Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-03-22
ALEXANDRIA:
SATURDAY MORNING, MARCH %, 1873.
THE BANK QUESTION.

their own declension from republican princ
Piles, persist in describing their opponents as
Bank men, and as sustaining the views and iu
terests Of the Bank alone. Let US, at least, nut
ourselves rectuS IN curid-so that happen v,h,.
will hereafter, we may not be wrongfully charo.
ed or injuriously misrepresented. We are de-
sirous ON every occasion, whether our SENT
Mons are popular or not, to be correctly under
stood
We have some prejudces and antipatbias
against the Banking system as system. al.
though convinced that the state Of society and
the operations of trade now require Banks: w.
are opposed, upon principle, to every thing like
monopoly, and especially monied MONOPOLY.
we think the Bank Of the u. States an institution
which might be used to the disadvantage ann
injury of the country and the people: We ar,
not prepared to approve all that it has done ny
may do: we see some things in its transactions
during the last six years. which we dsapprove
of and condemn; and, finally, we were perfect.
ly willing calmly to await the expiration Of its
Charter. and patiently to look forward to some.
thing that might be adopted to supply its place
or obviate the necessity of its existence at all
Entertaining these views, it will at once be seen
that if we could be called friendly to the Bank
at all, it was, at most, cold and distant friend.
ship, bottomed more upon circumstances as We
found them than any original prepossessons
Under this state of the case, then, how has the
question been pressed upon our attention and
doubtless upon the attention Of thousands stu
ated as we were, by the measures Of the Go
vernment" in the modern acceptatOn OF the
word? On the one hand, we had, as We have
said, all these original impressions, feelings and
views, against the Bank and on the other We
saw its many important, salutary, great adyan-
| tages as a fiscal agent-we saw it regulating
and equalizing the currency; beneftting trade
| and commerce; serving most faithfully and ef-
fciently the Government in all its money trans
actions; and, finally knew that, by the prl-
dence and talents with which its affairs were
managed, it was one ofthe best ifnOt the best and
safest Bank in the world. 1t was when we saw
| and knew all this, that, to our surprise and re
greet, the Executive Department commenced
regular systematic warfare against it, which
| continued without Inconsistencies followed
up by the unwise, unnecessary, unjust and IN
lawful withdrawal of the public deposites from
its custody and control-and has since been
pursued with malignancy which even showed
| itself in attempts to break and destroy the in
stituton against which this bitter hatred was
excited. During this warfare, it is not for US to
say that the Bank, guided by men with all the
passions and feelings of human nature and
continually goaded by a powerful foe, has not
sometimes returned blow for blow.
We have therefore, most constantly and sire
nuously opposed what we considered the unJu5.
and vndictive measures of the Executive De-
partment against what every man OF sense ID
the community must acknowledge to De mga
ly useful fiscal agent of the Government ii
so doing, we have never stepped out OF OIL
way, particularly to defend the Bank, or been
active in supporting its pretensions to the ldVoi
and good will Of the nation further than Suc1
an effect could be produced by showing its ar
tual condition and the actual results of its OPc
rations.
Of our course on the Bank question heretofore.
In this, as we hope in all other matters, we have
been guided by love of truth and justice alone
With regard to some subjects which have
sprung up from the agitation of the Bank ques
ton-such, for instance, as the removal oil Us
Deposites-we have lost sight of the Bank al"
gether. In comparison with an inquiry WIZ.
relates to the exercise of unlawful and aOosS,
power, the Bank sinks into insignlhcance'
regard it not-no no more than the dust U''l'
our feet. In that procedure we saw the Mo''
ments of those who, elevated to situations ""''l
accident gives them control, are booteu o.,
spurred-riding this people on whose o',
they have placed saddles-without the H''''s
BILE excuse that they have in Europe aNu
Asia, of doing it "legitimately, by the gi'V
God" To unhorse these men, we care non
strong is the thrust or how powerful u''
that is to strike them from power ana S'N Wv
into merited insignifcance.
The Lectures Of Mr. WHEELER on A'u 10.
have been highly spoken of wherever i, .,i
been heard No study is more attracu''