South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1837-03-18

eldlES0 lI1to one OF glooIn ana despCl-
dsncy, ought to be indelibly impressed
on the memory Of the people OF the U
States. Ifsueh was its powerin time
ofpeace, what would it not have been
in season of war, with an enemy al
your DOORS No nation but the free
men Of the United States could have
come out victorious from such con
test; yet, you had not conquered, the
Government would have passed from
the hands OF the many to the hands Of
tgs few, and this organized money
power, from its secret conclave, would
have dictated the choice of your high
cstoficers, and compelled you to make
peace or war, as best suited their own
wishes. The forms of your govern
ment might, for time, have remained;
but it's living spirit would have depart
cd from it.
The distress and suferings inflicted
on the people by the Bank, are some of
the fruits Of that system ofpolicy which
is continually striving to enlarge the
authority Of the Federal Government
beyond the limits fixed by the Consti-
tuition. The powers enumerated in
that instrument do not confer on Con-
gress the right to establish such cor
poration as the Bank of the U. States !;
and the evil consequences which fol-
lowed may warn us of the danger Of
departing from the true rule ofconstruc-
ton, end Of permitting temporary cir
cumstances, or the hope Of better pro-
noting the public welfare, to influence
in any degree, our decisions upon the
extent of the authority of the General
Government. Let us abide by the con-
stitution as it is written, or amend itin
the constitutional mode, fit is found to
be defective.
The severe lessons of experience will,
doubt not, be sufficient to prevent
Congress from again chartering such a
monopoly, even if the constitution did
not present an insuperable objection to
it. But you must remember, my fell
low-citizens, that eternal vigilance by
the people is the price of liberty and
that you must pay the price you wish
tosecure the blessing. Itbehooves you,
therefore, to be watchful in your States,
as well as in the Federal Government.
The power which the moneyed inter
est can exercise, when concentrated
under a single head, and with Our pre-
sent system of currency, was sufficient
" demonstrated in the struggle made by
the Bank of the United States. De-
feated in the General Government, ) the
sumo class of intriguers and politicians
will now resort to the States and endea-
vor to obtain there the same organiza-
zion, which they failed to perpetuate
IN the Union and with specious and
deceitful plans Of public advantages,
and State interests, and State pride they
will endeavor to establish, in the differ
ent States, one moneYed institution
with overgrown capital, and exclusive
privileges sufficient to enable it to con-
uoI the Operations OF the other banks
Such an institution will be preenan4
with the same evils produced by the
Bank Of the United States, although its
sphere of action is more confined; and
in the State in which it is chartered
the money power will be able to embo-
dy its whole strength, and to move to-
gether with undivided force, to accom-
plish any object it may wish to attain.
You have already had abundant evil
dence of its power to infict injury up
on the agricultural, mechanical, and
laboring classes of society; and over
those whose engagements in trade or
speculation render them dependent on
bank facilities, the dominion of the
State monopoly will be absolute, and
their obedience unlimited. With such
a bank and apaper currency, the mon
ey power would, in a few years, gov
ern the State and control its measures;
and if sufficient number ofStates can
be induced to create such establish
ments, the time will soon come when
it will again take the field against the
United States, and succeed in perfect
ing and perpetuating its organization
by charter from Congress.
1t is one of the serious evils of our
present system of banking that it ena-
bles one class of society-and that by
40 means numerous one--by its con-
rol over the currency, to act injuri-
pusly upon the interests of all the 9TH
srs, and to exercise more than its Just
proportion of influence in political af-
airs. The agricultural, the mechani-
|al, and the laboring classes, have little
II no share in the direction of the great
honeyed corporations; and from their
abits and the nature of their pursuits,
hey are incapable offorming extensive
ordinations to act together with uni
I'D force.--Such concert Of action may
brnetimes be produced in single CT
rs, r,,,nlI Lied If &c cn,1nfru hu