Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1821-04-03
FOR THE SPECTATOR.
NOMINAL BANKS-NO.iI.
ease,

teal and universal experience of man on
tbs poia could for moment lie doubtful"
(CUirIus.)
It is the glorious privilege erjoyed by
the citizens Of our government 10 cx-
press their opinions On every subectthey
may dsem vitality interesting. SANDER
ers may call such conduct a " predatory
crusade but their happenings can ne
yer control the hayward Thoughts of a
free people. Our pockets woull never
be filed, by warming our b2dei at an
auto dc le Of our representa- tive,; and
were we 10 lncarcerate them within the
walls Ct tbs g state iaquisiilon T" they are
SO fertile in expedients thatthe mahema-
teal skill Of an Archimides would be
ont5ione, and we might soon 4 i. the state
Of Illinois hun., to the horns cline moon,
where 1t waald be mere conspicuous
mark Tor " Pity 10 point her tnger at"
The iBa,s ta.uus rage Of innovation seem
cd ike the hydrophobia to acluatc oar
legislature; experience, the s hr- guide
Of our projects was banished, and vision
ar, schemes, as ia,iie as the winds, oc-
copied lie place 81 sober reas3n.
The opposefs Of me bank wage no
war OF determination they coalroI not
! the thnnders of the Vatican; they are
the enlisted Swiss Of no greet man, but
they array themselves under tie banners
oil reason and eXpediency. Thesanction
OF great names, or Of sophis.ical reason
ers, cannot gull the feohte into measures
hostile to ffeir vital interests. They
yet easily discriminate betv cen truth and
error, fact and fiction. Tie tribunal of
the people, which in our government
takes cogaizance Of the official conduct
Of their representatiy IS, has in many
paris ofthe state undissuisedIy decided
| that on the bank question ,teIr opinions
have not been represented. Come forth,
then, chi ,htenel frecmen Of I.!.nc.s--
strange, with Herculean strength, lhc
serpent in its cradle; let it rot p9.lute
| the land conscGr!ted 10 freedom. Meet
in county meeting; petition The governor
TO call the legislature together, AMI ba-
nish The hyt,ra-headed monster, the crea-
tare Of madness and folly, from eur do
mains. That our necessities are great,
all acknowledge; that Something ought
to have been done 70 relieve them, we
admit; bat the abundance Of Our rec IS
Sites has only been curious"-ly ane-
Iioratet', by bank, with d. fictitious capt
tai, authorized to issue pictured rags.
am aware that i. is i,nmateriaI waat
metal, or matter, composcs lie medium
Of currency, il it will Pay or debts but
this, hereafter. Pandora has, indeed,
opcned her box of evils, AID Illinois is
| proc lained a scheduled vagabond, by
legis lative authority. Tell it not in
! GATH" that this State, upon whom ma
ture has lavished her choicest tavors, is
obliged TO resort TO such nsfarl3us
schemes Who could compose the
muscles of his countenance, If a foreign
er should offer him his paper, at ten
years credit, with this declaration: &" Sir,
| am nsolvent now, but | havega large
fortune in expectancy; there are MY
s. Yazoo claims,'' my Mississippi
schemes" my COMMISSIONS the
clouds, and tie Chic Saline. But, II
may be sad, this is not an analogous
case, for here we have PUBLIC FAITH
pledged. " Alas Poor Yorick. "A
people who are individually banirupts
and collectively wealthy. A logical pa
radox And public faith and public
gratitude have long ceased to exist, ex-
cept in the idle themes OF aspiring de-
magogues. The former has been tested
in continental paper, and the latter, in
innumerable instances in our own coun-
try.
shall hereafter speak of the legal
anachronism of legislative interposltior
j, with contracts already formed between
individuals, and compelling creditors &c
take paper which from the necessity Of
things must have deprecated value
And feel able to prove to reasonable
beings, even Curtius himself, that thi!
state paper will never have par value
that it will not pay our foreign debts
which are the most pressing )--that i
!, will not purchase manufactured articles
which are indispensablc--that it will no
answer any Of the purposes proposed BY
its projectors--and that from data which
will be admitted, the state will not b,
prepared at the end OF ten ,esrs to re
deem the loan. These thing, review
of the iacontrouenibis reasons Of Cur
thus, and to shew that it would operat
: eQua! jsItisc, to declare a general dis