Litchfield enquirer., 1834-01-09
CONCREsSTONAI, DEBATE.

Public Deposites.
 With the notes and bills of>the United States we may journey eastward, westward, to the north or to the south, they are every where in demand, every where equal and u- inform in their value. And this is not all.-- They are every where equal to the amount Of gold and silver which is represented on their face. Can this, ask again, Ire expected ot any of these liberal local banks, constructed as they are on small capitals. and for local purposes No, sir, it cannot And reck- less and misguided President pllant Secre- tary of :he Treasury, and the whole host Of hireling editors, may combine their efforts tO puff them into importance they may white wash them with resolutions, reports, manlfes- toes, and every thing else, yet will the cOun- try detect the imposition, aDd, sooner or la ter. frOwn the combination into contempt.
 But, sir, another objection to the United States Bank, and one which demands my mo- tice, is, that it wields dangerous political power, and should, therefore, be destroyed. The objectionis is made and relied on as one of the cardinal qualifications for the removal of the public deposites. It is called a wicked mammoth,'' great political machine, man ufacturing smdlL men into great ones, and great men into 0ery small ones. It Is no part of any character, Mr. Speaker, to disguise my feelings or opinions on subjects. when ven- ture to discuss them, nor shall do so on this. ! believe, and know believe it honestly, that the real objection to the Bank consists, not in fact of its greatness and its Pot0er as a machine, but in the simple fact that, "the powers that be-" and especially :" the po,cers thdt sOould Be,'' have been unable, either by threats or promises, to subject this great mammoth to their own purposes, or to ren- der it snhservient to their selfish views. Yes sir, here lies the great secret at last; and over all denials, formal and official, shall still en- tertain my own opinion of the fact. It has refused to lend its aid, or employ it's machine ", in the business of manufacturing great men out of erceedingiy small ones, and herein consists its great sin at last. A sore evil this doubtless is in the eyes of some men but in mine, this stern honesty of the Bank consti- tutes its best, its brightest, its strongest recom- mendsiion. It is, however. proposed to de- stroy this fearful influence, as it Is called: and let US now for moment inquire how it is n tended to be done.
 Sir, answer, by increasing it, at the least calculation, one hundred fold. We have now one Bank, and it is intended to destroy that. ny raising on its ruins perhaps one hundred perhaps five hundred more. If,Bank power and Bank influence be curse, as is contend ed, destroy them all together. Put them all down, and let us return again to the good old state of Ofthings, when we had nothing but me- tallic currency-no swindling shops-no rag money. But, if we are to continue banking, as the commercial world seems to have de- termined we must, lei us then have the best Bank, the best currency. the most uniform system that can be devised. And that system is the present Bank. But. sir, it is vain-it is preposterous for gentlemen to tell me that ei- ther the throne. or the power behind the throne, are at all concerned for the cristence of Bank influence they are concerned for the direction which is 10 be given to that influence. They had sonner see the country beset by five hundred pet Banks, and have them con tinuslly svorshipping beforethe throne. shout ing :. hosannas'' to him that sits thereon. and to the "heir apparent" than tO tolerate the existence of one Bank with an influence (which like cabinet may be called merely q an unit,") perfectly concentrated and not dis persed. Say, sir, that the Bank of the Unit cd States is dangerous institution at the cen Ire. These mad folks propose to cure the evil by placing worse, yes, an infinitely worse institHtion, not only at the centre, but all around the circumference. Ifa mans dom- icil were on fire in the centre, would he at- tempt to extingush the flames by firing tt in hundred other places? Will this reasoning uU 1S 0V uUECs ott Ous " "" a'Us s"s'S fy tie country. They will perceive the true secret in this case to be, that single Bank. which has blessed the country, is to be pulled down and destroyed. because it has refused to kneel before the shrine of power, and one hundred, perhaps five hundred others to be raised up, merely to subserye the purposes of ambition. And more than this, sacred charter is 10 be disregarded-the Secretary is to seize on the deposites--nay, sir, to pur- chase up all the State banks, if he could act so corruptly-and then the President is to seize them-the sword of the nation in one hand, its purse in the other. Oh liberty! oh my country! May that God who command ed that the tide of victory should roll on the side of thy patriots, avert the evils which threaten thee!
 In closing his remarks in regard to the Sec retary ofthe Treasury, Mr. Clay said-
 He begged permission to trespass few moments longer on the Senate to make statement concerning himself personally. He had heard that one high in office had allowed himself to assert that dishonorable connex- ion had subsisted between him tNIr. C.) and the Bank of the United States, When the present charter was granted, he voted for it !; and having done 90, he did not feel himself at liberty to subscribe, and he did not subscribe, for a single share in the stock of the Bank although he confidently anticipated n great