The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-10-02


The following toast having been proposed and
drunk with great enthusiasm:
sour distinguished gnest, w. G. RIvEs-Like Fs-
bricas the tent Of Pyrrhusunseduced by the allure
Of yesterday, unerrhed by the threats Of to-day,
his devotion TO his party has not been sufficient 10 IN
ducc him to forget his country In his opposition to the
will Of tho Executive, he has exhibited hrnness and
abilities which should inspire his countrymen with IN
creased 10 the man, who has too much virtue
to surrender his principles for his party"
Mr. RivEs addressed the company in substance
! follows
FsRor citizens Of ths County Of LOaisa:--
rise to return you my sincere and heartfelt &C.
acknowledgements for the honor you have done me.
/ Without any claim your kindness derived from
former political relations IA tie which never fails 10
create the warmesi sympathies-and with even but
very limited personal acquaintance among you, you
have yet been pleased 10 manifest towards me the
cordial interest Of old constituents and friends Oc
cupying the unambiious station of private citizen,
without the glare or consequence OF public office,
! joying none even of that adventurous influence
which systematic connection with party ever gives
TO individuals bit standing upon the humble merit
| alone for whatsoever they may have been intrnsi-
cally worth, OF past efforts in the OF the
try, you have yet Notwithstanding these unatraclve
4 circumstances, sought me out in the obscury of my
lretreat, and made me the object Of this public and
1 fluering demonstration Of your confidence and re-
/ gard. Nothing but the magnanimous sentiments,
| which animate the bosom Of free people, could
have led 10 this generous procedure your part.
| You saw me, gentlemen, for consistent adherence
to principle deaonnecd apostate-tor faithful
representation of the sentiments and an honest en-
deavor TO execute the will of my constituents sig
matiSed as haitor-and for refusing TO put off old
and to assume the livery of new professions and doc
trines, at the arbitrary bidding OF power and OF party,
you saw me attempted to be branded turn. coal
and deserter and moved by the spectacle of injus-
lice exhibited in these revolving accusations you
have fearlessly in the integrity OF your hearts, come
forward TO cheer me by the assurances OF your APP
i nd / hpu IN he al
/ gentlemen, that | appreciate this noble conduct of
yours as ought to do-tha, value this testimony
of your good opinion as ever prize the unbought
and spontaneous voice OF virtuous and intelligent
| peope--and that | accept IT, with sensibility and
pride, ample set off TO all the fierce dsnunca-
lions of party resentment with which | have been
| pursued.
l have called on my accusers fellow-ciiizens, to
! say wherein have offended what heihous sin have
| committed, Of what crime against the liberties and
happiness OF my country have b.en guilty, that
Have abandoned any principle Of the old Republi-
can creed of Virginia, which il has ever been my
pride 10 profess and TO make the guide Of my politi
cal conduct ldesire nothing more than to be jndg-
ed by the recognized principles of that creed Have
become the advocate Of lalitudinous construction
Eof the Constitutional National Bank-of pro-
tective tarif-of system of Internal Improvements
by the General Government No man can or will
assert it, In all these respects challenge the strict
est comparison OF my acts and opinions with those
even OF the most orthodox in power Have be-
i mlSTeDreSented
her sentiments and opinions, on any Of the great
questions OF national policy, in which, as Of her
| Representatives have been called TO take part /?
! No, fellow-citizens, no. II is my refusal on the
contrary, TO offer up what considered your highest
interests, as a sacrifice the altar OF party, that
constitutes my great offence and yet TO see the
candid man of any party who will not promptly ad-
NIT that, in my opposition to the financial policy of
the Administration and its associated projects have
faithfully reflected the actual opinions Of decided
majority OF the people Of Virginia.
Have violated any pledge, or failed to fulfil any
just and reasonable expectation to my coursea
And here, fellow-citizens, you will excuse me for
besowing very brief notice a miserable attempt
which has been made, by sheer Justification of the
record to hold me up as advocating in speech
which made on the removal of the depostes in ia
nuary, 1884, an exclusive metallic currency, and
pledging myself TO bring forward scheme Of that
SORT Let the speech, in its unmutated text answer
for itself viii tell you, feow.ctizens, what said
and what afterwards did and then you will Judge
whether have renounced any opinion, failed in
the redemption of any pledge. | was combating on
the occasion referred To, the old argument that
Bank Of the United States was necessary, as regu.
alor, to preserve the soundness Of the currency and
! expressed The opinion, in the words which follow,
that whatever influence such institution may be
supposed to exert in preserving the soundness OF the
currency, that object would be much more efecually
promoted by return, STAR practicable, to me-
tallic circulation" Now, feow-citizens, you will
believe It, that certain newspaper writers whose pro-
ductions were much lauded and plazoned forth by
The party press on the Of the late elections lin
their inscriptions eagerness to convict me of some
appearance of Inconsistency while protesting to
quote literally with the usual accompaniment of in
vened commas, the above extract from my speech
actually suppressed the important qualifying phrase
as far as practicable" 10 make il appear that
had advocated an absolute return to exclusive me-
| tallic currency. But gentlemen, this is not all. In
the same paragraph of my speech, and Immediately
after the passage above quoted proceeded 10 define
exactly what meant by a return as far as pract-
cable, TO metallic circulation" said the first step
in The process of reform contemplated was to let
the Bank Of the United States go down"-the next
was Ito correct the differentiation of the gold coins
at the mn"-and the last and certainly not the least
was ITO take measures to discourage and suppress
the circulation of bank notes under the denomina-
ton OF ten tacenty dollars" Of which the effect
would be to supply the "ordiaary channels Of crcu
laton with gold and silver" When by means Of
the previous suppression tank nots under The demo-
npination of ten trenty doars the ordinary chan
| nels of circulation should be supplied with gold and
silver, added the Government would then (but GER
tainiy not til hcn,) be prepared without hardship
the public debtor require the payment Of its dues
in specie" distinctly indicated the suppression Of
bank notes under ten or twenty dollars the limit
Of the RETURN as far practicable, to metallic
| circulation" which contemplated, and the previous
accomplishment of that suppression as the indispen
sable condition precedent of any attempt the part
OF the Government 10 require the payment Of its dues
in Specie.s And yet the whole of this explanatory
and qualifying matter has been carefully omitted, in
. Both Of these important limitations were distinctly
reiterated and fully developed by in speech which
made professedy on the q Currency and tho Collection
of the public Revenue" (being support Of PROPOSE
ton had offered relating those subecs,) in the Sc
nate Of the United States on the 10Th January, 1897
eight months before the hard money sub.,reasury pro-
ject broached by the President 10 that Speech it
will be seen, declared in exprex terms that any
attempt by the Government To collect its 10
specie alone, before previous suppression Of the small
Ter notes. under twenty doars) had taken place, would
be attended Nth great hardship to The public debtor,