Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1832-06-21

more deserving of the attention of Con-
gress, and OF the Nation, than any other
Of the papers commented upon in the re-
port of the Majority of the Committee.
But this is not the limit to our purpose
in asking the attention Of our readers to
this subject.
1t has not been our aim merely to shew
that control, for party purposes, was at
tempted to be exercised by Executive
officers over the operations of the Bank
of the United tates 1t is not matter
of surprise, d ever much we may con-
demn the act, at the party considera-
tons which at same time were div
ing from office the most faithful public
agents in the Post Office and other De-
partments ofthe Governments, should be
bought to bear on the Bank of the u.
States, in whose President and Direc-
tors, fortunately, integrity and frmness
enough were found to resist the introduc-
tion of principle, which would have
borne down all public virtue by the tide
Of its corrupting influence. 1t was natu-
raj that the attempt should be made, and
that its defeat should be resented by
those who made it.
Every reader must recollect with what
surprise il was discovered, frQw.the first
Message of the present President of the
United States to Congress, that his Ad-
ministration had taken ground entirely
hostile to the Bank of the United States.
The causes of that hostility are now
developed. The curtain is raised, by
which they were concealed. They
stand revealed to public view. a com
parison Of dates will leave scarcely n
shadow Of doubt that the true ground of
the hostility of the Presidents conliden-
tal friends to the Bank, was its want of
pliancy to their party schemes.
The attempt to convert the Bank into
party mach;ne.-we say The Bank, be-
cause although the attempted reform be-
gan only with one branch, it was
avowedly contemplated as to other
branches, and it is fairly presumable as
to all of them--was made within the first
quarter of year after the wheels (and
the screws) of the government had got
fairly to work. The attempt was finally
defeated in the October following. / he
denunciation of the Bank, which so
much astonished every body, in the
Message Of the President, (Which, it is
not concealed, was put togcthe, by diff
ierent hands, and was not his alone)
was of only two months later than the
last letter from his Secretary Of the
Treasury to the President Of the Bank.
The effect followed closely upon the
cause--it was the clap Of thunder after
the lightning's fash. Let us recur to
the terms of that denunciation:
"Both the constitutionalty and the
cxpediency of the law creatin. this bank
are well questioned by large portion cf
our lelow-citizens; and it must be ad-
mitted by all, that it has failed in the
great end of establishing un;fcrm and
sound currency.
"Under these circumstances, if such
an institution is deemed essential to the
fiscal operations of the Government, |
submit to tho wisdom Of the Legislature,
whether a National one, founded upon
the credit of the Government and its re-
venues, might not be devised, which
would avoid all constitutional difficulties,
and, at the same time, secure all the ad-
rontoge 10 The Government and country,
that we're expected to result from the
present Bank. A-President's Message,
Dec. 8, 1890.
Put this and that together. After the
history which we have just conned over,
is it not clear, that the ''largo portion of
our iellow-citizens," referred to in the
Message, who question the expedicncy
of "this" Bank, are the portion who de-
sire to have political Bank, and who,
in New Hampshire, wanted to thrust Mr.
Mason aside--to break him, because
they could not bend them? Who does
not perceive that the writer of that part
of the Message had in his minds eye
the then recent refusal Of the Bank Of
the United States to allow to the party
not "the Government" for the Gov
ernment has always acknowledged free
ly the advantages which ii has derived
from it--but to Me party call the advar-
tages" expected from it.
/ 4 =