Thomas Hart Benton, "On the Expunging Resolution."
U.S. Senate, January 12, 1837
Mr. President:
It is now three years since the resolve was adopted by the Senate,
which it is my present motion to expunge from the journal. At the
moment that this resolve was adopted, I gave notice of my intention to
move to expunge it; and then expressed my confident belief that the
motion would eventually prevail. That expression of confidence was
not an ebullition of vanity, or a presumptuous calculation, intended to
accelerate the event it affected to foretell. It was not a vain boast, or
an idle assumption, but was the result of a deep conviction of the
injustice done President Jackson, and a thorough reliance upon the
justice of the American people. I felt that the President had been
wronged; and my heart told me that this wrong would be redressed!
The event proves that I was not mistaken. The question of expunging
this resolution has been carried to the people, and their decision has
been had upon it. They decide in favor of the expurgation; and their
decision has been both made and manifested, and communicated to us
in a great variety
of ways. A great number of States have expressly instructed their
Senators to vote for this expurgation. A very great majority of the
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