Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-05-25
BANK OF THE l.. STATES.
MIR. ADAMS REFORM.
CONCLUDED.

* obScrNld tlGt, among The documents cNllOtcu to
the ComJlttoe, and reported to the House, arc
four other cases OF loans AZ ion. credit. made by
the Bunk. The report neither mentions the names
OF the ndivllua'S, parties to these contracts nor
the correspondence and testimony relating To them
which wcre lGd before the Committee. Tho suh
scrbcr approving the discretion of the majority in
this part,cI!ur, will not dosittc from tho example
SGT i'll the report He will barely take o,coS;nu
from 1t To remark that the names of those imdvi,lu
ais, ana OF their accounts and transactions with
the Bank, cannot be brought before the public nv,
the COMMITTEES, without gross Injustice. Those
TRANSACTIONS he is bound to believe were pcrf;,c l
JuStihaoo IN ali the parties To the contract; but he
was under tul conviction that neither he nor the
Committee, had the right to imG,,.rc into them
whether Tor justification or for ccnsurc. The OBJ
Jectlon OF the subscriber is to all nquiSion into
tvcs, for actions unt"rhiddcn by law. Bat in each
otthcsn Tour cascs-in those of the accounts ofcvcry
odit"r oil newspaper, every member of Con.
SreSS, aud OF every person connected with the Exc
cutlvo Government-it the fact of the indvi.
dual account is exhibited to the public it is, upon
the plalncst principle of Justice the right Of the in
dvldual to have alike exhibited 10 the public, all tho
circumstances connected with the transactions
which he may deem essential To his justification
But what is that Justification? lSlt Justification H.
mltcd by the boundaries of the law? No; that is
not sufficient. The account i'll Bank must he coi-
pied with the conduct and opinions ofthc individu
al to point the finger him and at the Bank as for
u'shon"rablc conduct and corrupt purposes. So it
VAS in the case of james Watson Webb and of Nor
dccai vi. Noah. Why was it not in other cases ,
Why arc the names Of other printers and the
amount and the as 'cct ofthcir debts to the Bank
as principals or as cmdOrscrS, withheld! Why are
other editors having large accomnod ton, in the
Bank, the names OF their endorsnrs, the character
OF their settlements, the present state of their en-
gagements and Il contcmporancous exposition Of
their editorial friendship or hostility 20 the Bank
not set forth in all the DEVELOPMENTS of the Bank
debts and editorial speculations of James Watson
Webb and MOrdecai VI. Noah?-\Yhy are not the
day ofan editorial discount and the day of an cdi
toral pun or pancgyrc, or blast of abuse upon the
Bank, brought into juxta position TO each other SO
That suspicion may yoke them together in the rel,
1n OF cause and effect any other ca SO thu theirs
. subscriber believed that there were other &C.
IoTts OF editors and printers with the Bank cxhi.
"ted to the Committee, which, compared with cdl.
oral lucubrations in tho newspapers of the same
.'tors at tho same times with tin. discounts o, ut
.prcsent day, would suggest reflections quite ms
uuIng to the spirit of reform the debts and dis
sSSfta'ons of James Watson Webb and Nordccai NJ .
%"i Inc majority report has buried them in
ooiIion. There let thcm remain. The subscriber
VIII rot disturb their rcpoSc. Bat he asks of the
oshGe OF the community, and of tho self respect
", 'he louise. representing the feelings of the Poo
fIe' ina no moro Legislative Investigations may he
instituted at the expense of the nation under color
OF an examination into the books and proceedings
OF inc Ban of the United States into tho politics!
purity and Underwriting consistency Of the co,lu.,
ofs OF the public press.
IL Is with geat satisfaction, that the Subscriber
declares ms on ire and undoubting conviction as
INC result OF all the examination which under The.
tSoiu'ioh OIL the House, and the unhouuGed range
OIL inquiry sanctioned by the ma iority nf the com
mttcc, he was able to rive the books and proceed
ihsS OF the Bank, that no misconduct whatever is
lmputabc to the President, or to any ofthc nrcscut
D.leCtors OF inc Bank. That, in the management
OF the affairs OF this immense institutions now for
series of nearly ten years occasional errors ociud
meht' anC possibly OF inadverencc, have been com
mIttsd, Is doubtless truo-n the vast muItitudc nj
relations OF the Bank with the property tho whole
ihp ,arI ,F =
Bank, or of some of its branches have sometimes
mistaken the law, and sometimes have suffered by
misplaced con tdouCc. 4 SPIRIT OF Predetermined
hostility, uncontrolled by liberal sense of Justice
PryIng Tor flaws, and hunting for exceptions may
crafty ITSELF and swell with exutaticn at lis own
saSachy III discovering an error arguinga mis-
construction OF powers. In tho conduct of the
present PRESIDENT and Directors Of the Bank of the
United States, no intentional wrong and no impor
tanbscr voluntary has been committed Uc
deems this declaration due from him to those wor-
my and respectable citizens, in the face of this
House and of tIis nation willing as he is to abide
upon IL the deliberate judgment Of after times. He
deems 1T the more mpcriously required of him as
signal vGdlcation of the honor and integrity of in
lurcd and pcSccutcd men. 1t has been impossible
for him to Observe without deep concern the spirit
and temper with which this investigation has been
prosecuted particularly with regard to the Prcsi.
dent of the Bank. As one example of which, he
would call the attention Of the House to the testi
mony of Reuben VI. Whitney-to the manner in
which 1t was produced, and 20 the catastrophe in
which it terminated.
On the Cd OF April. the Chairman Of the Com
mittee asked of them, authority to s,ie a snbpnna
10 summon the attendance before them of Thomas
wilson heretofore, in the year 1921, a Cashier Of
The Bank, 10 testify a witness. The subscriber
enqulrcd what it expected Mr. Wilson would
PreYc, which question the Chairman declined to
answer Tho subscriber objected therefore to the
issuing OF the Subpoena, and the motion fo- it was
for that day withdrawn.
The next day it was renewed, with 4 statement