The North-Carolina standard., 1837-11-01


stronger than the Governments and above the
control OF TIE. people themselves "a power,
which, if j, remained unchecked, would, in his |
opinion. eventually overthrow our republican
form of Government
9 The friends of the administration had been
by the same gentleman, in no very
measured terms. with having abandoned the
State banks at this. the period Of their greatest
difficulty. and with having practised bad faith
towards them, by refusing longer toaemployl
them as repositories of the public revenue.
This charge was particularly applicable, said
Mr. B. to the banks, and not to the Govern
ment Itwas they who had abandoned the
Government. and violated the trust reposed in
them. BY refusing to pay over large sums of
the public money entrustedsto them they had
deprived il, so far as depended on them, of the
means necessary to conduct its ordinary opera
tions In having done this, they had voiuhta-
Frily changed the relation which they had be-
fore stood in TO the Government, and had incur
red forfeiture of their right to longer conti-l
nuance as its fiscal agents. under a provision
Of the depose act. In this condition of things,
when the trust reposed in them had been so
grossly abused, was there any thing TO justify
the reproaches, which were thus attempted to-
be cast on the friends of the administration,
their confidence, and place the Gorernment a.
gain in situation 10 be embarrassed by them
The gentleman who had preferred these char
ges, seemed to adopt rule which was the ye-
ry reverse of that generally acted on in such
cases. Precisely in proportion as the banks
have abused the trust confled to2them, does he
give them his confidence, and insist on their
worthiness to be continued as the repositories
of the public money. When an individual
employed an agent to transact his business,
fragrant abuse of the trust confded to him, was
the best Of reasons for his dismission.
Those in opposition seemed, on the presen,
occasion, to discard this valuable rule, founded
as it was In common prudence; and the very
banks not long since so INCREASINGLY denounced
by them as wholly unfit to take charge of the
public moneys. had suddenly become worthy
of all confidence. The pc, banks as the gen
tleman from South Carolina had designated
them, had cause to congratulate themselves that
they had been so ably defended at this time by
him. who but short time since denounced
their employment in the character Of fiscal a
gents of the Government, as fraught with the
most perncious consequences to the country.
The same gentleman, said Mr.. B. had allu-
ded, in terms OF sarcasm. to what he was plea
sed to call the repeated experiments of the par
ty who for some time past had been in power,
on the happiness and prosperity Of the people
of our country. He (Mr. b. would ask what
party was it that first commenced experiments
on this subject, SO far as the action of the Fed.
eral Government was concerned? Was 1t not
those who had defeated the obvious intention
of the frumers Of the Federal Constitution, to
make it a hard7money Government Was it
not those who, in the carly history of this Go
vernment had established national bank, and
thus fixed on the country the paper system p
The often-repeated charge of tamperlng with
the currency, and experimenting on that deli
cate question, was due, and most appropriately
due. to that party who had introduced, and con
tinued to advocate, paper system under the
Federal Government; in doing which, they
had not only experimental on the currency but
also on the Constitution under which they had
professed to act To recall the Government to
The course on this subject. which he solemnly
believed to be that originally designed by those
who formed it, and to rescue it from the paper
money experiments of those who advocated a
national bank. was the great object which the
friends of the present administration were en-
deavoring to accomplish.
If to bring the Government back, in this res
pect to what its trainers intended it, if to res
tore it to the true constitutional currency, con-
stitute experiments, he, for one, was content to
share in the reproach, in common with his po-
ltical friends. which might be incurred by it.
But it seemed that the gentleman from South
Carolina was not only opposed to what he had
characterized as experiments, but he was anx-
ious that the people should get rid also of the
experimenters. In this he was unquestionably
sincere, as it would no doubt crafty that gen
teman to see his political friends placed in
power The public good which the gentleman
held out as likely to result from this change,
reminded him. however, of an anecdote he had
read OF queen of England, OF German orr
gin, who had but shortly before arrived in that
country. While riding outone day in her car
riage, she was saluted by many of the people
of London with acclamations OF great JOY and
respect; in return for which she most gracious.
y assured them that she had "come to En-.
gland for their goods" Yes" added one Of
those in the crowd, "and for our chattels 100"
Mr.. B. must be excused if he expressed the
belief that the gentleman and his friends felt
quite as much interest in the latter as they did
about the former of those considerations.
The honorable Senator Mr.. Preston) has
had recourse to his fruitful Imagination TO aid
him in presenting the policy of the admins
tration In relation to its financial affairs, in the
most uniavorable' light. He represents it as
constant succession of changes-one thing to-
day, and another Tomorrow and likens its
course to the signs in the celestial system, to
illustrate what he is pleased to consider its ever
varying policy. He had undertaken freely 70