190 MARTIN VAN BUREN. 



having expired, was re-elected President. In his message after 

 his re-election, he announced that he would not hesitate to 

 bring the Southeners back to their duty, by force if necessary. 

 He also attacked the solvency of the United States Bank, 

 intimating that it was no longer a safe depository for the 

 public funds. 



Towards the close of December, 1832, a bill was intro- 

 duced into Congress, by which it was proposed to reduce the 

 duties. This did not meet the views of either party. At last 

 these difficulties were overcome by the introduction of a bill by 

 Henry Clay, of Kentucky /known hereafter as the Compromise 

 Bill. By it, all duties were to be gradually reduced till 1842, 

 when they were to reach the minimum of twenty per cent. 

 ad valorem. This bill was carried through both houses of 

 Congress, and received the sanction of the President. 



At the expiration of the Charter of the United States 

 Bank, a large number of State banks were created, which pro- 

 duced and nourished all manner of wild speculations, particu- 

 larly in appropriated public lands. 



During the winter session of 1835, a bill was brought 

 before Congress recognising the Independence of Texas, but 

 it was postponed. The Indian war was continued in Florida 

 during the year 1836, and many plantations and settlements 

 in the neighbourhood of St. Augustine were ravaged, 

 inhabitants slain, and negroes taken away by the enemy. 

 There was also a war with the Indians of the north-western 

 frontier called Black Hawk's war, which resulted in the 

 capturing and deposing of that chief. 



In the early part of 1837, General Santa Anna, the 

 President of the Republic of Mexico, was made a prisoner by 

 the Texans, and subsequently set at liberty. He visited 

 Washington, whence after a short stay, he returned to Mexico. 



Moore's Electric Telegraph was discovered in 1832. 



On the nth of November, 1836, elections for the 

 nomination of a new President took place, and MARTIN 

 Van Buren, was elected. 



MARTIN VAN BUREN, 1837— 1841. 



Martin Van BUREN, the eighth President of the 

 United States, took possession of the chair on the 4th of 

 March, 1837. The New President was scarcely seated when 

 a severe commercial crisis burst all over the country. It was 

 at New Orleans that the first failure of consequence was 



