Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-01-23

Il bank may be constltutlonally organ. |
izedl Does he not even rebuke Con. |
gross for not calling on him to eurnico
u project Oft Bank, which he would
have cheerfulIy suppIied7 Is i NO,
fairly deducibe, from the m, noe thai
the charter of the p9eser, : RAM ,n;gh,
have been so amende a ms 70 have 60
Gu . inc rfsslde, nt's appreciation 10
'ne institution! So far was the mes.
2 D. i'oil oc>mg decisive against all
- Inns vi ne United States, or against
s"a eAiS ,dng Bank, under any modlf.
"a N, the President expressly declares
; lat the question was adjourned. He
says: ga general discussion will now
take place, eliciting new light, and
settl'1g important principles; and
req Congress, elected in the midst Of
such discussion, and furnishing an c.
quail representation of the People, &C.
cordlng to the last census, will bear to
the Capitol the verdict of public OPT
mon, and | doubt not bring this inn
portant question to satisfactory re-
suit"
This review Of the various messages
of the President, conclusiyely evinces
that they were far from expressing,
frankly and decisively, any opinions of
the Chief Magistrate, except that he
was opposed to the amendments Of the
charter contained in the bill submitted
to him for its renewal, and that he re.
CURED further amendments. 1t demon.
strates that he entertained no doubt
that 1t was practicable and desirable
to establish Bank Of the United States;
1t justified the hope that he might be
ultimately reconcicd to the continue.
ton OF the present Bank, with suitable
nominations; and it expressly pro-
claimed that the whole subject was adj
Journed to the new Congress, to be as
sembIed under the last census. If the
parts of the messages which | have
cited, or other expressions, in the same
document, be doubtful, or susceptible
of a different Interpretation, the re-
view is sufficient for my purpose; which
is, to refute the argument so confident
y advanced, that the Presidents OPT
Mon, in opposition to the present or
any other Bank of the United States,
was frankly and fairly stated to the
People, prior to the late election, was
fully understood and finally decided
by them.
Accordingly, in the canvass which
ensued, it was boldly asserted by the
partlsans Of the President that he was
not opposed to Bank of the United
States, nor to the existing Bank, with
proper amendments. They maintain.
ed, at least, wherever those friendly
to national bank, were in the major
lty, that his reelection would be fol-
lowed by a re-charter of the Bank,
with proper amendments. They dwelt,
it is true, with great earnestness, up
on his objections to the Bank, rs at
present modified, and especially to the
pernicious influence Of foreigners in
holding stock in it; but they never
theless contended that these objections
would be cured, if he was reelected,
and the Bank sustained. | appeal to
the whole Senate, to my colleague, to
the People Of Kentucky, and especially
to the citizens Of the city of Louisville,
for the correctness Of this statement.
After all this, was it anticipated by
the People of the United States that,
in the reelection of the President, they
were deciding against an institution of
such vital Importance! Could they have
ina gined that, after an express ad-
iourGment of the whole matter to
new Congress, by the President him.
self, he would nave preiudged the &C.
ton of this new Congress, and pro-
nounced that question, expressly by
himself referred to its authority, was
previously settled by the peoplel He
claimed no such result in his message,
Immediately after the reelection; al
though in it he denounced the Bank as
an unsafe depository of the public mo-
ney, and invited Congress to investi-
gate It's condition. The President, then,
and the Secretary of the Treasury,
are without all color of justification for
their assertions, that the question of
Bank or no Bank was fully and fairly
submitted to the people, and decision
pronounced against it by them.
Sir, | am surprised and alarmed at
the new source Of Executive power,
which is found in the result of Presi
dental election. had supposed that
the constitution and the laws were the
sole source of Executive authority;
that the constitution could only be
amended in the mode which it has it.
self prescribed; that the issue of
Presidential election, was merely to
Il IL 4 = IL -.