Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-02-04

thorough gong jackson iHdN--pciiiS oPPiicu "
for his views with regard to the Bank OF the.
United States by meeting in Philadelphia,
sent this letter
SYDENHAM PHnADA. County,
January 80, 1884.
GENTLEMEN: have just now received your,
letter of this date written on behalf of number
of the citizens of the third Congressional Dis
trict expressing their wish that would give
my attendance at the meeting to De held THIS
evening" at the Commissioners Hall N. L., and
express my views in relation to the U..S BANK,
the removal of the public deposites, and the con
sttutional power of the President in the matter;
and have to regret my inability, through otner
engagements, to be present.
But am f1attered at the expression OF such
wish on the part of this portion OF my IeloW Cit
liens, about to assemble in public meetng IN
district, of which am also myself resloent ana
voter: and unimportant as | should otherwise
have supposed my views to be, will, with your
permission, take the liberty of stating them in
this form, though can only do so briefly.
On a call from some of my fellow citizens last
autumn. / expressed my opinions on this same
subject, under the several aspects which your
letter presents, and nothing has occurred to
change it. On the contrary, further and care
full examination have strengthened me in all Its
grounds | stood at that time, chiefly upon the
evidence brought to light by the President, OF
the Bank having employed and PAID the press
large sums to work out its own ends, the money
being in part taken from the public Golfers; an
abuse that hold to have been the most unwar-
rantable in its way of any ever before known
to our annals. What have we from the corpo-
ration since? Truly its own confession OF the
act. and that it glories in it! The Presidents
constitutional veto it likens, in effect to an at
tack upon its character, resembling that which
counterfeiters make upon its notes, and claims
to strike back with weapon bought up with
the public money, in the one case, as 1t would
frame indictments and carry on prosecutions
in the other!
Gentlemen, there is an enornity in the whole
course of the Bank on this single point, apart
from all Others upon which am not now TO
expatate, though it is alive with thoughts that
are of deep public concern. There are, know,
orators and statesmen among us-high and IA
nous men-who turn from it in real or assumed
dsdain, as something too small for notice; but to
my mind it is big with principles and results
transcendng in immediate and permanent I'M
portance the currency question:, or any other
to which the removal of the deposites, or non
renewal of the charter, has given rise. l must
ask your excuse for the allusion, my0princlples
recurring il, but if Notwithstanding the many
pure and honorable minded masons that there
are in the world, sincerely believe the masonic
institution to be productive Of public mischief,
and in nothing more than its power over the
press-what am / to think of monied corpora
ton, welding funds larger than the revenues
of this nation, that tells the nation to its face
that it will spend as much as it pleaseS on the
press, and deal with Presidents as it would deal
with felons2 l have barely time to say, go on
in your patriotic work of eXtirpating such cor
poration. Show it no quarter that honorable
hostility does not demand. In such warfare
with it, am with you heart and hand.
The greater its operation upon the interests OF
the community, the greater the necessity, I'M
der the proved abuses ofits power, for its over
throw. Should it get the upper hand now, it
will become a perpetual adjunct to the nation,
ready to renew and aggravate It's worst usur-
pations. No matter what the present evils OF
its downfall, endure, court them all, before COM
ing under such master. Copy the sixth reso
luton of the public spirited citizens Of South
wark, adopted in public meeting last week; it is
in the true tone; treasury nOtes-continenta
money-any thing-rather than let the Bank
get its foot upon your neck in this conflict That
the President has the full constitutional power to
act as he has done in removing the deposites,
have never had the slightest doubt; but breath
out your exhortations to the House of Represen-
tatives Your great hope at this moment lies in
firmness there From the Senate, you have
nothing to hope. And what was there to hope
from the same body in the most memorable
seasons of President Madison's administration?
Nothing. The war itself, even for so terrible
an outrage as impressment, would not have
SiOAi|S SSSN'>N5 49, ~
popular impulse that encouraged and sus-
tanned him, against the open opposition or Sc
cret embarrassments which that branch of Con-
gress was disposed to throw in his way. The
people, the House of Representatives, and the
President triumphed then, as trust they will now
"lNadison's War;" that "lricked 1oar," was more
fercely assailed at that day. than the removal
of the depostes at this; some of his opponents
were for sending him to Elba ITO share Bona
parties prison-others would have brought him
to the block; all raised the cry of injury to the
country, in frightful amount and in every way
public and individual distress--ruin-desola-
tion;--such were the unceasing and confident
predictions. Those who survived the passion
ate exaggeratons of the one epoch, may hope
to do so of the other; even to reap harvest not
less abundant in ultimate advantage This,
gentlemen, | am sure, must be your hope, as
it is mine and as far as can into the future, it
is hope resting upon rational and solid foun-
.dations. There is in our history, now and
them close analogy to the history ofthe late
Reform question in England, when the people,
the House of Commons, and the King, were on
opposite sides to the House of Peers; and the
general movement in both cases being against
- L - I -. - (.~~~