Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 182?-183?, 1832-06-22
From tie Lyachbtlrg r7rginian.

GA POLITICAL REVELATION"
Under this head The National Tntelligen-
Icer, Of the 9TH inst. contains an ANALYSIS of a
VERY curious correspondence, which took
place in 1929, between Mr.. Ingham (the Sc
lcretary of the treasury,) and Mr.. Biddle,
the President OF the United States Bank
We have not room at present for the analy-
sis ofthe lnteliigencer but the subject mat
'er Of the correspondence is so curious, that
We cannot omit all notice oft 1t shows
trst, that Gen. jackson attempted to intro
dice his system OF Prescription, misnamed
hetorm, into the management of that Insti-
tuion and secondly, that, finding his eff
| frts TO do this Intellectual, he became, as he
declared TO Congress, in his Message Of that
var, hostile TO the Bank, and determined,
solar as his influence extended, to substitute
| 10 it, ga national one, founded upon the
Edit of the government, and its revenues"
! an engine in the hands of the adminisira-
| ton of the government, for the time being,
| gigantic in its structure, and fearfully formi-
cable AZ a means of controlling public opin-
ioO, and subduing political recusants-ope-
rding upon the strongest motives which in
| 6Ience human actions, the hope of reward,
ald the fear of punishment.
The facts of the case, as they appear on
the face of the correspondence, are briefly
these MIR. Ingham informs Mr.. Biddle
that he had received letter from Levi
Woodbury. then Senator from New Hamp-
shire, and now Secretary of the Navy,
complaining of the conduct of ]. Mason
Esq. President Of the Branch Bank of the
United States, at Portsmouth n. IT. The
letter of Mr.. Woodbury. to Mr.. Ingham
Ia IL oil
are mainly general in their characteristic
only specific charge it contains, is, that
Jeremiah Mason is particular friend of
well known 10 you"!! So, that, because
he was unworthy of holding the office of
President ola branch of the United States
Bank Mr.. Woodbury. had seen that this
same odious principle had been introduced
irto our political transactions, as far as the
President could exercise a direct agency :;
and he thought, no doubt, it would be a
capital stroke of policy if he could bring the
same Archimedean lever TO work on the
Bank Of the United States At all events,
bis hint was we'll received al WASHINGTON -
The President through his Secretary, de-
mandsl the removal Of Mr.. Mason, and the
place. But, luckily for rir Mason there
was, at the head ofthe mother Bank, a man
who knew his rights, and who had the cour-
age to maintain them Mr.. Bid1le, after
showing the ialsitv OF some of Mr.. Woodbu-
ry's facts, declared his intention Of institu-
ting an enquiry into the charges against Mr..
Mason, with a determination 10 remove him,
If ii should be found that he had prosliluted
his powers TO political purposes.
Another tool of the government was at
work, however, at the same moment Isaac
Hill, (Mr. Woodbury's successor in The
Senate, but at that time General Jackson
Comptroller of the Treasury, } abandoned the
duties of his Office at Washington, and made
an 'electioneering trip to New Hampshire.
He returned TO his employers, laden with
two memorials 70 the President and Direct
ors Of the mother Bank, asking for a change
in the head OF the Portsmouth branch-one
Of which was signed by about sixty Of the
members Of the New Hampshire Legisla-
ture, and the other by "most of the business
men at Portsmouth Without distinction OF
party" We will here remark, LIST, that
the legislative signers, must Of course have
been operated upon by eXtraneous influence,
coming from different and remote parts OF
me Slate, they could have known nothing oil
mr.: Mason's qualifications, or Of the justice
oil The clamor raised against him, but from
those who procured their signatures, and
who were deeply interested in effectng his
removal and IDLY, the fact, (no doubt IN
adUertentiy) stated by Isaac Hill himself
that the complaints against Mr. Mason were
made by men Of both parties, sufficiently in
Valldates The truth Of another part Of this
statement that "the friends Of General Jack
son had too much reason TO complain of the
management Of the Portsmouth branch
and that he only asked that il should moi
continue TO be an engine of political op-
preston" But Hill is in the constant prac.
tice of neutralizing one assertion by another
ofan opposite character--so, let that pass
But Mr.. Mason addressed letter TO Mr.
Biddle, dated about the same time, in which
we find a paragraph, which shows that Hill
had his own pecuniary interest in view. a,
well as the political benefit of his employ
ers. Mr.. Mason says:
IAN attempt is making TO remove The
pension agency from this office TO Concord
this State. During the session Of our Le-