Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-09-27

ny OtneT powers, nave Ueeli ueINcu " wy
raj legislature, and recently to the federal legisa-
ture, and recently to the federal executive; which
last has advanced and acted upon doctrine
Of implied powers, far more latltudlnous thah
was ever before heard of. In my opinion, the
trainers of the constitution, had no thoug Oh
any bank agency whatever, state or iederai,
either for facilitating the operations OF the urea
sury, or for regulating the currency; and mat
to administer the government, in the true spirit
of the constitution, and according to the inten-
ton of its founders the treasury ought 10 be OIL
vorced from all connection with banks state or
federal At the same time, have no eXpecta-
ton that this principle will ever be acted on to
its full extent The friends of the state banks,
the friends of a national bank, and the support
ers of the Executive claims to power, will all
combine against it; and the nation, most proba-
bly, will never agree, that the immense sums
yearly paid in for revenue. SHALL between the
time Of collection and the time ofdsbursemen,
be wholly unemployed and unpI oductive.
| After stating my opinion on the constitutional
question, | proceeded to mention the aterna-
tives, which, honestly believed. the developments
of the present year would offer for the conside-
ration of the people; alternatives each and eve
ry one of which Gas any man who reads the
speech must see) eschewed above all things. l
stated these alternatives, which thought i'm
pending,-for the purpose, chiefly, Of drawing
the attention of the public and especially of the
people of Virginia TO them, and OF submitting
the whole subject, in all its bearings, to their
timely and deliberate consideration,-and,p part
w. for The purpose of eliciting the views and in
tentions of other gentlemen, in the course Of
the full debate which then anticipated. Wheth-
er my apprehensions were right wrong, l
should have thought, that no reasonable man
could disapprove my revealing them. Is it pos
| sble that any man can think, that supposing
my apprehensions founded in mistake, they
could have any effect in producing the dreaded
alternatives or, supposing me right, that want
of faith in my forebodings could have any eff
! feet in preventing such alternatives from being
presented Or is it thought, that when was
sent to the Senate, was not so much as to at
tempt to exercise the sagacity Of Statesm an?
that was not to look before me at al2 or if
] did, that | was to conceal the dangers which
saw or feared, and bury my apprehensions in
my own breast? My idea Of my duty was the
direct reverse; and however new that duty was
to me, and however unequal felt myself to the
performance OF it, | should have been unfaithful
to my trust, if | had not cndeavored to perform
| it, If my object had been to take care of my
SELF should have kept silence.
When spoke Of these alternatives, of course
l did not mean that all, but only that some one
of them would be presented; for they were in
compatible with each other.
! | am now deliberately of opinion that the
question will ultimately be, between (not per-
| haps the present bank Of the United States butt
national bank constituted as the present bank
| is in all essential particulars,-and national
! bank varying in its constitution from the pre-
! sent only in placing the direction under the alb
| solute control Of the Executive. The develop
ments of the present year, so far forth, have
! been exactly answerable to my anticipations Is
there any one who has failed to remark the con-
curing uncontradicted statements in the pub
lie prints, that, in the Western elections. candi-
y i r. a. Nfr
/ ties the most devoted friends Of the president,
as we'll as his opponents, have been obliged to
avow themselves friendly to national bank2
Has ii escaped notice. that the president has Sc
lected for the high and OCCIDENTAL Office of Sec
rotary of State, a gentleman, who had, not long
before, declared on the floor of the Senate, that,
in his opinion, a national bank was constitution
al and necessary, and his readiness to vote for
such an institution with some peculiar modif-
cations indeed, which however, in nowise affect
ed the constitutional question | forbear to men,
ton other indications.
Judging Of the future by the past and the pre-
sent state of things still apprehend, that all that
will be ultimately left for Virginia, will be
choice between evils Of the same kind, varying
only in degree. If it shall turn out otherwise, so
much the better. l have only to add, for my own
part, that, vile continue representative OF
the sovereignty Of this State in the Senate Of the
United States, shall never, even under sense
of the most imperious necessity, give my vote
for any national bank, contrary to instructions.
nor indeed without positive instructions, or,
(what is in my opinion tantamount) the declared
sense Of my constituents. Those who distrust
me on this subject, must distrust the State her,
self
must give my vote, according to my judg-
ment, between different propositions on the same
subject; that will be absolutely unavoidable. But
never will vote for any measure whatever, that
will tend to increase the patronage, power and
influence OF the executive. This sentiment is The
key which will open to those who are candid the
ruling, and indeed the only motives of all my
conduct, since have had share in the nation
al councils
As for the abuse which the ministerial presses
are pouring in upon me, have made up my
mind to bear that, as long as my private charac-
ter is left unimpeached as an evil incident to
my situation, though that situation is not in any
respect one of my own seeking.
am, gentlemen, with all respect, your obedi-
ent servant, B. w. LEIGH.
To Messrs. James Lyons, &c. &c. &c.