Litchfield enquirer., 1838-07-26
SPEECH OF MIR. SEWER OF ARKANSAS,
IAN ADMINISTRATION MEMBER.)


 la reply to Mr. Allen Of Ohio upon rssOtiORs calling
 for infornaOn as io she d10gs tO the Banks in tks
 District ef COIS6a, asir eci0t stations in the Co eernmeRf, 9c.
 MT Sevier said that for the last ten years no sub ject in this country far as his knowledge extend cd, had been 90 completely exhausted m the way Ot argument, and want of AIgTment by politicians. by everlasting topic of banks and their abuses The Be- nete think, tsaid Mir S) will bear me witness that for that length Of e at least, the public have been permitted to think of but little of any thing else. Sir, has been bank fight all the time. Having arragn. co., tred, convicted and hung by the neck, telon, the Bank of the United States, and having no other ;n,o msSF to encounter we are nov to De isd t seems Yes, S!r, upon the question of rechartering half dozen banks of this District, with capital of about million and half of dollars, it seems that we are to nave full discussion upon the policy of banking that we are to be entertained with violent harangues about bank gods and bank monsters. and bribery and corruption m the members of Congress These are the raw head and bloody bones, the wlndmllls that we have to encounter; and for what purpose? We are to reject the applications of these charters it is saId or cover them with such onerous conditions that tne etNcknoders I wil not accept hsm n order as We lesson upon the subject of banking It. desirable, 1t IS said to make these charters model, an example for the States to follow A model on esonple for he Stdtes 10 tooW Sir, have any of the States solicited our opinion upon this subject Have any of them asked us for odels for eraapLes for them to follow? Have they asked us to think for them? torevise, cr uC'So uuo CollueiiIi thSF leGSiatlou Noa Sr they have asked no such things at our hands. They want none of our advice; for many of them think that we have already usurped many prerogatives rightly belonging to them and, in my opinion, they are not menss upon their sovereignty by us It is possible that some ot the States may hs confidng, so tame, and submissive, as to follow implicitly the advice and or ders pEomngated by their Senators from this Cham ber But think can answer for one little State, who carries the game cock among other devices, upon her coat of arms that she will never submit 10 che E.r degrade herself as to permit her Senator's with impu- nty, to cntlcise, revise, condemn her legislation She wants no advice, or example from her servants She herself will judge of the proprety of her own le g1sat've action. Admit that the States have acted ndiscree,ly does 1t become us as their creatures, to taunt them with their msfortunes, or chide them tor their want of wisdom? No, Sir: l, tor one, am for shaping my Legislation here to correspond to the opinions and wishes of my State so far as under stand them. ! am not for scalping and tomahawking the local banking institutions. On the contrary, lam liberal policy may dictate do this that the States may understand that not only not hostile, but are friendly to their banking institutions do ths, Str to heal e breaches 0t Laue been made in par. ty ranks to reoin lost confidence in the public tipaatioa Gnd thon a belieue the true policy e hs country dspends upon t. do tis to prsserDe the Sir, that the false impression in the public mind that we are hostile to the local banks has been mainly the cause of our late political disasters WE HAVE BEEN BEATEN IN NEARLY EVERY QUARTER. WHOLE STATES
 
 ENTERTAINED, CONSIDER THAT WE HAVE NOT WITNESS ED THE END BUT THE BEGINNING OF oUR DEFEATS These are my lmpresslons good of course, only tor what they are worth. To see party once more united, to see them again victorious am prepared to make any sacrifices, short of principle, of duty, and of ho- nor;
 resolutions, which am now considering, with tho double view of destroying tho banks and of proving that the friends of these institutions been breed nto mo theM ,ar support Of them Yes s from the people his unconquerable hostility to the banks. and his efforts for their destruction by aru!y raising hue and cry against the rnemeers of Con take 1t for granted, that man can vote for bank charter without bribe He seems to think that pat. riots that disnterested action, on such subject, may serve the valuable purpose of amusing oid wo- men and quietng little children. For myself, Sir, have no confidence in such unjust ungenerous, and of my associates in this body; and wished to be personal which do not, should remind the honora be Senator of the adage that those who charge others o nss Gon gress 6vtbed detest such uDfoended. stale. hypo- critical insinuations; which veryhonorabls man has a ea. to near to essve and condemn. the senator e hm rise m his place and point hS finger at the man, and not by sweeping. general innuation cast cen sure upon tho whole body of which he is a member. Let us have no general werrantes indefinite chsrges Suppose that It shold turn out thas member ot Con gess has borrowed or owes bank does it follow that to be in debt to such an institution is crime h is our corruption there great many corrupt sinners in the country. Whole Stafes, eusn Gensral Govern- nent:, upon is principle, are eorr and bribsd com. naunitses and Ohio among them. If the Senator is for denouncng all those who may happen to be in deht, let him take the bull by the horns and denounce his own State; for Ohio is debtor. met her agents. few weeks ago in Wall street. New York, where had gone on the same business for my State, gota,lng loan for some millions; and with whom. MT President. do you suppose they negotiated their loan? They sold their State bonds to Prime, Ward Yes, Sir, with the lords and ladies of Great Britain the same from whom MT. Nicholas Riddle obtains his loans, to feed and fatten his monster Is there any thing corrupt in this-n borrowing of foreign bank? Or will the Senator attempt to justify 1t, upon the ground It ls rogucry and murder tor an individual to steal from or kill another, but 1t is famous. brave and heroic, ita State or nation murders thousands and robs kingdom7 1tmust be justified upon this principle. upon any. Sir. consider it no crime for either State, Government, or citizen, who forms part of State or Government, to borrow money of banks, or their customers and they will deal with them long as t is for their interest to do so and no longer. DIT, many gentlemen oppose banks on constitution al grounds Those who hold these opinions respect, and, confined to certain description of banks am with them m opinion. Their opposition is of a high and manly character and elicts respect from every quarter Others not entertaining constitutional scru- ples, oppose banks because they wealthy that | they require no aid from them They are dspo- sed to turn shavers or brokers themselves and mono polize the trade in money at usurious interest. The banks are in their way. and hence their opposition And these may be added another class who are op posed to banks. These those Who hnus neither pro- perty, industry, character and these accounts ars unable to effect loan o bank and hence they Grt found cursing banks morning, and night; and J are look ocer the country. ,De shall fnd at is tatte' cidss requentLy naohe up considerable portion o the anfibank forces. There others know, belonging to neither of these classes who are against banks l uD0n DHDCiDlp: they believe banking be and yet oltsn find that it 50 happens that oi 1 them find it convenient sometimes to borrow small sums, for short periods, from banks Are they cor ! rupt?
 MT President, when came to my seat in the Se- nate this morning, had no idea of making speech.
 voted to lay the resolution upon the table, and shall