Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-10-23

N
BANK, AND | MAY HERE REST The Ak'o
MENT."
Extract efe Speech deferred BY Henry Clay, IN c &C.
note Of The United States Monday, .4"y "ist' lo'
nprcscnting petition for tic establishment q ~"
ti7aal Bank: , ;, ~
sBut Sir it is no; for any existing State Bank oIhy
particular individual a, lis head, That an, ce'snu..s
bellows the institution Of Bank OF Inc o"'''u ~
is required by The common good OF tne n,cIicnis
and although nigh, be willing, 1t II were
to adop, an exstns Bank. the basis OF suc q" hs,
tuition unde. all circumstances, think IL mos. 80!
ent, that Banh, with power 10 ts'a"'; - e..
be c-eated nd under the authority OF ION
press NV friends las far as know their oP'nohS) ana
are no, particularly attached to this or INA,
10 his or that existing Bank, but 10 fEiNCifLEoH
the THING ITSELF, TO weii'0rsa"lzed bAHA "
"lwill only say cord or tco on the conSit'sts0nm
poccr think that it ought no longer to be regarded
open question Stability Is necessary wn'' -
society. Among those who deny The power thffe are
many who adm, the benefits Of Bank of he u S.'ics
Four iacs and under The sway ct all tue political P"'
ties have Congress deliberately affirmed lis existence
Every department Of the Government has aghtH ana
aran asserted it, Forty gears Of ncqxcSecaec by lhe
people uniformity every where in the value nt lie cur
rency; facility and economy in domestic exchange anu
unexamp!cd prosperity in the general business "i ue
county with Bank Of the u States; and without IL,
wild disorder in the currency runous rregulaTy IN DO
mcs,ic exchanges and general Prostraon IN the com
merce and business of the naon would seem to put lie
QUESTION rest, il it is not TO be peIPetaay aga'en
Their Of his Counry BY Madison the Father OF The Con
sii,u,inn; and by Marshall the Father Of the Judiciary
-PRECEDENTS, if they not In be bl,ndly iolnwet
neither ough, they IN be wantonv dcsplsed. THEY
ARE THE EVIDENCE OF TRUTH
" But, MIR. President, strong as my convictions are,
have Intention Of formally presenting any propose
ton establish Bank Of The u. S. Composed as
Congress and the Executive are, it would be an IN
necessary waste Of time to offer such proposal bc
licrc Mata Bank IF the L. S. IS no,c dcsTe@ ~ majT
YET the Fcopte"
Before sucb s.s,amt evidence Of the crosseet ,erg
versaiion sl comment must seem superi1unus ou",
cannot refrain from observing that while III ISL you
scccd 10 regard the behes,s OF the Constitution most
crcdy and place above all practice and all reecd.nt
YOU are 1898 struggling to place preceHcHtS above
the Constellation Then, you opposed this Bank mes. sire
nuous!y because, 'if established il would be only by
substituting the practice uHGCr the Constitution, Tor The
Constitution Itself" Tor all the strength Of your aEgu'
ment in behalf of the Bank is made TO rest, on rREcE
DENT, and PHEcruESr alone. Thcs the great advan'
ags Of system you held to be, "a 'crtUen COnsian
ton d.fn:ag its limits, and prescribing its authorities
iJo The contrary you d" not al all refer Us to TINT
6ci0sed Constitution for the Bank power, but point US
to forty ycars Of GcqHieSccurc by the people, as The
safest guide for our conduct 1hcn, you considered
that are " not empowered by the Constitution, nor
bound BY any practice under it, 10 rene% the charter c
this Bank" No,o, however, you are more Fortunate
and consider yourself !ecliy right in grounding your
support Of the Bank, the rry position against which
you then mos, violently opposed Then you said,
The power charter companies is not specified IN the
grant. Constitution /, is of the most exalted at
tributes of sovereignty. In the exercise Of this p0wrr
we have seen an East India Company created, which
has carried dsmay, Gcs"Iaon and Gca'h, throughout
of The largest portions NJ the civilized world Com
r,ny which is Of iIse;! sovereignty has srSycr
xd empires and &c: up dynas,irs-and has not only
made wal, Int against its legitimate sorsrc'gn -
And you indignantly asked, SIS 10 be i".agtasd, that
power VAST icouiG haCe bcen left By lie isQOm n The
Constitution Ia DOUBTFUL injcrercc?' NOtc, on pre-
.cnng your Bank proposal you Ieign to offer "on!y
teosd TWO on the constitutional PAGER and proceed
iDgenousy 10 embazpn The names Of tire graf mca,
prop the Bank cause, which you yourself cannot
sustain You oGt however, the name OF anHihcr gTCa
man; you omit The opinions 0T ONE undoubtedly the
Gr,atc, IF statcSc,n 0',G pure ne priest #
yatri0tS in word you have forgotten 10 h II U.s.
