The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-09-22

d
ing the agency Of banks altogether committing the
CUSTODY Oh the public moneys 10 individual agents,
ana correcting the revenue In hard money alone-in
other words, The scheme which has since become so
universally known by The name of the Sub Treasury
scheme u No sooner was this scheme broached by
its wing advocates, than II was denounced in the
name and under the authority OF The administration
as iraught with the most alarming danger to the
public liberty by enlarging Executive power and
putting in lis hands the means of corruplion"-as
transferring the public money directly into the
PALMS OF Executive agents, the friends and parzans
of the President instead OF keeping IL depose in
banks, whence II could not be drawn for other than
public purposes, without certain detecion"-and
thus exposing II to plundered by hundred hands
where one cannot now reach IL |" These objections,
bottomed as they were on the solid foundation OF
truth, and appealing 10 the soundest Republican
principles and instincts, We're conclusive. The sup
porers of the administration as party, rallied
by them, with Unprecedented unanimity in opposi-
ton TO the schemes and in the meagre vote Of 49, in
body OF 21O members, then given in favor Of IT, but
one solitary name, belonging 10 the administration
party, was found This was the state OF the ques-
tion, during the time of the late administration The
whole Republican party was in favor Of the State
bank system, and stood firmly and infexbly opposed
tothe Sub-Treasury scheme.
The present chief magistrate, then the candidate
OF the party for the Presidency, was understood TO
be fully committed TO these principles, and In seve
raj public declarations OF his opinions gave formal
and unequivocal adhesion TO them Within few
short months, however, after the commencement of
his administration most extraordinary change Of
position took place. Taking advantage Of some
temporary embarrassments which had fallen on the
banks, in common with every other portion Of the
business and commercial world, and which were
ascribable in part at least TO the acts of the Govern
ment itself, few active spirits supposed to have
been secretly hostile to the established system of
public and private credit, and meditating the intro
duction OF Treasury bank, which should be COM
pleely subservient TO the Of the party in power
commenced furious denuneiaton of the State In
sutons-the system which had been embraced and
supported by the whole party, was now openly con-
demned and yihed-and the rival system which
they had lately opposed and resisted as antrepubli
can, revolutionary, and disorganiZng, they now
vebemently urged on the country. A wild spirit of
innovation and subversion seemed to be- all at once,
put in motion, which threatened the sober interests
Of life and the tested institutions Of society with
destruction. The President unfortunately yielding
to the impulsion OF these elements Of change TO the
surprise and modification Of many OF his oldest and
best frends came forward at the special session OF
Congress convoked by him, and earnestly recon-
| mended the adoption OF the sub-treasury system
that system which had been lately so emphaticaly
condemned and so unanimously rejected by the whole
party. majority Of the party, unable TO resist the
potent and mysterious workings of party dScipliae
but many of them, II Is well known, against the
victions Of their own Judgments followed the Presi
dents lead, and voted for the scheme, which, but
short time before, they had repudiated with one
| accord.
Some, however, were found in the ranks Of the
/
the varying hour" and who had frmness enough to
stand by their original principles and to oppose the
same system though recommended by the President,
which they had opposed when brought forward by a
| wing member of Congress. They recognised no
magic in an Executive recommendation to change
the inherent relations OF things the eternal prin-
ciples OF truth and believing measure that was
| dangerous to liberty in 1885 by "enarging Execu-
tive power, and putting in its hands the means Of
corruption" was no less dangerous, for the same
reason, in 1887, they sernly opposed it in 1887 as
they had opposed in 1885 BY the stand thus con-
scientiously assumed and noby maintained by por-
ton of the Republican party, this dangerous scheme
has been hitherto arrested, and the prosperity and
liberties OF the country saved from its whitening in
fuence. Five, several times, in one shape or an
other, has it. with perseverance worthy Of better
| cause, been brought forward and urged upon the
representatives of the people and as often has this
band OF patriots spurning alike the trammels OF
party and the dicaton of power stood in the breach,
and offered themselves for their country. This gal
liant band has received the name of Conservatives /;
and the name has not been appropriately applied,
if their bold and strenuous effort to preserve our Re-
| publican Institutions in their purity, from the
schemes Of destructive innovators-to preserve the
ancient principles and usages of the Republican
party from the spurious interpretations of modern
/ ultraism-to preserve the freedom Of opinion and
the liberty of conscience from the despotsm Of party
and power, should be considered as rendering dis
tinctve appellaton necessary 10 discriminate them
from their former political associates.
For this manly adherence to their principles and
the true and original principles of their party, the
Conservatives have been denounced by the admins
tration press, with the utmost ferociy, as traitors,
deserters, renegddes, apostates EsdcraliSts &C. &C.
One cannot look into the numbers of the Globe
which have appeared since the commencement Of
the present month, SEPTEMBER when some fancied
reaction seems TO have inspired it with savage and
revengeful JOY without tracing in its columns the
same Jacobinical fury which inundated thousands
of human victims to party intolerance in Revolution
airy France, and by the diabolical massacre Of the
Sfoto ,ricp fhnQ Ia
| same month the most shockingly memorable in her
blood-stained annals. The faction which instigated
those murders was, from the date of the horrd trans
| action, denomnated Septembrisemrs and if a similar
coincidence and kindred spirit were to fix the de-
nomination Of the Globe, il might well participate
in the infamous celebrity of the French sectanial
nomenclature. What does this Septcmbrizing Jour
nal mean by stgmatisng, as rencgades and dc@rcrS,
those members of the Republican party who refuse
to follow its mev lead in support Of the Subreasury
scheme but who oppose it now as they opposed it in
1884 and in 1885, and on the very same grounds of
objection, which were then taken and enforced by
the Globe itself as the recognised organ Of the admit
nistration Can any man. who will attend to the
brief recital of undisputed facts which, we have
given above, hesitate moment to decide which sec
ton of the ESQ called Republican party has deserted
say in answer to the vndictive denunciations OF the
Globe, that in the history of political regeneration
there never was exhibited before such an instance,
as is now presented by the administration party, if
that paper be the correct exponent Of its policy and
views, of an entire party SO precisely reversing its
position, turning It's back upon ITSELF as has been sig
nifcanty and humorously said, and holding up to-
day. as the touchstone of The true faith what it had
yesterday characterised in the strongest terms
abomination of political iniquity. And yet with
cool contempt Of decency and shame, surprising all
example, this organ denounces, and attempts TO pro-
scribe as changetings and descrtcrs every man who
stands on his original ground and refuses to change
with it.
i, Will the Conservatives permit themselves TO be
dashed by this licensed itetof, ny any