Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-11-07
SPEECH OF MIR. LEIGH,
TCoNcLUDED.

r.. Ii.
opinions and conduct in regard to the BANK
question. He doubted not at all the singleness
Of purpose. the honest, sincere, anxious OPPOSE
ton Of the great body of his political opponents
as well as his friends, to any such institution
but he was perfectly confident, that many VI
those who were now most strenuous IN their OPP
position to him, professedly on this ground,
would be willing that the heats which had arisen
ont of the bank controversy should subsde, so
soon as the next presidential election should be
over-proyided they should succeed in elect
inc their man. He was perfectly assured, that
many had seized on this ground of opposition
TO him. because it was one well calculated to
alarm the honest jealousy of the people, while,
with themselves, it was only the pretext, not the
motive, of opposition. They knew, that, to Jea-
lousy once reused, il was the easiest oil all
things to distort, discoor, and exaggerate any
mans words or actions. He believed In his
conscience, that there were some men, now al
fecting to be opposed to him on this bank
ground, who were, in their hearts, principally
apprehensive of his hostility to national bank
that should also be a government (meaning an
Executve) bank; bank contrived to make the
President in effect, banker general OF the ma
ton, with floating capital OF twenty-five mil
lions to trade on; and to enable him to extort
from those who should want accommodation
an enormous premium of loyalty. Yet MIR. L..
would do these politicians the justice to say,
that he believed they would have as hearty an
aversion from such q scheme as he had, unless
they should succeed in getting President OF
their own choice. Were the proofs demanded!
Mr. L. would not betray any conhdence-there
were some notorious facts. There were In this
State several open avowed national bank men,
who were earnestly supported by our Jackson
Van-Buren anti-bank men, because tney were
opposed to him. whom these persons affected TO
regard as a quasi bank man. There were In
niher States. jealous Jackson men, VINO were at
NATIONAL
.irctoneering for Congress on that ground; yet
Ms abated nothing from the interest which our
,<son Van-Buren anti-bank men took In their
I:cess The President selected avowed ma
nal bank men for his chief ministers, and Gas
ought i'm decency to be supposed, whatever
- The fact his confidential advisers; yet our
ck<on-Van-B Buren, anti-bank men would not
..iuw that this should abate any thing from
their confidence in him, or their appreciation OF
them The President himself was national
bank man; that is, provided the whole legisla-
tive power over the subject was conceded to
him, and he was allowed to frame the bank to
his own mind: but this created no alarm, no
jealousy in our anti-bank men-becauSe, for
soothi he had now committed himself against
any national bank. When, or how? His de-
caration in favor of q national bank stood re-
corded i'm a solemn message TO CongresS-he
stood committed against one only by declara-
lions attributed TO him in the newspapers, which
he miuht discaim, and doubtless with truth,
whenever he pleased. MIR. l.. had not the least
doubt, that he too might have thought, and said,
and done, whatever fancy or caprice might
have suggested in reference to this bank ques-
ton, without the least reproach from the class
of politicians he was talking of if he had been
content To pay the price of their liberation, by
sending in his adhesion to the President, and
vowing allegiance to HIM. They were for
electing any man as Senator, who would sup
port the President in his measures,-past and
future,-though no one could possibly foreknow
what the future might be! Such was the Jack
sonite notion of the duty of Senator! If Mr..
l., were a Jackson man, he would not take the
office upon such terms-he might go there well
disposed to support him-but he would not
AGREE that a collar should be put around his
neck, with his masters name graved on it..
Mr. L. said, that these who complained of his
want of candor and singeness of purpose in
regard to the bank question, were either unln-
formed of his sentiments, or uniformed Of the
true state of public opinion and of parties out
of Virginia in reference to the subject, and in
the wIiulness of party delusion, Incapable oil
being informed,-or they were themselves I'M
candid. The people of Virginia sent their re-
representatives. TO Congress, with orders to begin
their game by showing their hands, -spreading
their cards upon the table, and to that MIR. l..
had no objection: but then, there was set of
men. who las if their whole interests were stalk
ed on the game, but not on our sde) would go
still further, and interdict them from endeavor-
ing 10 find out what cards were in the hands OF
other PLAYERS, and from telling, if they should
and ont; and were ready to denounce him who
should publish what he should discover or be-
lieve, as cheat. Mr.. L. knew when he went to
the Senate that the policy which the influence
of self love would have dictated for him, was
sort of''non committal"-a careful concealment
of his views OF the present state of things and
his apprehensions of the future; but he knew
md Inc hat hat not he
Of duty. And he trouid tell whatever he knew
or believed or feared, which il concerned his
constituents to consider-saving always his f.
deity to confidence reposed in him. He would
warn his parent fdangers set in his path though
that parent in the excess of selfconidence
should turn deaf ear to the warning, or even
disinherit him for giving 1.-THE would tell Vir-
ginia what she had to expect, explain to her the
choice of evils which he thought lay before her.
and invoke her timely and deliberate consider
alton of them, if he were sure that she would be
offended by his zeal and freedom, and in her
anger discard him from her service forever