this charge, but no longer supported Clay. Eventually the two men ceased to be personal friends. In April 1825 Benton was part of the official welcome party for the Marquis de Lafayette's visit to St. Louis. That same year a new newspaper was established in the city and absorbed the Enquirer. The Missouri Advocate continued the Enquirer's earlier support of Benton, but over time drifted away from him. During the four years of Adam's presidency Benton was in the forefront of the political opposition to the president and his policies and grew closer to Jackson who was planning to contend for the presidency again in 1828. Benton's fellow senator from Missouri, David Barton, took the side of the administration. The two men became political opponents and eventually refused to speak to each other. In March 1826 Elizabeth had their third child - Sarah Benton. Benton was overwhelmingly reelected to the senate in 1826. In February 1827 the Adams administration demanded payment of Benton's share of the obligations still due of the defunct Bank of Missouri.
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Benton's popularity was growing nationally. In May 1827 the Philanthropic Society of the University of North Carolina decided to expunge his earlier disgrace by readmitting him to its membership. With the 1828 presidential election approaching, Benton campaigned vigorously for Jackson and helped build a strong grass roots organization to get out the vote. When the votes were tallied Jackson decisively defeated Adams in Missouri and in the nation. In 1829 in a series of articles signed Americanus and another signed LaSalle, Benton argued that Texas should be purchased from Mexico. On November 11, 1829, Elizabeth gave birth to their first son - John Randolph Benton. In December 1830, Jackson called on Congress to replace the Bank of the United States (B.U.S.) with a new organization that was not privately held. Benton enthusiastically supported Jackson's attack on the B.U.S. and began publicly calling for paper money to be replaced with hard currency. In 1831 Nicolas Biddle decided to press for immediate renewal of the B.U.S. charter rather than to wait for the end of its charter in 1836. Benton opposed the move, but Congress voted to approve the renewal. Jackson vetoed the legislation and his opponents were unable to override it. In 1832 Benton was again overwhelmingly reelected to the senate. In 1832, presidential candidates were selected for the first time in national party conventions. In the subsequent election, Jackson decisively defeated Clay.
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In 1832 some tariff legislation sparked a debate over state's rights and the meaning of the constitution. A state convention in South Carolina declared that a state had the right to nullify federal tariffs. Vice President Calhoun resigned as Vice President to take a seat in the Senate and better argue South Carolina's case. Eventually South Carlolina threatened to succeed from the Union if the federal government attempted to enforce the collection of the tariff. Jackson introduced the "Force Bill" which would provide for the administration to force collection of the tariffs. Benton was worried about the impact of the Force Bill and abstained when it came to a vote. It was passed, but never implemented because a compromise on the tariff was negotiated in 1833. In December 1833 Jackson publicly endorsed Benton's long standing effort to lower the price of public lands, but they were unable to get legislation approved by Congress. In 1833 Jackson decided to remove all government deposits from the B.U.S. In order to accomplish this the president had to remove the existing Secretary of the Treasury and replace him with Roger B. Taney. Biddle fought back in congress and in the economy. Business leaders screamed and the senate condemned the president's action over Benton's stout opposition. A study of the economic health of the nation demanded by Biddle's supporters concluded that the economy was doing much better than anyone had thought. The crisis passed and Benton even managed to get a currency reform measure passed.
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In December 1835 Jackson announced that for the first time in the history of the United States the public debt had been completely paid off. In 1836 Benton was nominated for Vice-President by the Mississippi Democratic Party Convention. Benton declined. He was also rumored to be in line to be appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Benton recommended Treasury Secretary Taney for the position. A month later Taney was so appointed. In 1836 the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Society of Friends presented Congress with a petition asking that slavery be banned in Washington D.C. Benton argued that, as it had done in the past, Congress should accept the petition but not act on it. In 1836 Martin Van Buren was elected president and attempted unsuccessfully to bring Benton into his cabinet. On May 10, 1837, the banks in New York suspended specie payments and a general depression soon followed. Van Buren proposed the establishment of an Independent Treasury to help deal with the economic woes of the nation and Benton continued to defend a policy of hard money. In January 1838, Benton's mother died after a prolonged illness. That same year he was again handily reelected to the senate. Early in 1839 on Benton's recommendation, Joshua Pilcher was appointed to replace William Clark as Superintendent of Indian Affairs. In 1840 legislation was passed that created the Independent Treasury as well as a system of sub-treasuries. The legislation also stipulated that by 1843 all federal revenues would be paid in gold or silver coin.
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