Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1837-11-23
WHOLE NO. 399.

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were their expectations answered? In his
communication 10 Congress, the chief magis-
tratc passed over with an air of careless dis
dain, the great topics which agitated the peo-
pie; aud confined himself Immediately and
exclusively to an object for which the people
cared but little--bnt an object for which a.
lone, as it appeared. he had convened that
body. namely The reiicf ofhe government
/ The message was divided into two great
heads. Under the first head, the President
undertook to assign the causes of the dis
tress, of which, as appeared from subsequent
parts Of the message, he would have taken no
notice, had not the government been involved
in il; and under the second, to point ont the
remedy for the evils under which the govern
mcnt was laboring.
! Permit me to call your attention to the brst
head above mentioned.
| II will he remembered that by the Consti-
tuition, the President is expressly enjplned to
Iconmunicate 10 Congress such information
as he may possess, relating to the important
interests of the country. Congress were to
npplv remedies: and unless the whole circum-
stances oi the case were spread before them,
how could they act understandlngly: II was
the boundcn duty OF the Executive 10 inquire
into the affairs of the country. and under the
solemn sanction of an oath, To state 10 the
Representatives Of The people fairly. honestly,
and fully, the inquiries he had made. aud the
results he had oblained. Did he d." SO? He
gave his opinions as to the causes of the dis
trcss;-and what reasons did he assign for IT?
lie said that he had found a great increase
in the number of local banks, an enormous
enlargement of the issues ot bank paper. ex-
travagant spccrlations among The people, ex-
travagant expenses on the part Of indlvidu-
as;--but that there was no fault IN the 60
vernment, none at all The Government had
done nothing wrong; tho Governme had
made no mistake: every thing was perfectly
right on the part Of the Government In the
people, n He peopic. the cause of all the dis
tress was To be sought and found.
The first inquiry which an intelligent peo-
pie are bound to make under these elrcum-
stances is--"Was this representation true!-
IS it according To faci!"
j. the President. in acqniiing the admins
tration of every mistake, borne out by the
facts Of the case? Did not tho destruction OF
the United States Bank, and the placing the
public moneys with the several local banks,
afford new facilities for speculation and the
cXtcnsion Of credit. Was not the mporta-
tion of specie from abroad, tile Importation
of specie upon creiH, so much fostered and
encouraged by the general government, the
"hicCifnot the only cause ofthe arrangement
of onr foreign traie? Was not the specie
circular n prime moving cause of all our do
mesiic and internal difficulties? Over.bank-
ing! over-trading! II they existed, how
came they to exist? The President tells you
that the world stands on n tortoise: hut what
'hc tortoise stands on, he leaves you to find
ont as you can. appeal Ia yon as Infell'-
gent. practical, business men, whether the
not = charn
with having contributed in principal degree,
not exclusively, to produce that very spirit
of speculation, of which they now complain?
Does not every practical man among you.
concur with me in considering tho govern
mcnt as having orig mated tho cvil?-were
not the measures OF the government the
cause of the increase of local banks, and the
occasion of the excessive issues of the paper
of these banks? Did not the government en-
courage over-bankinC? Did it not seduce
Z @ banks into over-issucs? What respect
can we have for a Congress which would
lblindy assent to such assertions as those
made by the President, which would abso-
lutcly and nnequivocallv acquit the admInIs-
traton Of all blame, ofhaving made the slight
est mistake, and which would throw oil the
blame upon the people, and boldly charge
them with having caused their own suffer-
ings? | seek not to stir up party feelings; /
wish for cool discussion, and appeal to ev-
cry one to say deliberately with what secur-
~ we can rely on the statements Of an exec
utive, which INDUCES itself in falsehoods like
these?
So much for the causes of the evi;--now
for the remedy proposed. In the first place,
when the people asked the administration for
relief, the President meets the request by
declaring that SHE people expected TOO much
from the governnient.' This is the sentiment.
and these are almost the very words lately
made use Of by writer in monarchcal GO
vernment in Europe, while treating upon this
very subject of commercial difficulties. En-
ther the language is borrowed, ~ it ia n most
remarkable coincidence! The people expect
too much from the government! deny 1t.
I aver that the sentiment is n base libel on
the people! Such language might well be
used by despoi and tyrant. The people
expect too much from the government VINO,
and WHAT is the government? What is this
government that tramples on the requests Of
the people, and tells them they expect too
much? What is this government that spurns
The people, and bids them hold their tongues.
and not be running to the government with
mpertinent petitions? The very idea is an
insult! What IL this government? The
whole Nation is the government. The will
of the people is the government Tho men
in office are the mere organs Of that viii, and
when the people demand of them that their
will shall be obeycd, are they to be told TINT
,bey ask too much? The time has beep,wbeD
language like this would have cost any man
his place; and trust in Heaven, that that
time has not yet gone by!
II is the plan Of the Presidcn, TO detach the
entirely from the people. The