Piney Woods planter and Amite union literary reflector. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1838-1838, 1838-09-15

it belongs, for the use of those to whom
it does not belong. We oppose this
practice, as one Of injustice. We are
in favor ofc collecting only as much mo-
ney from the people as maybe neces-
sary for public purposes, leaving the
rest to be used by those to whom It be-
longs. We are not the enemies Of the
banks, but we are not so much their
friends as to take money out of the
pockets Of our constituents, and depos-
lite itwith them twell their active cap
ital, and increase their profits. Let
them be content, as every honest man
ought to be, with using that which pro-
perly belongs to them.
We look upon the withdrawal ofthe
pgblic deposits from the banks, as
: measure beneficial to the banks them.
selves, and calculated to promote sta
bility in the business and currency of
the country. So long as the public
moneys are made the basis of bank is
sues, they will necessarily produce fuc-
tuations in credit and currency. AS
the deposite accumulates, bank loans
and bank notes increase in number
and amount; as the deposite diminish
es, bank accommodations are curtailed,
and the circulation is retIenched. No
rejecting man can doubt that the i'm
mense surplus in the Treasury two
years ago, being all lent out by the
banks, was one cause of the overtrad-
ing and speculation which ended in a
general suspension Of specie payment.
Ought the banks to desire the continu-
ance ola temptation which experience
has shown that they have not the firm
ness to resist?-Ought the people TO
permit a return to, or continuance
OF, a system which not only takes from
them a portion Of their property for the
use OF the banks and their customers,
but tends TO render the rest unstable
and insecure, by unsettling the stand
ard Of value, banishing the coin Of the
country from circulation, ond deluging
the land with an irredeemable, and, to
a great extent, fraudulent paper cur
rency? To avoid these evils, we must
remave their causes. One ofthe most
potent is the use of the public money
for private purposes. BY putting
stop to that mischief and administering
the Treasury Department wholly indie
pendent of the banks, the people Of
the U. s. will have done much, through
their Government, to fill the country
with the precious metals, to secure
constitutional currency, to keep the
public faith, to preserve the public
morals, to give confidence to credit,
and stability to trade, and, above all,
to preserve the rights ofthc States and
the liberties ofthe American people.
The subject of abolition has assum-
ed character so formidable in its ap-
pearance. and so destructive in its ten
denotes, as to call for a brief EXPOSE
ton Of our views.
The existing relation Of master and
slave between the two races inhabiting
the Southern portion of the Union, ex-
listed when the Constitution was form
ed, and is recognized in the apportion-
ment of members in the House of Re-
representatives., as well as in the imposi-
ton of direct taxes, and the clause
guaranteeing the delivery up Of per-
sons held to service or labor in one
State and escaping into another.
1t is manifest that the power over
this subject is one Of those not delega-
ted to the General Government, and,
Of course, is one ofthe reserved powers:
as such, it is under the entire control
Of the respective States. within whose
limits the institution may exist, and
within which neither this Government,
nor that of the other States, nor their
have any more right to inter-
fere. directly or indirectly, than with
the existence of slavery in Cuba, or
any other foreign country.
From this it follows that any such
Interference on the part of this Govern
mcnt, would be without authority, and
. manifest breach Of the Constitution.
It would, in truth, be more than sim
pie breach ofthat instrument; it would
be destructive Of the primary object
for which the Government was institu-
led, which was to preserve and protect
norL efectually the domestic peace
aud tranquility Of the States, and their
1t also follows, that interference on
The part Of other States, or the citizens,
would be in violation Of the national
.,,.....a.A ..L.aL 49, 49,. n -1Al-.-