Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1838-06-14
LETTER NO ..
To Martin Van Buren,,
pREslDgNf OF FIX UNITED STATES.

.
\ Sir. Circumstances beyond my control put
il out Of my power to reach you with this
correspondence at periods more regular, or
less remote from one another. hope, siy,
that you will pardon this irregaIarity, nDd
above all things do hope that you will not
permit the recent movements al the people
IN this city, in New Jersey, in some pf the
more EasteEn states, and particularly in Ma
ryIand and Virginia, astounding 'tlsey cer-
tainly are, to divert yonr attention from thero
letters, since hold IL he Of the highest i'm
portancc for the public 10 SEQ, ia the yisihfe
convictions which hope to produce in your
mind the truth Of the exposition ] am max
ing of your principles and conduct. The
people, sir, whom you have so long dCRe6,
appear 10 have, at last resolved to think and
aci for themselves. Having trusted 10 youS
guidance, aud been lullcd to rcposc by the
0piates employed by you, and gone olopg
under your assurances that The way they wetv
travelling was the way to prosperity sDd
wealth, they have been aroused by their own
senses TO see how that way led. directly, to
adversely aud povcry. They have tasted
deeply cir, of the latter, aud under the infh.-
cnce of the bitter potion have sprung to their
feet, and are now looking you full in the
face, and telling you from every quarter, and
in language rather loud to be agreeable, that
you hare b'irnpd Hfm!
Well, sir, oil reference 10 ono of The oldest
books in the world, you will find n "woe"
pronounced upon all those who put false
hood Tor truth, crooked for straight and sweet
for bi,icr"-nnd it is my firm bcIi. {, sir, that
the phiul which contained that woe is at this
won,ept being poured upon you.
Bslt TO proceed with my purpose. gave
in my las, a condensed history Of your ms
nGuvcnng to break in pieces the great fiscal
instrument of The Uniun. Having infained
the mind of your great patron to constant
aud irreprcssible fever heat, you had no teara
touching the action of Congress upon tho
Bank Question, tor you knew that he stood
ready to render void the will Of that body, ~
the exercise OF the veto rover; and YOU knew
moreover, that he painted to employ u. twas
one Of those engines OF destruction which lao
loved to hurl ut any who might be pointed
out TO him as opposing his p.Sps aud purposes.
II was nevertheless deemed expc0ispt TO
present front of as little resistance al pos-
sblc and you will remember, sir, how you
labored 10 lessen the maturity in Congress,
for tho bill TO rechartcr the Bank. Before tka
eyes of members of both Houses you kept.
constantly. glowing anticipations Of appoint
rcnts "a cabipet Tipistcrs, and foreign am
Sussndors, as in the case Of SsevsRsspp, &c. 1
and to coun,crnct this well established sys-
ten of unblushing bribery, your illustrious'
patron was arranged AZ the leader of tho
charge Of bribery against the Bank and you
so succc ccssfully inflated hin, with fears and
virtue, as TO cause him to elpbroce, in tha
first, the entire Congress- and in. tbc last, his
o. own spotlcss integrity. Ies,he actually s,is-
pected the Bank Of medisting wholesale
system of bribery that would take both him
self and Congress captive! lie so said, at
least, in q paper bearing lis name. But tho
experienced eye, and especially the eya that
had been fixed upon your unhallowed ohjec',
saw, and understood your game. But II was
! of 40 avail. The more proof that was given
TO demolish this figment Of that poor old mans
distompercd fancy, the louder was TIC cry
"bribery and corrnption--down ws!h tha
monster"
Well, sir, so far you had succeeded
Meanwhile embarrassments were multiplied
and the people in all our commercial cities
gave signs of uncxnmpled distress. But what
was all this when put in tho balance against
your lust of office, your resolve TO mount. at
all hazards, into the highest place in tho 0or
vernment?
Blu, now arose an embarrassing difficulty
lit was one Of delay. The laws had Placed
tAc safe keeping Of ,Le public money ia the
! Bank of the United States. These nine or
ten millions of dollars would be useless to
1 your plans and purposes, should they remain
! IL the Dauk for ali the time shat was 10 in
| tcrveDc between The veto and the term ot the
| Banks existence.
1 What now was TO be done ? Without the
active employment of this vast amount vi Isor
ncy, in tho Same way as that by which you
sought to get power over it when you at-
tempted to get possession of the management
of the Bank, the result OF the game, rs it had
been SO far played, was useless.
! II was TO corsy out your original design
that YOU conceived the monstrous outrage OF
removing the depositcs. Here was diem
ma: But the cry that they were in danger
from the weakness Of the Bank, would, you
hoped, Justify it-when, out went the cry =.
From the President Of the United States. to
the tide waiter, il was made 10 ring, und ring,
in every bo,ly's cars. 10 induce lac Lclef
that you were in earnest in this matter, an
agent was formerly appointedto examine and
report upon the case. That agent had q
conscience. lie, of course, reported adverse
ly TO your expectation. He said the money
was safe. Then, committees were organized
-packed-spd sent on; and then the ko-
vernlncnt directors were put in special co,n-
mission to furnish materials TO dcludc the
people, and injure the reputation OF the Bank,
Heaven and earth we're moved
| Every thing was disturbed-confdcnsc was
prostrated-crcd blasted-ond, as the hscsl
instrument bad been made q wreck Of tho
commerce Of the county was paraiy Iea---
Men, every where, were failing! Well, tha
time had now arrived when you supposed INA
public were prepared for the outrage, You
knew that tho conpset was be,weea tho O.:
yorn,ncnt and the Bank as matter of law, aud
of public faith and you foresaw that usurps-
ton nr,r, be rcsortea to, and forcihle reuho-
val ,t these nine or ten millloDs be attempts
Ell. or YOU must get plant tool Of Sccre,
,ory of the Yreusury, to whom the laws Ind
refused the agency Of removal, under certain
stipulated forms, or give your "ilustriaus"
pniron another chance ingloriouslY Ia dissin.
ruish himself, by ordering the thing done,
1rainsi law, upon his own responsibility"
You choose the FIRST ss preferable and Affect
cd to be adverse to forced removal. You
had your object, You thought IL possible the
people would not tarnely submit 10 s,,ch sn
outrage upon law and pligI'ted faith, aud had