Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-03-06
Virginia Legislature.


Virginia Legislature.
SPEECH Of Mr.. SLAUGHTER, IN the Senate of "a,
upon Mr.. Wtnston's motion to strike outahe 1h Re
solution on The Remouat Of the Deposites.
MIR. Slaughter said The Senator from Kanaw
ha, whose privilege it is to proceed with the discus
sion this morning, having intimaed his intention to
defer his remarks to another day, / propose sir.
unexpected and nconvenient as the position am
made to ASSUME is, to throw myself on the indul-
gence OF the Senate for short time. The question
raised by the motion Of the Senator from Lousn
MIR. Chairman, is undoubtedly an important one.
II involves more, sir than the mere unconstitution-
alty OF the Bank. 1t involves, well the consist
ency OF QUE State, rs the wisdom Of her statesmen
For, sir, let that motion prevail-strke out the 18th
resolution-revcrse the decisions of other times
when giants took the field, anfmarshalled us 70 bat
te-and you repeal sir, all those great and sacred
principles, which they fonty thought had been laid
deep in the confidence and affections of the State
You repeal, sir, your title 10 respect abroad-for
which you are indebted, in more than all things be-
side, to your unwavering adherence to principles
and principles, too, sir, in marked contrast with
your apparent interests This Committee cannot
sustain that motion. They will not, by a side wind.
avoid contest with it, however much thew NAV
have been originally disposed reprobate its con-
nection with the more immediate and pressing sub
Jects of delberation We must meet this motion
sir, in the same spirit of decision in which il
has been made. We have been assailed in our
own fortress-we must defend ito discuss Mt
large the right of Congress to incorporate Bank.
would he an unwarrantable consumption of your
time, and a more grlevouS tax your patience IL
has been here, and elsewhere fully and ably dis
cussed, that it would he little short Of consummate
vanity to expect change of opinion i'm any men,
Der of this committee, by any argument of mine
Sir, Argument has been avisled this subject un-
iii argument has been stripped of all It's force Inv
losing all its novelty Ths.couroversy sir II think
il may be called about the powers of the govern
ment granted and reserved, commenced with our
o.I.~nl
since warmly contested-and WILL / apprehend
continue to be so, as long as our institutions endure
and the freedom of debate is tolerated. i copcede
them sir that it is debateable and therefore an I'M
settled questien-upon which the honest men of
party may differ, without just liability to unworthy
imputatien. O. 1t is with me exclusive standard of
repubIicansm to hold either side of this question
/ said, Mr. Chairman, that this controversy COM
menced with our earliest history-and no page of
that history is full of interest and instruction
II furnishes striking examples for our guidance in
other matters connected with the administration of
the government. 1t shows how concession
must be followed 10y another till point is attained
in the distance, which no sagacty could have. dis
cerned. Itshows us howtbe recognition of or even
the acqsiescence in, one comparatively uninporant
act NAV, by insensble additions, be strengthened
and marured, I'LL we no longer see in the product
any likeness to its original. These, and much
more will be seen, in all attentive observation of
the history of this subject. AS far back sir, Ms
1881, the old Bank of North America, the pro-
totype of oil such have succeeded it, was in
corporated-and even then, under the Articles Of
Confederation, which in after days appropri-
ately compared to rope of sand-cven then, sir,
this power III Congress to charter Bank, was de-
MED by some of the ablest constitutional LAWYERS
and purest statesmen in the country But sir, the
opposon were Overpowered, and that Bank was
Incorporated. That Bank, MIR. Chairman, excited
but little jealousy, and challenged less discussion
lis capital was but 100000. But, sir those princi-
ples which then for the first time begun to acquire
credit and consideration smothered, but not extin-
puished i'm the discontinue they had sustained tri-
rnpbed in the apprehensions Of their stability and
drove the friends of that institution to ke'refuge
under the wing of the State Government OF Penn
sylyania from which to this day it derives its corpo
rate rights This sir the first act in this lnelo
dramatic play--even now, SIR, 1t was a drawn bat
te-for il the advocates of the power succeeded i'm
procuring charter of Congress, they were Ultimate
iy induced, foma want of confidence in their char
ter to appeal 10 the Legislature of PENNSYLVANIA
Then sir, there is none of that authoritative deci-
sion and well-setled precedent here, upor' which
the gentleman from Louisa has confidently relied
Sir with some occasional paroxysms, the subject
slept for the next ten years, and was then revived
upon the recommendation of Mr.. Hamilton, the Sc
cretary fthe Treasury, TO establish National Bank
In the mean time sir, we had passed from one form
of government TO anoiher-we had exchanged the
Articles of Confederation for Federal Constitution
IA loose and disjointed, for well adjusted and
compact system, in which the powers of the 70
Iy marked and defined. In the time, sir, the
trainers of that Constitution had considered and re-
ected proposition to confer upon this government
the power to incorporate Uniyersity--I believe sir
the power of incorporation generally.
Sir the whole argument Of that day and the basis
upon which rests all the arguments since advanced
are to be found IN the report Of Mr. Hamilton. on line
constitutionaty of National Bank. The leader of
his party then-be has never been riyaled since his
great and acknowledged ability-bis distinguished
services in war and peace his ultra federal princ
pies justified even the extravagant admiration, which
his friends entertained for hm them and his disciples
for he has disciples, sir they to he found on this
1oor-stll entertain for the learning Of that school,
lie, sir, admits in that report, that the Federal Go
vernment is Of granted powers. Sir, every gen
tIeman on this floor, presume will admit this.
that ours is a government of granted powers II |
seems to me, Mr. Chairman, that the whole diff. |
Guilty is about the meaning Of words. All our ideas
must be conveyed by words; the powers Of the |
Constitution must be expressed by words. No Ian
guage is perfect, and / apprehend this controver-
sy proves the impossibilty Of expressing any
thing with such precision and defiuiteucss as to |
avoid fniscons,rucIion and dispute But sir, al !