what the opinions Ui our own Jefferson, ii the
apostle Of Liberty himself, concerning ttS Bank F0'c
trM Thus, then, this power to charter companies
which you held dangerous in lcll, is nnw III les
(acco5ding Your onnion not only perfectly
harmless butts exercise is deemed by you as nd'spcn
SADLY necessary the weli.being Of The country! -
Though this self same power in Europe had by y"Hr
shecjng, warred against lis legitimate sovereign
yet having undergone most miraculous abluton IN lis
passage the Atlantic. it at Invested Of all
miscellaneous tendencies in our own America !.
What, then, 10 think of that politician, who is
nnw, in 1855 moving Heaven and Earth for The aualn
ment Of object, which twenty seven years ago he
most solclnIy pronounced to be dire violation Of the
Constitutions: What we to think of the ririac aud
sincerity Of that man. who, while the Constitution itself
remains unchanged, would fam engrait on ii his own
ryng and Interested views as genuine part OF the IN.
slrunenl ITSELF What arc we to ihiuh VI the I'6i5mtST
Of that man. who cares not rush for the involab!iy
and preservation OF the Constitution OF his country. pro
vded that he make lis bleeding provisions his foot
stool power; What would have been the c"nouct Of
patriot or honest statesman who, he had hitherto
been opposed 10 the Bank constitutional grounds,
should nevertheless believe such Institution 10 b.
indispensable 10 the well being Of the cnnntrv:-
Why, such man would have urged an amendment OF
the Constitution comforting the power b"t hGr1
urged roiatos of IT, But your political mnra!lly Sir,
appears 10 possess by FAR more admirable elasticity
IL seems that your caprice must be !GU-your
rcnicacc our constitution. Mr.. Clay, any cream.
Stances Justify violation oi that Constitution which
you have sworn suppari In 1911, ycn would la vs
deemed such violation equivalent 10 perjury I'n. in
lS3S, your oa! dcrs not weigh heavily your
science You are lawyer >Ir and do you really per.
nit witness at the bar of justice to make such mental
reservations with respect oah, Can any
Justify in being dishonest IL they do
not in private life, why should they in public: How
you have The face 10 tell totidc rcrbS TINT oath
10 support the Constitution is less valid Than il
twenty years ago: That insrumCn. has undcr.
gone amendment. chanoc. You cannot mar, any
than y"u could hca, point 10 any provision in il,
going 10 confer the banking power And what is your
staff of support main prop o ellancr Tor thus sub
ver,ing fundamental Law; Precedent, precedent, the
abuse OF the Constullnn in opposition to lis plain
mon sense, and express commands proceiarnm inter
prstcm jurs, nmetorem anfait"ts eOrrccorcni atguc
cnenGatyrCm nOstrG cirifatS!
Neither you escape the dilemma by pleading the
green lncTPrr"nce oil y"uih rs an excuse tor the iHcr
probation which you gave of the Constitution in ISL
You were then no beardess s'rpIing but you were in
the prime and meridian of your years # statesman
cannot interpret Alright the Constitution of his country
toriy he will scarcely succeed at sercay. n
you cannot have been right toM times If you were
correct in your Interpretation hca you be no,S
and if you wrong tlcn and mac right then has
your mind in lis decay achieved victory your mind
when enjoyed It's utmost vigor and healthy tone You
arc at htcrty to select either IF these aittrnatirc,
Look back, Sir, 10 long public life OF forty years
and point US if you can to That act or effort or sGgers
ton Of yours, in which the lsTe Of seifaGgr nd;zcrn,
does not PrPPondcrate the love of country? II
asked what is the grand characteristic Of vonr life
enswer-WANT OF PRINCIPLE, WANTOF PRlN
ClPLE! If am asked, what you have dane for your