Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1839-01-10

by the report of another and another. ALI
most every rack and profession Of life has
been Invaded by, and yielded tn, the "temp.
ta'inns' al this corrup,ing system. Even
here, under the very eyes OF the Govern.
ment, the shrine OF the national honor, the
Army, has not been able To resist the intcc.
ton. refer with pain To- those things hui
they have become part Of the public history
~ The times, and it is in vain to attempt To
,hrow veil over them. The robes of the
law u profession which the most profound
and sagac.ous OF all the foreign observers of
our institutions has pronounced 10 be the
real arist"cracy Of the country have been
soi'ed hy the pollution. The peace and hon-
"r OF families, rs well as the pride of the
nation. have been dragged down to the dust
oY th's system oil overwhelming Temptation
aud corruption, while the public treasure
has been whnionly dissipaled aud wasted by
u. Deeply humilatlng as these occurren-
ces arc 10 the national rride, yet look up
nn Them as providen,ial asimontions, in.
Tended to save us from the thorough adop-
'icn ct system which, ! verify believe,
would spread more general decentralization
ana corruption through The land than any
| which the arch enemy of man could devise
II is not surely in such "rccemt euents" as
| these that the President can find any recon-.
incubation OF the sub>'Treasury scheme,
which he again proposes to Congress. No,
sir; he assured that whatever pariu may
elect here, these same "recent events" have
forever sealed the fate OF this system with n
vistuous and enlightened People.
! why, then, ia ii again recommended and
urged upon us' Is it as a rallyiag cry Of
party: Is il 10 drive through a party fri-
umPh, fatal, az firmly believe such iris
umph would he in the end tn those who a
n Al Il -
no circumstances OF national exigcncy, mp
pealing Ia the dormant, but hnpe not We,
exlinguished spirit of patriotism, in which
we can rise superior 10 this fatal bondage of
party, and acl Tor our country? Can we not
now that the tnrnished honor and di,apidaie ed
interests OF the nation call upon us to close
up every avenue oi corruption and abuse
can We not devote this short session, al least,
| 10 the pressing wants of the country, out Of
Inc many we have given up To The interests
and conflicts OF party: Ii we could do so,
nothing would he easier, in my opinion than
To settle finally and satisfactorily this erea,
financial question which has hitherto so niue h
/ divided and agi,ated us. The circumstances
OF the moment are unusually propi,Iuu. -
HE scheme of a national bank is now, and
, trust finally, abandoned. The late happy
ana successful restoration OF sound curren-
f., cy by the Stale Banks, without the aid Of
such an institution, has produced general
conviction that il can no longer be maintain
} ed on that ground of necessity, on which a.
lone lis advocates have heretofore rested it,
The sub Treasury scheme should, in my
humble Judgment, be considered equally out
OF the question. II has over and aver again
been rejected by The Representatives oil The
People, and the People themselves have ra-
tilted the Judgment of their Representatives.
Recent events" proclaim its condemnation
m still louder voice. What, then, remains?
No other alternative than the use of the State
banks Let this be adopted as the general
principle, as j, seems to me il ought 10 he by
sill parties, in the present altitude OF things
and after the decisive expressions Of public
opinion which have taken piice and there
would then be but little difficulty in solving
The subordinate questions as 10 the manner of
using them, never losing sight, however, of
the cardinal republican maxim tina, that u se
must be regulated by LAW, and not aban
doned TO EXECUTIVE DISCRETION.