Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1838-02-15

back, upon this momentous question, oId
seeks 10 shelter itself in the safes and The
vauits, the cells AID the cnverns, %! Sab
Treasury system. But al al! governments
that ever existed, The present Administration
has least excuse for Withdrawing It's care
from the currency, or shrinking from It's just
responsibility IN regard to it.
Its predecessor, 10 whose footsteps IL pro
fesses TO tread, has nterlercd, fatally inter-
fered, with that subject. That interference
was, and has been, the productive cause of
our disasters. Did the Administration dis
claim power over the currency IN 1898, when
it removed the Deposiies? And what meant
all its subsequent transactions, all It's profes-
sions. and all its efforts, for that better cur
rency which it promised, il in truth !, did not
hold itself responsible to the People OF the
United States, for good currency From
the very first year Of the late Administration
to the last, there was hardly session, IT
there was single session, in which this duty
OF Government was not acknowledged, prom
ses of high improvement put forth, or loud
claims of merit asserted, for benefits already
conferred. IT proftsscd to erect the great
temple of its glory on Improvements OF the
currency. And, sir, the better currency,
which has been so long promised, was not q
for the people. II was not for the use Of re-
venue merely, but for the use of the whole
commerce, trade and business of the nation.
And now, when the whole industry, business,
and labor Of the country,s harrassed, ana dis
tressed, by the evils brought upon us by It's
own interference, Government talks with all
possible GOODNESS, of the great advantage 1t
will be to adopt Il system which shall shield
itself from thick falling shower OF lnputa-
tions. II disclaims, ii rcnounces, 1t abandons
It's duties and then seeks an inglorous shelter.
! We demand the better currency; we insist
on the fulfilment of the high und iiatterng
promises and surely there never was n
! Government on the face Of the earth, that
could, with less proprety, resist the demand;
yet, We see it seek refuge in bold, cold, and
hearlless denial Of the competency ot its own
constitutional powers. tails back from it,
own undertakings, and fatty contradicts It's
own pretenslons. In my opinion, it can find
no refuge, where the public voice will no,
reach it. There can be no shelter, while
\ these times last, into which Government can
retreat, and screen itself from the loud voice
of the country, calling upon it to come forth
to fulfil its promises, or at least, now that
these promises are all broken, 10 perform Its
| duties. The evils of q dsordered currency
are eviis which do not naturally correct oi
cure themselves Nor does chance, or good
luck, often relieve that community which Is
suffering under them They require political
remedy they require provision to be made
I By Government; they demand the skilful hand
Of experienced statesmen. Unlli some just
remedy be applied, they are likely to con
tmuc, with more or less of aggravaion, and
no man can tell when or how they will end
It is vain, therefore, quite vain, for Govern
mcnt to hope that it may retreat from this
81 eat duty, shield itself under system, 10
way agreeing, either with its powers or lis
obligations, and thus escape reproaches, by
attempting To escape responsibility.
| Mr.. President, there is fault. and failure,
some where. Either the Constitution has
failed, or its administration fails. The great
end Of a uniform and satisfactory regulation
| of commerce is not answered, because the
| National currency, an Indispensable nstru
! ent of that commerce, is not preserved In {
| sound and uniform state and manner.
! Is the fault in the Constitution itsclf?-
! Those who affirm that it is, must show how
! it was, if that be so, that other Admnistra
| tions, in other times, have been able to give
! the people abundant satisfaction in relation
to the currency. suppose it will be said, II
answer to this, that the Constitution Las beer
| violated; that it was originally misconstrued
that those who made it, did not understand
| it ; and that the sage and more enlightened
! politicians of our times see deeper, and Judge
/, more Justly. of the Constitution, than Wash
| ington and Madison. Certain it is, that they
| have more rcspec, for their own sagacity
! Than for all the wisdom Of others, and all the
I experience of the country; or else they tint
| themselves. by their party politics. and purity
! c0mmllinents, cut off from all ability OF ad
nlnsteriug the Constitution according t,
| former successful practice.
! Mr.. President, when | contemplate the
! condition Of the country; when behold thi
ut, = breaking down of the currency, thl
wide spread evil augment among all the in
dpstrious classes, this acknowledged inabi!it
Of Government to pay its debts, legally, thi
prostration Of commerce and manufactures
this shocking arrangement, of internal ex
change, and the general crash Of credit an
confidence and when see, that three hun
! dred Representatives of the People are her
assembled, to consult on the public exigency
and that, repudlating the wisdom oi~our pre-
decessors, and rejecting all the lights of on
own experience, nothing is proposed, for ou
adoption, to meet an emergency of this char
acter, but the bill before us. confess, sir, th
| whole scene seems TO me to be some strang
! illusion. can hardly persuade myself, tha
| VIC are all in our waking senses. 1t seem
| like dream, like some phantasy of the nigh
which the opening light of the mornn
usually dspels.
! There is so little Of apparent relation c
means to end the measure before us, as
appears TO me, has SO little to promise, fo
: the relief of existing evils; is so alien. s
outandish, so abstracted, so remote from tn
! causes which press down all the grent put
! lie interests, that really find il difficult I
regard as real, what is thus around me.
ii Sir, some of us are strangely IN error.-
| La, laI 10 tuid fh