Roger BrOi ke of 1833 Taney. Jackson finally concluded to adopt 5 disintegrating. The Hartford convention had brought the party and its leaders into disgrace. Mr. Taney had vigorously sup ported the prosecution of the war, although he had antagonized its inception. He could, therefore, have no sympathy with those who had used every exertion in their power to destroy the credit and cripple the resources of the general government. So he joined the party which supported Andrew Jackson, although he had no political aspirations and was more than content with his professional supremacy. In 1827, upon the unanimous recommendation of the Baltimore bar, he was appointed Attorney General of Mary land by Governor Kent, who was a warm supporter of the administration of John Quincy Adams. He was not long suffered, however, to enjoy the repose of his profes sional labors, but was forced into the arena of national politics. On March 4, 1829, Andrew Jackson was inaugurated President. With the many changes in his cabinet came the exigency which induced him in June, 183 1, to call for Taney to become Attorney General of the United States. Nothing but a stern sense of duty could have induced a man of Taney's temperament to enter the field of national politics, which at that time were peculiarly embittered and partisan, and under the imperious sway of Jackson offered little hope to any man's ambition, and to Taney must have presented great terrors. If he had any forebodings in accepting the office, the next three years fully justified them. His name and character were seized upon by his political enemies and marked out for every species of political calumny and personal abuse. The issues of that day are long since dead, and I have no desire or intention of entering upon them here. Suffice it to say that Mr. Taney had long been convinced that the Bank of the United States was unsound and not a fit depository for the funds of the national government. While Attorney General he repeatedly urged the President to remove the deposits. When, therefore, in the fall
Taney's advice, and Mr. Duane, the Secre tary of the Treasury, refused to take the step, the President appointed Taney Secretary of the Treasury in Duane's place. The new secretary carried out forthwith the policy determined upon. That this policy was wise the event showed beyond a doubt. The bank proved to be hopelessly involved and in solvent. Its managers had been speculating and misappropriating its funds, and only escaped criminal prosecution through politi cal influence. The President did not send Mr. Taney's nomination as Secretary of the Treasury to the Senate until June 23, 1834. The nomination was rejected on the follow ing day. On June 25 Mr. Taney resigned his commission and retired to Baltimore to resume the practice of the law. The Presi dent in accepting his resignation said: "I cannot refrain from expressing on this occasion my profound regret at the necessity for your retirement from that important office: nor can I suffer the opportunity to pass without paying a just tribute to the patriotism, firmness and ability which you have uniformly exhibited since your intro duction into my cabinet." Mr. Taney was received with much enthusiasm on his return to Maryland, where public dinners and receptions were tendered to him and resolutions approving his course were passed. In his speech at Frederick on one of these occasions he said: "It was impossible in a crisis, when the dearest interests of the country were at stake, that I would, without just disgrace, have refused to render my best services in its defence. . . . The measures which I adopted as Secretary of the Treasury are now before the public, and I am ready to abide the judgment which the American people shall pass upon them. They have indeed brought upon me, it seems, a deep and enduring spirit of hos tility. I have been singled out from among the number, who advised and who approved of the measure I pursued, as a fit object to
