The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-01-01
DEBATE IN THE SENATE.
TnunspAY, Dec. 20, 1888.
DEBATE ON MR. RIvEss RESOLUTIONS

WRIoHr replied as follows:
Mr.. WRIGHT said Il will not be expected that
should attempt incur the responsibility Of replying TO
the Senator from Virginia, in manner so dversihed as
his did not come TO my this morning. antlcpa-
ing that there would be debate the resolutions and
If had done So assuredy would rot have prepared
myself TO take wide scope OF discussion upon 'nom
should not this time. have entered into the details
relating TO the Sub Treasury the banks or any 'nns
Of that and will trouble the Senate win put 'eV
few observations in reply to the Senator
had hoped and believed at the outset OF the rena :.
made by the Senator from Virginia. and was iesy
congratulate myself and the Senate and inc n
upon IT, that the Senator had at least become he
the danger Of The coonexon between the banks anu o
Government was glad 10 hear those Ienai,' -
they were connected with facts snd 'S III, Ia
back my pleasure that he dd not Sa.,a,ar s
formation which he proposed 70 ASA 80 ~ J,.,. b;s
the Treasury in regard TO the iae's oe -
differences upon them 1T, =; ~ .,,.
Bot further | very well remember tna', IN me ezra
session and the last repeatedly tod ana oy me
Senator himself when we unaenoGs 70 no, ho,a W sr
raising ! pbaptom that the late Bank oil the United
States was dead and gone, and that II was an IMPOSE
ton on the country to attempt to convince that mere
was any longer danger from that source The senator
from Virginia takes the opposite view, and SO lar
am glad that he has length undergone conviction on
this point Sir in relation to that danger was never
for moment ulled. The Senator will ask me, them
do approve Of the connection between the Treasury
was glad when the Senator from Virginia offered his
resolutions calling for information this subject had
heard that the Secretary Of the Treasury had sold one Of
the bonds the Institution itself, aud had supposed
that the connexon as II was represented IN the report
had grown exclusively out Of that IL the connexlon
has gone further, il only without my knowledge
spprobaton but shall be without my appreciation
! had supposed that other purchaser for the bond
could be obtained, and that by our legislation this
(the bond) rendered necessary to the Go
H,f al IN nj he
ta Of the Treasury shall give the facts Of the case
aud should have heen better satisfied if the Senator
from Virginia had frs, ascertained the facts aud then
drawn his inferences from them
But not much surprised at that as at the next
step Of the Senator And what did he attempt! TO
interpret to and the country only the course Of
action. but the views snd opinions Of The Secretary Of
the Treasury and the President and the policy which Is
TO control their action, from letter from Nicholas
Bldde; and that sir is not the authority by which the
acts Of these gentlemen are be Judged, although il is
made al this time And in the heat Of remark the
Senator thought that letter was not enough, aud com
mens in the newspapers made The proof here OF tho
doctrines of the administration. But ], sir, when It's
acts aud opinions to be judged of by me, will not
Judge Of them by the Baltimore Chronicle nor by any
such authority .E''s An.
It seemed 10 me the rational and natural course in
this matter pass these resolutions and let the answer
come to US and il that should be imperfect, there
would have been then for to be given or
If the facts themselves should have been unsatisfactory,
there would then have been time and room to express
dissatisfaction, and we would then do 1t from the
real facts before and not from statements and sur
misses derived from such sources -
In the Of his many remarks, and with the broad
latitude he gave hem the Senator chose to refer to that
portion of the message Of the President. where the
President recommends the appointment OF committees
of Congress, occasionally TO examine the condition OF
the public money. have not the message before me,
but, if rightly recoect these committees were to re-
port 10 the President in Of defacaon to the end
that the defacang officer might be promptly removed;
and they were then to report also to Congress- at the
commencement Of its next ensuing session. And now
ask the gentleman, his candid exhibition OF the
message 10 the country Was not just to the Presi-
dent to give his Recommendation Of committees as the
President gave it himself! Had such an exhibition
come from one Of the gentlemen on this side, 1.-THE OPP
position. among whom Mr.. w. is seated, it would not
have surprised me. As political opponents these ber-
ties always TAKEN (by them,) and it Is not always
tina, gentlemen Of the opposition feel bound to give all
the facts, But coming from one whose relation TO the
President is such that Of the Senator from Virginia,
cannot but regret the tone and character Of the re-
marks And on this point remark, frs that the
Senator's political party claims to be that OF armed
neutrality and secondly, that if the state Of his poiti
cal party is that Of armed neutrality, that condition
has not heretofore been well understood But if it
hostility TO both the begerens, 1t is definition
such had given il, and hereafter fear shall
be compelled to view it in different light.
ITO these remarks Of Mr. WRieHT, Mr. RivEs made
rejonder published in our last Saturdays paper, after
which, the following colloquies ensuedI ..
Mr. WRIGHT said, Misunderstanding are so easily
produced even here, render it less matter Of
feeling than Of duty to review the remarks Of the Sc
nator from Virginia. have not any thing Of his ardor
Of feeling this subject, and had not expected it in
the course Of this debate He appears to intimate that
my remarks were to be regarded as threatening him
with Executive power In regard to that, must be
judged by the Senate and the audience, as am fit
Judge for myself But nothing was further from my
intention than of that sort, though did speak
Of his and remarks as disappointing in regard
his position in relation to the administration. But
spoke OF not In censure, and the Senator must be
aware that know the Executive has no power over
him. As member of this body and citizen Of his
proud Commonwealth, he must think it vain in thus
to threaten him and nothing Of the kind was intended
BY me- nor any thing which was personally unkind to-
ward him. If there any such thing 10 my express
sion, not my feeling and il, in his concluding
observation the Senator alluded to me personally,
repe the charge.
Mr. RIvES asked what concluding remark the gen.
Mr. WRIGHT. The gentleman, concluding,
said, that he vassal of the President and he
begged the gentleman from New York to remember IT,
Mr.. RIVES said The Senator from New York had
thought fit to speak Of the relations in which stand to
the President !, therefore, deemed the occasion
proper to declare, aud now repeat, that am MO
passai ofthe President.
Mr. NILES spoke at length, chiefly in reply to MIR.
Rves, and in comments his remarks, opinions, and
political position He repelled the charge that the ad,
minisuation had formed union with the United States
Bank, aud argued that the Suh,reasury was not only
the best Of all schemes but approved by the coun-
try. .a.'.
Mr.. CRTTTENDEN said I suppose that, il for no
other the OF Senatorial usage would
induce to for the resolution Of the Senator from
Virginia, although confess cannot avoid some appre
henson that the whole subject will be found TO he one
rather serious to the friends Of the administration;
apprehension which is in way lesscned by some APP
thairp rt,fd;, And