ns beyond
the Mississippi fell in with the views of the public upon that subject
and inaugurated an Indian policy which was closely adhered to for more
than half a century. In his vindication of executive independence
Jackson broke new ground, crudely enough it is true; yet, whatever the
merits of his ideas at the moment, they reshaped men's conception of
the presidency and helped make that office the power that it is today.
The strong stand taken against nullification clarified popular opinion
upon the nature of the Union and lent new and powerful support to
national vigor and dignity.

Over against these achievements must be placed the introduction of the
Spoils System, which debauched the Civil Service and did the country
lasting harm; yet Jackson only responded to public opinion which held
"rotation in office to be the cardinal principle of democracy." It
needed a half-century of experience to convince the American people of
this fallacy and to place the national Civil Service beyond the reach
of spoilsmen. Even now public opinion is slow to realize that
efficiency in office can be secured only by experience and relative
permanence.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

The events of the period covered in this volume are described with
some fullness in all of the general American histories. Of these, two
are especially noteworthy for literary quality and other elements of
popular interest: Woodrow Wilson's _History of the American People_, 5
vols. (1902), and John B. McMaster's _History of the People of the
United States_, 8 vols. (1883-1913). The Jacksonian epoch is treated
in Wilson's fourth volume and in McMaster's fifth and sixth volumes.
On similar lines, but with more emphasis on political and
constitutional matters, is James Schouler's _History of the United
States under the Constitution_, 7 vols. (1880-1913), vols. III-IV. One
seeking a scholarly view of the period, in an adequate literary
setting, can hardly do better, however, than to read Frederick J.
Turner's _Rise of the New West_ (1906) and William MacDonald's
_Jacksonian Democracy_ (1906). These are volumes XIV and XV in _The
American Nation_, edited by Albert B. Hart.

Biographies are numerous and in a number of instances excellent. Of
lives of Jackson, upwards of a dozen have been published. The most
recent and in every respect the best is John S. Bassett's _Life of
Andrew Jackson_, 2 vols. (1911). This work is based throughout on the
sources; its li