year. His successor, Judge Henry W. Collier, held the office a dozen years with much credit to himself and to the court. In State politics there were no striking events during Governor Clay's term of office, though there was much activity. The second administration of President Andrew

Jackson came to a close in 1837, and by that time the men who opposed his policies were fully organized into a separate party, which was called the Whig party. The Whigs favored a strong government at Washington, a national bank, and protective tariffs. Their great leader was Henry Clay, and in 1836 their candidate for President was General William Henry Harrison. The Alabama legis

lature nominated Hugh L. White, of Tennessee; but VicePresident Van Buren was nominated by a convention at Baltimore as the Democratic candidate, and he was elected. The electoral votes of Alabama were cast for Van Buren, but the Whigs had begun to have some strength in the State. About this time there were also in Alabama a number of able men who favored a stronger stand for the reserved rights of the States than the regular Democratic party was willing to take. These were called "States Rights men," and Dixon H. Lewis, who had now great influence in Congress, was regarded as their leader. At the Congressional election in 1837 the five representatives chosen were all Democrats. The only new name in the list was that of Joab Lawler, of the Tuscaloosa district. Chapman, Lewis, Martin, and Lyon were all reëlected, and they were men of more than ordinary ability.

GOVERNOR HUGH MCVAY.

175

In June, 1837, the legislature chose Governor Clay to succeed Gabriel Moore in the United States Senate.

Governor

Clay accepted the office, and

Hugh McVay, of Lauderdale,

president of the State Senate, became governor of Alabama, and held the place until a new governor was elected. He was a South Carolinian by birth, but came to Madison County when it was part of Mississippi Territory. He served in the legislatures of Mississippi and Alabama Territories, as well as in the State legislature of Alabama, so that he had great experience. He was a plain

GOVERNOR HUGH McVAY.

man, much respected for his integrity and for his just views of public questions; but the shortness of his term as governor-only four months-gave him little opportunity to distinguish himself in that office.

At the regular State election in 1837 the candidates for governor were Arthur Pendleton Bagby, of Monroe, and Samuel W. Oliver, of Conecuh. Mr. Bagby was the Democratic candidate; Mr. Oliver was not exactly a Whig, nor yet a Democrat. In our day he would probably be called an Independent. Mr. Bagby was elected.

When the Creeks were leaving, one of their chiefs, Eufaula, passed through Tuscaloosa, and was invited to address the legislature. There are many famous Indian speeches, but it is doubtful if any of them excel in dignity and simple pathos this farewell of the Muscogee chief. His words were translated and taken down at the time. "I come, brothers,"

he said, "to see the great house of Alabama and the men that make the laws, and say farewell in brotherly kindness before I go to the far West, where my people are now going. I did think, at one time, that the

white men wanted to oppress my people and drive them from their homes by compelling them to obey laws they did not understand; but I have now become satisfied that they are not unfriendly towards us, but that they wish us well. In these lands of Alabama, which have belonged to my forefathers, and where their bones lie buried, I see that the Indian fires are going out-they must soon be extinguished. New fires are lighting in the West, and we will go there. I do not believe that our great father, the President, intends to harm the red men, but wishes them well. . . We leave behind our good will to the people of Alabama, who build the great houses, and to the men who make the laws. This is all I have to say. I came to say farewell to the wise men who make the laws, and to wish them peace and happiness in the country which my forefathers owned, and which I now leave to go to other homes in the West. I leave the graves of my fathers-but the Indian fires are going out, almost clean gone-and new fires are lighting there for us."

QUESTIONS.

What is said of Governor Clay? Tell of the trouble with the Creeks. What measures were taken? Describe the battle of Pea River. What is said of the removal of the Cherokees? What counties were formed out of the Cherokee cession, and for whom were they named ? In what other wars were citizens of Alabama engaged during this administration? What was the condition of the bank in 1836 ? In 1837? What causes of the bank's troubles are mentioned? What was the general condition of the State in 1836? What institutions of learning were founded in 1836 ? Mention the changes in the Supreme Court in this period. What is said of the political parties of this time? How did the Congressional elections in 1837 result? The Senatorial election? What is said of Governor McVay? What was the result of the State election in 1837 ?

CHAPTER XXII.

ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR BAGBY.

GOV. ARTHUR P. BAGBY.

GOVERNOR BAGBY was born in Virginia in 1796, and came to Alabama while it was a Territory. He sat for Monroe several times in the House of Representatives and was several times. chosen speaker. In national politics he was a supporter of President Jackson against nullification. Striking in appearance, stately and graceful in bearing, and generous to a fault, he was a popular and successful governor, and was reëlected in 1839, so that he held the office four years.

They were troublesome years. The Indian question, it is true, disappeared with the departure of the Cherokees in 1838, but the money question was still to be dealt with. The planters and farmers were in debt to the bank, and wanted to renew their loans; the bank was trying to collect its loans so as to get gold and silver to pay its own notes. The bonds issued by the State had been sold and the money used to pay the bank's notes, but there were hundreds of thousands of notes still unpaid. The State's efforts merely relieved distress; they did not cure the evil of the system. Many plans were proposed in the legislature, for it was felt that there was something radically wrong about the institution on which the State was now depending for its revenues. But all that was done at this session was to provide for a Board of Con

trol consisting of three persons appointed by the governor with full power to examine the bank and its branches. When the time came to elect directors there were evidences of the corrupt influences brought to bear on members of the legislature.

The people had lost faith in the bank, and they were still suffering from the results of the panic. The price of cotton was low and money scarce. The farmers began to complain of the commission merchants and warehousemen at Mobile, and in the session of 1838 the legislature passed a bill providing for a State warehouse; but in the end the people found that the merchants and warehousemen were not to blame, and the scheme was given up. Governor Bagby in his annual message pointed out the faults of the bank system and recommended stringent laws to prevent directors from profiting unduly by their offices. The legislature adopted his

recommendations.

But the hard times continued, and in 1839 there was another panic. The distress was heightened by a drought that stopped navigation on the rivers, and there was an epidemic of yellow fever at Mobile. The governor's message to the legislature this year was still stronger against the bank's

methods.

But in the spring of 1841 the State was startled by the discovery of an extensive scheme, in which many prominent men were mixed up, to defraud the bank by false bills of exchange recommended by members of the legislature. The discovery prevented the mischief; but before Governor Bagby went out of office it was clear that the bank was a failure. The people had once been proud of it; they were now ashamed of it. We shall see how manfully they went about the task of correcting the mistake that had been made.

It is pleasant to turn from the affairs of the bank to other events of this administration. Three of these events were of lasting importance-the establishment of chancery courts, the