Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-01-23

rcnt OF the case requires thatwe should
aEamina carefully the various MESA.
e,a Of tho President to ascertain whe.
laar tue Bank question was fairly and
frankly Ito use favorite expression of
the Presdent) submitted by him to the
People Of the United States.
10 his message of 1922, the President
snTs: The charter of the Bank Of the
United States expires in 1886. and its
stockholders will most probably apply |
'loc renewal OF their privileges. 10
order 10 avoid the evils resulting from
prcciptinlcy III a measure involving such |
important principles. and such deep
'pecuniary interests. Gwsl that cannot,
sin Justice TO The parties Interested. too soon
present il TO the deliberate considerable
~ the legislature and the people" IT.
charter then had upwards Of six ,o.,. -
run. Upon solemn invitation o. ~ CIT
Bank came forward with an ann,;c.,;no
for renewal. Then it ", a. d;scoyered "a,
The application was premature, hnd The
Bank was denounc' ID for acceptine. The very
invttatlon which had been Formally given.
The President proceeds: "golh the con
'sttuuonali'y and the exrediency of the
Bank are well questioned, by a large
portion " or IeiLcto citizens" This
message was nou' cormittal The Pre-
sicent does not Announce clearly his
own opinion, but states that of large nor
ton 81 our .5el.o,o citizens Now we all
know thatJa large and highly respectable
number Of The people Of the United States
have always entertained an opinion al
worse TO the Bank on both grounds
Ib1 President continues. Of such an in
fsttulon is deemed essential to the fiscal
Cooperation Of the Government, submit
'to the wisdom Of the Legislature whe-
'ther .NotioHal one, founded upon the
credit oftho Government, and its resour.
ces, might not be devised Here again
The President, so far from expressing an
explicit opinion against all National Banks,
makes i Hypothetical admission Of the
utility of Bank, and directly intimates
thc pfacticability of devisng 9He on the
basis Of the credit and resources OF the
Government.
In his message Of 1880, speaking of the
Bank the President says, "nothIng has
occurred to lessen, IN any degree, the
dangers which many q orr citizens ap
'prehend from that institution, as al pre-
sent organised In the spirit of improve
'ment and compromise, which distinguish.
'es our country and its institution, it be
comes us to enquire whether it be not
possible 10 secure the advantages afforded
by the present Bank through the agency
'of Bank of the United States, so modi
tied in its principles and structure, as to
'ohvate constitutional and other objec.
lions Here, again, the President re
cites the apprehensions Of "many Of our
citizens" rather than ayows his own opin
ion. Again lis message is non committal
He admits indeed 'Ghe advantages afford
ell by the present Bank" but suggests
en- inquiry whether it be possible (of course
dQu5tng) 10 secure them by Bank d f
ferently constructed. And towards the
conclusion of that part Of the message,
his language fully justilies the implication,
that it was not to the Bank itself, but 10
"its present FORM" that he objected,
The message Of 1881, when treating Of
n, Bank, was very brief: Entertaining
the opinions Says the Presidency hereto
fore expressed in relation to the Bank of
the United States. as al present organic
what that means. MIR. President, nobody
better know Than you and cheering in
The galleries ID felt it my duty, in my
fJrmer messages, frankly 10 disclose them ~
{Frn.t disclosures!l Now, sir, recollect
perfectly well the impressions made on
my mind, and on those Senators with
whom ccnversc,!. Immediately after that
message was read. We thought and said
to each other, the President has left a
door open to pass out. 1t is moi the Banh:
it is not auy Bank Of the United States 10
Nhi:h he is opposed. but it is to the par
ticular organization of The existing Bank
And we all concluded that, if amendments
could be made to the Charter satisfactory
10 the President, he would approve a bill
for its renewal
We come now to the famous mes
sage of July, 1892, negativing the bill
10 re-charter the Bank. Here, it might
be expected, we shall certainly find
clear opinions unequivocally express
ed. The President cannot elude the
question. He must now be perfectly
frank. We shall presently see. He
says: ga Bank Of tho United States
is, in many respects, convenient to the
Government, and useful to the People.
Ent srtaining this opinion, and deeply
impressed with the belief that some OF
the powers and privileges possessed by
the existing Bank, are unauthorized
bv the Constitution" &c, 81 felt it
M. duty, at an early period Of my
Adm ,lstration, TO call the attention of
Congress- i2,l,, to the p.racticabiIity of or;
car;3jng m institution, combining all
rs ADVANTAGES and obviating these OBJ
jcctions. I sine >rely regret, that IN
the act before me Fan Percei se NO noiie
Of those notifications" &C. .'a' "