Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-09-18
FOR TIE .EN2 UIRER.

rab,i
o"fea Sa haA because, in u opinion II the
@y y h@oe heretofore soieay Declared psrer a no, givea to
Congress BY tAe Constitution n tie Uaaed States.
tAdop,sd Feb. iith 1884,
Having demonstrated in my preceding conmun;ca
IONS that MIR Leigh opposed to the Resolutions of
the Virginia Legislature in 1855 denouncng the Alien
Law as unconstitutional, and also oppnsrd TO the
Declaration It the last War which, under the c;rcu,
stances, il me, ought have commanded the
entire unannity of all patriots, shall endavor in the
present No. To slew that lie very far from being or.
thodox upon another subject Of nportance
to the hrs interest OF the American people aud which
fear, from the alternate expansion and III
the monster, is not yet finally settled: mean the Bopk
OF the United States am member of any 4.yu.to
nor am :" Me Hanorer Correspondent" alluded to by
recent writer I'm the Whig-nciher am an sseae,ny
OF Mr. Leigh, except far may be obnoxios 10 tI;at
charge from fearless, but hope Just EXPOSITION of his
political errors shall ever remember will, the most
agreeable emotions his manly and Statesmanke career
in the late Convention and the invaluable services he
rendered his country IN his most enviablc mission to
South Carolina; and shall never refuse him praise
where praise is due either for his past future public
services But confess before his course in the
Senate of the United States ignorant as was or hs Ee
dcra opinions upon the Alien Law and his course in no.
ference TO the late war and captivated as was with the
splendid display OF his ansccndant abilities in the Con.
vcntion there was no Office, however high within the
GIT oil The People, which should have bee I'm " fling 10
intrust TO his guardianship
Ills course since hc has been promoted 10 the Scuste
o the " ., has certainly been still cacu to
incur the dsapprobaon of the rejecting the consider
ate, the impartial men Of the country, however than
those political sins have before enumerated ard ex.
rained-Mr. Leigh was elected by the Legislature of
Virginia to supply the vacancy occasioned by tho rcsg.
nation of Mr. Rives the Senate of the United s,os
the 2S, of February 1884 and took his seat in tlai
body on the 9th Of March following The resolut;on
standing at the head of this communication had been
ADOPTED ny the Gcnefa Assembly, a solemn declara.
tion OF the public opinion Of Virginia upon the question
OF The constitutional power of Congress to establish
National Bank and intended TO bear directly upon
any proposition to extend the Charter of the present
Bank, which might probably be made during the then
progressing session of Congress Ia the
OF Mr. Leigh speech upon the proposition Of Mr. Web
stcr to proong the u Bank charter delivered on the
let of March, 1884 he recognizes this esoluton in the
following words at contains indeed positive instruc
the Senators representing the State in this house
but deliberate solemn expression of the sense of
the Legislature, aud have no doubt of the general
sense OF the people of Virginia, the subject; and
Ms ic reference 10 the question of reueoa of the
charter Of Tie present Bank Of the United States. AT
subsequent PERIOD and in reference to the same sub
Ject Mr. Leigh has avcrred, that Mc declared sense of
has eonstiueats, is in his opinion, tanamount posi-
t'oc instr.eons hope, therefore, shall do no vio-
lence either TO his language or his sentiments when
conclude he positively and peremptory instructed
by his constituents TO oppose the elongaon renewal
oil The charter OF the United States Bank; and in this
sense hold myself authorized by MIR. Leghs own ac.
acknowledgements to speak of the Resolution in the after
part of this communication.
have often heard il asserted by Mr. Lcgl,'s friends
publicly and privately that he faithfully executed the in
shuctions OF his constituents in every particular dur
ing ms service in the session of Congress- 1S:,3-31-
think differently, however and shall proceed without
further premises to corrohorate that opinion by Mr.
