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

r,
extent, renewed that connection. Ru.
mors of this sort could not fail to awaken
high degree Of anxiety, as well as sur
prise in the public mind. When the
| 'seven years war" which had been pros
secuted by the party in power to put
down, and keep down. this institution,
was recollected; when the constant and
ldNN denunciations directed against it by
| the Administration and its friends were
still ringing in the ears Of the People,
| they were slow to believe that SO sudden
and extraordinary change of position
could have taken place on the part f;he
Government.
1t was true that the Bank OF the Uni,
ted States now held its charter under the
authority Of the State of PENNSYLVANIA,
and not of the United States. But tins
circumstance. according 10 the declared
! opinions Of the Administration aud all
| its present prominent supporters, had not
changed the essential character of the
institution, or lessened its dangers to the
country. The head Of the Administra-
ton himself took an early occasion, af-
! ter the recharter of the bank by the
State ofPennsy lvania 10 letter address.
scd to an assemblage of his fellow citi>
zens called together to celebrate ",he
emancipation of the country from the
thraIdom Of the bank" to declare that
this institution, under lis State charter,
',oas still the same po,cer fighting under
the same pancply. and only carrying the
manner Of its approach" The Senator
from Pennsylvania. (Mr. BUcnANAN.) |
need not say one oithe most distinguish
ed champions of the Administration,
had also addressed letter to his fellow,
citizens, in which he eloquently and
forcibly denounced "the Bank Of the
United States as rechartered by his own
State" He pronounced it to be "lhe
very same monopoly which had hereto
fore convulsed the country, with the
same :apital of $50, 000. 600, owned by
the same stock holders, Except the Uni
ted States and guided by the same con-
| trolling wilp'-"the same monster bank
recalled into existence by the Legislature
| of Pepnsylvani but with powers and
privileges greater and more dangerous
than those which had been conferred on
it by Congress" The Senator from
South Carolina, (Mr. CALHoUN,) now a
leading supporter OF the financial poll
cy, at least, of the Administration had
also signalized his zealin the same cause.
We all recollect the alarm he manifes-
ted both during the extra session and
the late annual session Of Congress. lest
this dreaded institution should re-posess
itself Of the Government deposites; and
that he declared he should consider
such an event as one of the deepest dis
graces as well ss direst calamities, which
could fail upon the country 1t was
but the other day we saw published
letter of the Senator from Missouri, Mr.
BENToN,) in which, speaking of the
| present Bank Of the United States, he
declares, in his emphatic phraseology,
we know it is more wicked, and we
have the authority OF its president that
it is more powerful than ever
With these accumulated maledictions
of the Administration and all its leading
supporters Oh the present as well as for
mer Bank ofthe United States, after the
solemn and constantly repeated decla>
rations of uneompromising hostility to
it, it was hard to believe, without the
most unequivocal proofs, that the Ad-
ministration could have entered into d.
ny connexiop with so denounced and
dreaded an institution. Notwithstand
ing, therefore, the developments which,
from time to time, gave an increasing
probability to the rumors of this con-
nexion. the public mind was still incred-
ulous, and awaited with anxiety the
further disclosure of facts. In this state
of things, Congress assembled. and ev-
cry body looked with confidence to the
annual report Of the Secretary of the
Treasury to clear up all mystery on a
subject which had attracted SO much of
the public attention, and " hich deeply
concerned the character of the Govern
ment as well as the interests of the
) People. But, instead of information,
there seemed to be a studied reserve and
ambiguity, and almost total silence in
the Secretary's report OH the whole sub
Ject. Although he had been charged
by an act Of Congress with a special
trust, to sell the bonds of the bank held
: by the United States, and nothing seem.
ed, therefore, both more natural and
proper than that he should render tc
Congress an explicit account of the man
ner in which he had executed tina
trust, yet all that he says Of the slight
est Importance on that subject is com
: pretended in this single oracu!ar line -
: The sale OF one of the bonds becom
, ing expedient, it was effected within
/ q L rnit nj, 81,