The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-08-07
POLITICS of THE DAY. !
FSom the Riehmond Wing.
To As Editor eflhf Riehmond Emqnirsr- I'LL.

nc C0nstrnefion Construed IN editorial address
commencing the preceding works Of lis distinguished
author John Taylor, OF Caroline, you say They have
all one trait, without which genius exists not The
man who Hrifss them tares 10 think for hmseE" How
miserably does this noble, this manly this patriotic
this republican sentiment which you uttered in 1920
contrast with your practice IN 1897 The man who
dared 10 think for himself then was the subject OF your
highest commendatun but the man who nolc dares TO
think Tor himself and to practice what he thinks is the
subject Of your most bitter hatred. unremitled pursuit.
and reckless persecution. How the mighty fallen
How the noble, the manly, the patriotic spirit dc.
generated! propose. briefly 10 examine the grounds
Of your complaint against Mr.. Rives, with view to
exhibit their utter fuliy, and their insucicncy to az
ford plausible pretext for the most extraordinary
and unJustihable course, which, the conductor of
public press. you have pursued towards him, and to
prove that his rhois cenee consists ia attempting 10
make teetue resistance To principles and measures
TO which yon YOURSELF " your declarations are 10
be credited, are decidedly opposed.
The first part Of Mr.. R,ves' conduct which excited
your patriotic ire, and drew upon him few distant
muiterings Of your editorial thunder, the speech
which he delivered the resolutions which he offered
calling for information from the Treasury Department.
relation the extraordinary transactions WHICH had
taken place between that Department and the Bank Of
the United States You did not, well as recollect
condemn the call Justify the but YOU con-
tented yourself simply with reprobang the time when,
aud The temper with which that speech delivered
Il was not gentle, so moderate you could have
desired-While exposed the error, il did abound
with loud aud reiterated professions Of loyalty to the
men Of the administration who had perpetrated il 1t
too much IN the spirit Of ,pho dared 10 think
for himself Yotr principal complaint was, that Mr.
Rives did not wait until the to his resolutions
came in, to see whether the facts justified the nle
rences which.he had drawn and merited the reproba
ton which he uttered This is all very plausible, End
would have heen very proper, If II had not been hat
there were already sufficient number Of prominent
facts exposed to justify every ihiag that Mr. kvcs
said upon that occasion. What were those prominent
facts! On the 10Th Of December 1888, shortly after
the opening Of the last session Of Congress, Mr. Bid
die through the public press addressed 10 the Hon.
John Quincy Adams letter containing the following
striking paragraphs. During these movements, (spak-
ing OF the efforts TO resume specie payments by the
banks) became important to understand distinctly, the
course OF the Government Ia my letter 10 you ofhe
9th OF April last stated my conviction that ltero
could be no safe or permanent resumption Of specie
payments by the banks until the policy Of the Govern
neni could be changed This change ,ras soon hap
PLY made. On the Both Of May, the specie circular.
requiring payments IN coin in the land Offices wa, 70.
pealed by Congress, On the 25th Of June, the bill
called the Sub Treasury, requiring coin in aspaynens
to the Government, was negativcd. In the monh OF
July the Government agreed to receive an anticipated
payment OF the bonds Of the Bank to the amount be-
| tween four and fire millions Of dollars a credit 10
The Treasurer on the books Of The Bank, and anange-
ments made for the distant public dsbIrse-
men,s in the notes Of the Bank These arrangements,
honorable 10 The Erceuiipc officers they bene-
fetal TO the public service, brought the Government
into efficient cooperation for the re establishment Of the
currency, and opened the way to resumption OF sfece
payments" This statement was corroborated By the
annual report Of the Secretary Of tho Treasury in which
he states that there deposte, in the Bank o. the
United States OF Pennsylvania on the LIST OF Deem
bcr 1888, Sl,73S,4 SS SO. Now, sir, take the hcs
| stated by Mr. Bidde, the President OF the Bank ~
connexion with the Secrelsrys report and who that IS
| fha
docs not see ample cause to justify every thing that
Mr. Rives said in reference to this transaction Have
you forgotten that this is the Bank OF the United
States from which the deposites of the public money
were recently removed, in manner that convused
this whole nation! Have you forgotten, sir that this
administration came into power, the uncompromsng
enemy OF this or any other National Bank! Have you
forgotten sir, the anathemas which were poured out
upon the Legislature Of Pennsylvania, for chartering
this very Bank by the President and many Of his lead
ing friends Have you forgotten the declarations OF the
President, and many Of his leading friends, that this
very Bank, under the Pennsylvania charter, more
powerful and more dangerous than il had been And,
sir last, but not least, have you forgotten your own
| anathemas and denunciatons agans, this same Bank
| Of the United States! II you have, | would most re
spectfully recommend you to to the columns
the Enquirer for the last FIVE years, to refresh your
memory But above all, sir, have You forgotten that
the most prominent objection OF your new and much
appreciated ally, John G. Calhoun to Mr.. Rives plan
OIL State Dank DepOSHe Sysefn, was, tnat Nciy
| Bank would become the principal fiscal agent OF the
Government! Now, sir with all these facts staring
you full in the face with what decent regard to justice
and TO truth you object to Mr.. Rves' course upon
this occasion Who that done which the whole
Republican Party had SO much deprecated But there
is another prominent fact connected with this ransac-
ton which deserves the most serious consideration IN
estimating the propreiy of Mr. Rives course, and that
is the extraordinary change Of Mr. Bddles tone towards
the Executive, and the sudden cessation Of the most
bitter and unrelenting hostility between him ana the
present executive officers Take all the circumstances
together, and Mr.. Rves' conduct will stand not only
excused but justified by every genuine republican ana
true hearted patriot who bestows upon calm, DIS
passionate and impartial consideration. II was
transaction well calculated to surprise and asound him.
Now, sir in the Of injured innocence and perse-
cuted patriotism, call upon you TO expose sentence,
line or word in that speech which is Incompatible
with that respect due to the Chief Magistrate OF the
Nation, and that dignity and decorum which should al
ways characterize parliamentary debates. Mr. hiVes
may be in error his views OF the transactions may
not have been correct; but believing as he did, VIII
YOU point out the American people what was said,
| which you regard gratuifons and uncaAed Tor by
| the occasion.
But, sir to Justify your wanton and unfounded as
saut upon Mr. Rives for his upon this occasion,
you have avaled yourself Of remark Of Mr. Webster,
approving this the part Of the Executive
Now, sir how long have Mr. Webster's opinions been
authority with you How long since you have thought
that the opinions Of decided and uniform Hartford
Convention Fedelist of sufficient weight to con-
denim those Of a decided and undertaking Republican!
Has not Mr. Webster been uniformly the advocate Of
National Bank, and Of this Bank particularly? Would
he not now vote recharer this Bank, il the proposal
was made This he has often avowed Can you not then
perceive that there great proprey in his approving
this incpicnt stage Of more extended and more m-
portant fiscal connection between the Executive and
this his fapoyitc Bank You must be blind, indeed If
you cannot and yet sir you seize upon the approba-
4 ton Of this man to condemn Mr.. Rves, for his manly
Ieprobaon Of this most extraordinary transacto =
But sir, while you condemn the temper with which
Mr. Rves acted upon this occasion, will you SO far