The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1837-09-02


Globe claiming the credit Of having suggested il, be-
fore Mr.. Gordon himself proposed il in Congress"
From an editorial article in the Globe Of
the 18th November, extract the following
"Like Mr. Leigh himself he Qhe Presidency beliey-
ed the Treasury Department susceptible OF enlarge
ment, though not on The plan, as to afford all
the necessary fiscal aid the Government and at the
same time render essential service TO the commerce Of
the country. But he never made recommendation
even Of at-hc only threw out fen suggestions, for
the consideration Of the Congress and the Peope-and
do not doubt has long lost all desire, if any
he had, to see shy such scheme adopted twas only
thought OF substitute for the present bank, and he
is now satisfied, that substitute necessary erpe
dent"
Two days after putting forth the above.
views, the Globe recurs again to the saY(&
subject, when 1t thus expressed itself agafsy(
the plan of Messrs. Gordon and Leighiand,
their Sub-Treasury system. " And doesI Mr.,
Leigh conceive, that the power of the IKE
cutiye over the public money would be dnAft,
ished, II in lieu Of one Treasurer, as at piSx
sent appointed by the President, with the
concurrence of the Senate, who cannot him
self touch dollar of the public money while
in his legal custody, a principal Treasurer
and as many assistant Treasurers as might
be found convenient were substituted, APP
pointed by the President alone or the head of
the Treasury Department, who should hold
all the millions of the Treasury in their actual
possession Says Mr.. Leigh, the obvious
effect of the scheme would be, to take the
public Treasure out Of the custody and con-
troll of the President On the contrary, il is
as palpabe as the sun ,aihat the effect of the
scheme would be to bring the public Treasure
much nearer the actual custody and control
of the President than it now is, AND En-
POSE IT TO BE PLUNDERED BY A
HUNDRED HANDS, WHERE ONE
CANNOT NOW REACH IT"
While copying the foregoing extracts from
the Globe, have been struck with utter
amazement at the entire change of doctrines
which that journal has undergone in the short
space of less than three years. The doc
trines of that day are now totally repudiated.
Now il has become the sturdy advocate of
scheme which, it then said, Mr. Leigh might
be assured the friends of president Jackson
would, "to man, be united against" viz.
"any such monstrous accumulation Of power
over the public money, which such plan
would throw into the hands of the Execu-
tive" The Globe has now become enam-
Ored with the plan, which, then it announced,
would cause it to "feel that the people had
just cause for alarm, and ought to give their
most watchiul attention to such an effort, TO
ENLARGE EXECUTIVE POWER AND
PUT IN IT'S HANDS THE MEANS OF
CORRUPTION Now, the Globe advo-
Gates a system similar in every particular
with the one which ii then condemned; be-
cause, in addition to its other overwhelming
objections, it believed it would place the pub
lie treasure in jeopardy, "and eapoSe 1t TO be
piundered by a hundred hands, uherc one can
not nor touch it,"
In the views put forth by the Globe in
1884 most heartily concurred. saw, or
thought | saw, all the dangers which the
Globe predicted by the adoption of the
scheme proposed by Mr.. Leigh. What has
since occurred, to lead to such an entire aban-
donmen of its former doctrines on the part
of the Globe; and its leading advocacy of
the doctrines which it then repudiatcd; and
the inolerant spirit which it manifests to-
wards those who do not show willingness
to turn similar somerset, am at loss TO
discover 1t has been well said, and the
maxim Is true one, Men may change, bm
Principles ncuer CHANGE" 1t is true that
we hav, had a change in the Executive; but
with that change, it cannot be that there has
been dhange of principle. Indeed, the pre-
sent Executive has on more than one occa-
sion solemnv declared his intention of carry
ing out the principles of his predecessor. 1t
cannot he, that he is the advocate of scheme
which would lead to 'such monstrous ac-
cumulatpn of power over the public mo-
new which such plan would throw into the
hands o. the Executive" BY whom, and
for what purpose, has plan so full of danger
been brought forward now, and with such We
hemence urged for the adoption of the peo-
pie those very people, who, in 1884, could
have !" st cause for alarm," and who were
invoked ito give their most watchiul attention
to such an effort to enlarge Executive power,
and to put in its hands the means of Corrup-
ton" l}y what magic art, has scheme so
fraught with the evils and dangers of the most
imminent character in 1884, been bereft OF
them so entire, as to become not only perfectly
free of danger, but in 1887 to be urged as
the only paaacea which is to cure all the evils
with which the country is afflicted !! Had
been told in 1884, that the doctrines held by
the Globe at that day, and which were re-
sponded 10, and received the appreciation Of
the whole democracy of the nation, would, iii
1897, be rcpudiated by itself, or, as Lord
Castlcreagh said, that the Globe would have
"turned IT'S hack on ITSELF" ! should have
been as ready TO believe at that time, pre-
dic,ion, that in 1897 the course Of nature
would have changed that the tides would
have changed their order of flowing and ebb
ing, or that the sun would have changed the
order of its diurnal course.
Among some of the statements of the Globe,
to :" set right some statements of facts assum-
ed by Camillus," it says, referring to the pro-
position made by Mr.. Gordon and repeated by
Mr.. Leigh, that ne find that ~e suggested IL
Jctorc Mr.. Gordon himself proposed IN Con-