i-cghs own arguments. Let it not be or gotten then
IN the hrst place, that in his letters TO certain gentlemen
IN Mecklenburg written sometime during the summer of
1888 IN reference to his nomination for the Preside ncy
MI Leigh declares substantially that if he should find
system OF measures originally in violation OF the Con-
shtuon but so interviewer with the frame of the Co
and the interest OF the country that ts sud
den destruction would, in his opinion produce greater
ev than its continuance he would pretend but that
IN such case, he would yield his constitutional scruples
Of, at least attempt to eradicate the evil by slow and
gradual means Compare this declaration with the 9th
deveopcment of the year 1894 in his speech Mr. Web
sters ProPositon presenting it boldly does in behalf
OF the Bank, the awful question, Whether and hoo this
CRton shall be longer pyeSerued? and must conc
that MS objections to the Bank upon constitutional
grounds are rather too pabe for the language of
the above resolution
But, to place tie yielding disposition of our Senator in
the strongest point of view in relation TO the Bank az
constitutional question: necessary for me only TO
give ms own language, uttered directly upon PROPOSE
ton TO xend its charter for years. an, as fixed
IN the opnion that The present Bank or any other Ma
tiona Bank is unconstitutional the Gentleman from
80 New York can possibly be. But, sir there is cidc
" and Curious difference between the question: ,oheter an
act snail DC done, ~hettcr particular system shall be
adopted; and the question: after the act has been done
" alter the system has been adopted, ,oheter ii shall be
" ndone or reversed; and this though the question in
both cases alike, may involve point of Constitutional
" Lao This doctrine is radically wrong-i. tends di-
recty TO make the Constitution conform to the pisLaton
Of Congress whereas, that legislation should in all cases
bc made TO conform TO tho letter pain HneanaO of Tie
cons"taf'on IL incuicaes the proPriety well as the
right, of continuing all violations of the Constitution
upon the ground of their crpedieacy-in fine it re-
very structure and order Of Government
based as 1t was designed be- upon Constitution wise
Planned, deliberately written and solemny adopted.
no length OF time can jusy-no necessity can author
Ee-no expectancy can sanctify its violation
IL tne same yeSterday 10 day and fOrerer unless al
tered by the sovereign peope binding in its integ-
rtytls the work of our fatierst is the sacred band
OF our Unonit is the shect-anclior of our safetyLc
P"uadtnw Of our H6ertes'-it is finally and en- hacay
"a fortress formed to frsedoms hands and should be pre-
served ~ vestal purity by the American People against
all violation either 0rigiRaL coafinzinO But MIR
Leigh was undoubtedly wrong, in my humble apprehen-
SION, for viewing the question of wal or extension
OF the charter of the Unicd States Bank in any other
light than an original gueon-for il not into nded
In anywise TO interfere with the existing charter or to
commence Its operation until the legal natural aud COM
Plec termination OF that charter Other the doctrine
ef limited privileges becomes mere solecisrn in
Inc establishment OF n banking institution with q clu-
sye privileges for twenty years according to this doc
trine, enures throughout all tine least whenever
u petitions Tor renewal of IFS privileges all objections
TO It's original Institution become merged in the consde
ration, cheter shall be pRd0ne0r rcrerscd? 81 main.
tain there is, there be the question of wing
tue charer, no consideration involving the doinp or
TcceTsi1g the old charter They two separate and
distinct questions; and refusal renew by no means
tends 10 undo or recerse the old charter But IT, in anti
ePaon OF the termination Of the present Bank Charter
OF at or alter It's terminal the question ar be IRE
congress, whether they will grant new charter or elon
gaze he od one-i say, when the question of the con-
sutuuohal power OF Congress TO establish Bank is thus
brought on lot dlscussIon to be told that
acharer mas heretofore been granted, I" il is an net
zone " 'ohtch cannot be recalicd which has produced
effects that cannot be annihofcd; a state of facts that
" no hamaH PoIoer ,oisdO1a utter and tile actual
state OF affairs may render difficult and hazardous 10
reverse at all the system Of measures out of which il
" has grown and impossible reverse il abruptly with
OUT subVerting the very frame Of Government from its
" Foundations, or making vital change in its Conslitu
" ton Then indeed, It this argument is 10 preclude
discussion. and to re.chafter the Bank of the u
States might well be ingraed our system of Co
Vcrnment as constitutional requisiton-for lis power