Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-05-30

tho members of Congress- Are honest and hon
orabe men, charged with these odlous misde-
meanors, to submit to the charge without muir
mur; to acknowledge the reasonabeness OF ma
king it, the expediency OF investigating IL, an
vague and inspected as it is; the reality of a
q,rimn fucia case against them? Does conscious
innocence require them to admit that there is
Ground for suspicion? Does the strong and IN
dignant feeling that their characters are out
ragged, while their righs are INVADED, can up
on them voluntarily to take the culprlts place,
and endure the gnominy OF what they aeel1
an uncalled for and a veXatlous lnqulsluon!
Or is it not rather the natural dictate OF PROUD
and conscious innocence to place themselves
tupon their rights, beneath the 3gis OF the law!
If 90 to my neighbor, as honest man as my
self and say "you are swlndler ana
knave." shall he meekly ask me to enter MS
house, lay open his ledger and his letter DOCK,
and invite me to collect the materials out OF
which / may prejudice the public against him?
The directors Of the Bank are citizens, as no
nest and as virtuous any of those, IN once
or ont of it. high or low, who charge them with
corruption A good name is as dear to them as
to their accusers. Their stake in the welfare OF
the country is as great The success with when
they have conducted affairs OF the great lnstl-
tuition entrusted to their care, is not matter OF
oninion: it is notorious to all the world. At this
moment, notwithstanding the fearful warfare
waged against them by almost every branch
of the Government of their own country, their
credit is as good at London and Paris, as that
of the Bank of England or France. AT this
moment, in the remotest East, in the markets
of China where the silver coin of the country,
| from the public mint is undervalued, the paper
! of the Bank Of the United States is acceptaDle
currency. In the midst Of its career OF useful
ness. it has BEEN unfortunately for the country,
drawn into the field Of political controversy;
its directors and officers vilified by name their
most laudable measures mlSrepresented, their
most innocent acts illuminated, and their
! slightest errors of judgment tortured into cor
ruptions and crimes; above all, the severe DIS
tress with which the country has been visited,
! for the sake of carrying on this warfare, has
! been cruelty imputed to the wanton action OF
! the Bank, though struggling for its own exist
ence against the most formidable efforts to
crush it, The calm and dignifed tone which
! characteriZes the communications OF the Con-
mittee of Directors, under circumstances ike
these, is, to the undersigned, satisfactory IN
dication Of their integrity and conscious pu-
| ritv. They have placed themselves where, as
! American citizens, conscious of their rights, OF
their injuries, and of their innocence, they had
right to place themselves, under the protec-
| ton Of the law
Firmly believing that they are innocent OF
| the crimes and corruptions with which they
have been charged, and that if guilty, they
ought not to be compelled 70 criminate them :
selves the undersigned are clearly of opinion
that the directors of the Bank have been guilty
of no contempt of the authority of this House,
in having respectfully declined to submit their
books for inspection, except as required by the
! charter.
All which is respectfully submitted by
EDWARD EVERETT,
WILLIAM w. ELLSWORTH.
House Of Representatives., 22d May 1884