In 1824 Jackson was one of four candidates for the presidency. The People’s Party founded by Jefferson was divided and put forward two candidates both from the west,--Jackson and Clay, who were bitter enemies. Adams was elected, but four years later Jackson was the successful candidate. The poor son of the Irish emigrant had fought his way upward,--saddler, lawyer, judge, general, he now held the highest office of the country. He thought and said that his will was the will of the people and he ruled with autocratic power, never hesitating to oppose Congress. If he thought that a bill was not for the best interests of the country, he vetoed it. He never forgot a friend and seldom forgave a foe. He accepted the view of one of his followers who said “to the victors belong the spoils of the vanquished.” He removed office-holders to bestow offices on his friends--a bad example followed and carried to great excesses by all parties from that day to this. In 1832 he was re-elected; the people recognized that with all his faults he was honest and loyal to their interests. The most important acts of his administration were his attitude towards the Nullification Act of South Carolina and his leadership in the “bank war.” A dramatic incident, at a dinner in honor of Jefferson’s birthday in April, 1830, showed clearly the president’s attitude towards those who were beginning to be dissatisfied with the general government. Jackson was called on for the first toast. He raised his glass, saying, “Our federal union! it must and shall be preserved.” Calhoun, the great South Carolina leader rose and offered the next toast, “The union, next to our liberty the most dear.” After a pause, he added, “May we all remember that it can only be preserved by respecting the rights of the states and by distributing equally the benefits and burdens of the union.” South Carolina considered herself aggrieved by certain tariff regulations, and proclaimed that these duties should not be paid after a certain day and that if the United States attempted to enforce payment the state would secede. Jackson issued a proclamation stating ably his views as to the binding force of the union. He sent to Charleston a naval force, one of the officers of which was Farragut, and he ordered General Scott to have troops ready to march at once to South Carolina. Through the influence of Clay, a compromise tariff bill was passed and the conflict was postponed thirty years. Jackson acted with equal energy in the bank matter; thinking national banks are unconstitutional, he vetoed a bill in their favor, even though his friends believed it would cost him re-election. Feeling ran so high on this subject that the Senate passed a resolution of censure on the president; this resolution was afterwards removed from the record. During Jackson’s administration the national debt was entirely paid. He was probably the only president who went out of office more popular than he went in.