1834 Clark County Signers

Submitted by Marilyn Hansen  September, 2002

This is a list of Clark County, Ohio signers to a petition. We dont know why they signed in opposition or what controversary was with the Closure of the Bank of United States. It was entered into the Congressional Record and was a list of farmers from Clark County who were detailing the difficult conditions that they were encountering while trying to farm. For some reason, they wanted the public money restored to the bank of the United States. This file was found in Salt Lake City, UT. If you know why they signed it please contact the county coordinator And we will add it to this document. The Names of the Clark County signers are at the bottom of this file. For additional information the Bank, go to this link on "Why the United States Bank was Closed".

The Almanac of American History by Arthur Schlesinger shows

March 2, 1833

With backing from Calhoun and Clay, a resolution in the House of Representatives states that the Bank of the United States can continue as a safe place of deposit for government funds. Jackson, however, wants the funds withdrawn and feels his re-election is an indication that American agree with him. On March 19, Jackson consults his cabinet members on the matter, and on April 3 his attorney general Roger B. Taney supports the legal basis for removing deposits and distributing them to selected state banks. Not all cabinet members agree with Jackson.

June 1, 1833

Because his cabinet cannot agree over the removal of government deposits in the Bank of the United States, President Jackson reorganized the cabinet. But when Jackson instructs William Duane, Secretary of the Treasury, to remove the deposits, he too is reluctant. On July 10, Duane write to Jackson opposing such a move.

September 10, 1833

Presiden Jackson announces to his cabinet that on October 1, the government will no longer use the Bank of the United States for its deposits. Some, including the Secretary of the Treasury, refuse to agree with the plan September 18, 1833 President Jackson submits to the cainet a document drafted by Attorney General Roger Taney which lists reasons for removing government deposits from the Bank. In doin so, Jackson indicates that the role of the cabinet is to be his personal organ.

September 23, 1833

When Secretary of the Treasury Duane persists in refusing to carry out the removal of government funds from the Bank of the United States, President Jackson replaces him with Roger Taney.

September 26, 1833

Roger Taney ordes the first removal of government funds from the Bank of the United States, to be placed in the Girard Bank of Philadelphia by transfer. During the next few months, funds are transfered to 23 other state banks.

December 3, 1833

President Jackson makes his anual message to Congres and assumes the responsibility fo removing government deposits from the Bank of the United States. He claims he was justified in this action because the Bank took a partisan position during the election of 1832.

December 26, 1833

Henry Clay introduces two resolutions in the Senate. The first censures the Treasury and Taney's "unsatisfactory and insufficient" explanation for removing deposits from the Bank of the United States. The second censusre President Jackson for assuming authority and power beyond what the Constitution allows him.

March 28, 1834

The Senate adopts the two resolutions introduced by Henry Clay on December 26, 1833 to censure President Jackson and the Treasury after the removal of government funds from the Bank of the United States.

April 4, 1834

Jackson's supporters in the Senate push through their own resolutions to sustain the administrations bank policy.

April 14, 1834

The name "Whig" is formally a dopted for a new US politcal party. Among those anti-Jackson forces are those Democrats who disagree with Jackson over the Bank of the United States

April 15, 1834

Presiden Jackson formatlly protests the Senaltes approval of Clay's censure resolution. Jackson claims that the Senate as charged him with an offense that might bright about impeachment, yet he has has not been given an opportunity to do defend his actions. Not until January 16, 1837, will the resolution of censure be expunged from the Senate Journal.

February 15, 1836

The Bank of the United States obtains a state charter in Pennsylvania because it hs failed to secrue a renewed charter as a national bank. On march 1, it officially become the Bank of the United States of Pennsylvania.

Feb 15, 1836

The Bank of the United States obtains a state charter in Pennsylvania because it has failed to secure a renewed charter as a national bank. On March 1, it officially becomes the Bank of the United States of Pennsylvania.

23rd Congress 1st Session House of Reps. Doc No 453

Memorial of Inhabitants of Clark county, In favor of restoring the Public Deposites, and rechartering the Bank of the United States May 19 1834. Read and laid upon the table.

"To the honorable the Senate and House of Representatives In Congress assembled:

Deeply impressed with the present distressed state of the country, and cherishing the belief that the distress can only be relieved by the representatives of the people, and recognising the privilege of the people to be heard by petition and memorial in matters which concern their liberties, guaranteed to them by the constitution and the laws, your fellow citizens of Clark county, in the State of Ohio, ask permission to lay before you their views in relation to their own condition at home, as affected by the unwise measure of the Secretary of the Treasury, in causing the removal of the public moneys from the Bank of the United States.

To strangers unacquainted with its peculiar locality, it will not be deemed out of place to remark that the wealth of our county consists almost entirely in its agricultural productions, the principal part of it soil being devoted to the cultivation of wheat, which article may justly be considered the staple of the county. The soil, climate, and other natural causes, combine to render this section of the County peculiarly favorable for the production of wheat of a good quality. The fine streams which flow thorough our valley, have as yet, been converted to no other purpose than the manufacturing of our wheat into flour, thus affording to the farmer a constant and ready market for the chief production of his farm. Thus much we have thought it necessary to preface, in order to show the source of the little wealth we possess. By these preliminary remarks, it will at once be perceived how peculiarly dependent we are upon the proper regulation of the inland trade; how closely allied to domestic industry and enterprise; and how immediately we are affected by any thing which tends to weaken or check the healthful operation of that system which has been to us a source of continued and increasing prosperity. But the blight and the mildew have fallen upon us, and threaten to overwhelm us, and all with whom we are connected, in one general ruin.

The poor man who a few short months since deemed himself secure from all danger, inasmuch as, with the produce of his few acres of wheat, he had that which rendered him independent of the world, will now with a heavy heart tell you, that, to save his all, he cannot raise a few dollars to pay a needy creditor, because that in which he placed his sole dependence, that which was laid up in store to wipe out old scores, and to replenish his stock of family stores for the ensuing season, has failed him; his wheat is at the mill, but the miller cannot buy; his wheat has been manufactured into flour, but the flour will not pay for the producing, and manufacturing, and hauling to a market already glutted with an unsaleable article. In truth, he could tell you, that the old saying indicative of the pecuniary responsibility of a man, 'he is as good as wheat at the mill," is no longer true; for wheat is no longer the standard of wealth.

If day after day, petitions from quarters of the country heretofore supposed to possess wealth, solid wealth, are presented to you, praying a redress of those grievances under which they groan, how much more sad and wretched must be our condition, whose only weatlh consists in th soil and it productions, deprived of that stimulus to industry, and that incentive to enterprise, which a brisk and constant market always affords to the honest laborer.

The distress, commencing with the agricultural part of the community, upon which all others in the interior of this country depend, is now most severely felt by all classes. We have anxiously waited, in hope that a brighter day might come, and disperse the gloom which surrounds us. We still hope that there exists sufficient patriotism, that there still remains enough of the spirit of our sires among the representatives of the people of this Union, to peril all in snatching from the grasp of arbitrary power the constitiution and the laws.

We pray, therefore, that the public moneys of the United States be restored to the safe keeping of the Bank of the United States; and that Congress do extend the resent charter of the Bank of the United States, to such term of time and with such modification, as may seem wise and expedient in view of the general good of our common country. "

Alphabetical Listing

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