Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-01-21
NJ. CALHOUNs SPEECH,
IcoNcLUDED.J

So long as the question is one between Bank
Of the United States incorporated Dy congress,
and that system of banks which mas peen crea-
ted by the will of the Executive IT IS an insult
Tn the understanding to discourse on the PERM
ciolls tendency and conshtutionality ofthe Bank
of the United States. To bring up that question
fairly and legitimatey, you must go one step
farther-you must divorce the Government and
the banking system. You must refuse all con-
nexion with Banks. You must neither receive
nor pay away bank notes; you must go PACK 10 10
the old system of the strong box, and OF golu
and silver If you have a right TO receive DanK
notes at ALTO treat them as money by recelv-
inc them in your dues, or paying them away TO
creditors you have a right to create bank
Whatever the Government receives and treats
as money, is money; aud, lift be money, then
they have the right, under the Constitution, 10
regulate it. Nay, they are boundby a high OBJ
legation to adopt the most efficient means. &C
cordillg to the nature of that which they have
recognized as money, TO give it the utmost sta
bility and uniformity of value. And II itoe Ia
the shape of Bank notes, the most efficient
means Of giving those qualities, is q Bank the
u States, incorporated by Congress. Unless
you give the highest practical uniformity to the
value of bank notes-so long as you receive
them in your dues, and treat them as money,
you violate that provision of the Constitution
which provides that taxation shall be uniform
throughout the United States. There is no 9TH
Government entirely from the banking system;
or, if not, you are bound to incorporate bank,
as the only safe and efficient means of giving
stability and uniformity to the currency. And
should the deposites not be restored, and the
present Illegal and unconstitutional connexion
between the Executive and the league of banks
continue shall feel it my duty, if no one else
moves, to introduce measure to prohibit Gov
eminent from receiving or touching bank notes
in any shape. whatever, as the only means left OF
giving safety and stability to the currency, and
saving the country from corruption and ruin.
Viewing the question in its true light as
struggle on the part OF the Executive to seize
on the power Of Congress, and to unite in the
President the power of the sword and the purse,
the Senator from Kentucky Mr.. Clay) said, tru-
ly, and let me add, philosophically, that we are
in the midst ofa revolution. Yes, the very ex-
istence of free governments rests on the proper
distribution and organisation of poUer; and to
destroy this distribution, and thereby concen-
trate power in any one ofthe departments, is to
effect revolution; but. while agree with the
= Senator, that we in the midst of revolution,
cannot agree with him as to the time at which
it commenced, or the point to whichit has pro-
crossed. Looking to the distribution of the
powers of the General Government-into the
Legislative, Executive and Judicial Departments
and combining his views to the encroachment
Of the Executive upon the Legislative, he dates
the commencement Of the revolution but sixty
days previous to the meeting of the present
Congress. l. said Mr.. c.. take a wider range,
and date it from an earlier period. Besides the
distribution among the Departments ofthe Gen
eral Government, there belongs to our system
another, and far more important division or
distribution of power, that between the States
and the General Government--the reserved and
delegated rights, the maintenance of which is
still more essential to- the preservation four in
situations. Taking this wide review OF our poll
teal system, the revolution in the midst of which
we are, began, not as supposed by the Senator
from Kentucky, shortly before the commence
ment Of the present session. but many years
ago, with the commencement of the restrictive
system; and terminated its first stage with the
passage of the force bill of the last session.
which absorbed all the rights and sovereignty
ofthe States and consolidated them in this,Goy-
eminent. Whilst this process was going on, of
absorbing the reserved powers of the States, on
the part of the General Government another
commenced, demonstrating, in the Executive,
the powers of the other two, the Legislative and
Judicial Departments of the Government, which
constitutes the second stage of the revolution,
in which we have advanced almost to the terrni-
nation.
The Senator from Kentucky, in connection
with this part of his argument, read striking
passage from one OF. the most pleasing and in
structive writers in any language Plutarch)-
the description of Cesar forcing himself sword
in hand, into the treasury of the Roman Com
monwealth. We are at the same stage of our
political revolution, and the analogy between
the two cases is complete, varied only by the
character of the actors and the circumstances
of the times That was case of an intrepid
and bold warrior, as an open plunderer seizine.
forcibly the treasury of the country, which, in
that Republic, as Well as ours was confded to
the custody of the legislative department of the
Government. The actors in our case are of a
different character-artful, cunning and cor
rupt politicians, and not fearless WARRIORS
They have entered the treasury, not sword in
hand, as public plunderers, but with the false
keys OF s1phistry, as plferers, under the silence
of midnight. The motive and object are the
same, varied in like manner by character and
circumstances ssWith money win get men,
and with men, money" was the maxim of the
Roman plunderer, With money we will get
partzans with partizans votes and with votes
money is the maxim of our public pilferers.
With men and money, Caesar struck down Ro-
man liberty at the fatal battle OF Philippi, never
to rise again; from which disastrous hour, all
the powers OF the Roman Republic were conso-
iidated IN the person of Cesar, and perpetuated
In his hne. With money and corrupt partizans,
q o.pa m n UNA -