Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-04-17

l fft1HG q u gpVh ~ AACaa4 VI tIDHb ~ fhtIbHtH
for such information as may lead TO the develop
ment Of their guilt-that, unless a specific act Of
corruption or crime be charged Ii 10 I" Illegal and
unconstitutional TO call for information: and that
il 10 the duty VI the Executive officers, If thus called
upon, TO repel all such attempts as an invasion Of
the principles Of justice, a. we'll as Of the Cons,itu.
ton" Is this the Republican doctrine Of Jeffer-
son and Msdisonl Is IL not, on the other hand,
entirely Inconsistent with the principles and pIacti-
ces OF the Republican party, at all times; ono OF
the fundamental articles Of It's creed being, the
" rigid Accountability Of public officers" Ia not
this accountability merely nominal, If abuses sup
posed TO exist, are TO be specifically designated, be
fore the office. are examined, in which alone the
viiepce OF these abuses 10 to be found1 Every
official delinquent, it's apparent, whom the Execu-
tive may desire to screen, will, under such q re-
s~triction upon tho right Of enquiry, escape with inn
Pnnity-for IN what manner can q specific charge
Of guilt be made. prior to that scrutiny which
is necessary to ascertain the fact Of its exist
encef
Ola kindred character is the complaint Of Presi.
dent Van Buren,, in bis last Message TO Congress,
that the Post Master General had been compelled,
'by the common law writ OF mandamus," which he
admits is applicable to all other citizens to COM
rly with the judgement Of the Circuit Court Of the
District Of Columbia, founded upon an award of
the Solicitor General, nlade in compliance with On
act OF Congress, and his recommendation that q
law be passed exemptiDg hereafter the Executive
Officers from the operation Of this process. This
incident is adyer-d to, not for the purpose of com
meniing upon tho merits Of at particular case,
but with the view Of drawing public attention to
he striking and important fact, that the direct
tendency of the principles avowed by the present
and preceding Administration. is TO dlyest the Ex-
eculiye officer. of all actual responsibility to The
Courts as well as to The People, and to rsiso up a
privileged class in the community, dependent upon
and accountable TO the President alone.
Another incident to which public attention is in
yited, involves principles 4 stll greater magnitude.
Ia his Message to Congress, at tie Extra Session,
in September 1887, Mr.. Van Buren,, for the ex-
press purpo'e OF correcting the evils of a disorder
ed currency, (tbougii il is understood, from other
papers from his pen, that hs expressly denies to
Congress all right, under the Constitution, to lcgis-
late upon this subject recommended tie sdop-
ton OF a " Uniform law concerning bankruptcies of
corporations end other bankers'-whicb, had it
been concurred in by Congress, would have armed
the General Government with power as far trans
eending that conferred by the incorporation Of
National Bank, under its exclusive control, MS the
capitals and influence oftbe State Banks, consoli-
da'ed into one. may be presumed to exceed the cap
ttal and influence ofs National Institution. Such
a law would have subjected the whole banking
systsm OF the States to tho supervision and control
OF the Federal Government-a power which capri
ciously and arbitrarily exercised, as it would be by
corrupt ard ambitious Pre- ident, might, and /, all
probability would lead to the mos, calamitous con-
sequences. And in addition to this monstrous nc-
cumulation of power in the hands Of the Central
Government, to be welded, according to the preya-
lent dogma of the day, at the discretion Of the Ex-
ecutiv-, il obviously aims n blow, not only ut the
dignity but AT the sovereignty of the States, TO
which these Banks are indebted for their existence,
and to which, tfieretofe, they are, by every fair and
safe principle OF constitutional construction, erclu.
'iveiy amenoble for my perversion or abuse of
their chartered rights! 1t isa remarkable fact, in
connection with this Unprecedented attempt, on the
part OF the Administration, to enlarge the sphere
1T its powsrs by the mos, laiitudinous construction
OF the Constitution ever claimed, even by the most
ardent disciple of The Hamiitonian school Of FEEDER
alism, TINT President Van Buren,, while a Senator
from the State of New York, in the year 1927,
himself opposed the introduction of this principle
into the Bankrupt Bill, then pending before Con-
gress, because (he said) "R .oas a direct violation
Of The Constitu,on," and because, even If il did
not infringe that Instrument, IL pouM be an OUT
rage ufon the rights Of the States7 To what
influences are we to ascrbe this marked change of
opinion upon n great constitutional question, in
voiving the absolute control Of the Union, and ma
king a direct attack upon the sovereignty of the
States, ata point in which it is most vulnerable
why did Mr.. VIM Buren, uni in 1887. the
enactment of a law to which. in 1927, he opposed
these formidable and vital objections1 To what
else can II be ascribed, but to that fixed and irwin
chile purpose, cvinced by so many acts and upon 30
many occasions, by himselfand his Z" iliustriou. pro-
deoefsor," 10 enlarge the sphere of Federal nu-
thor,ty, and to clothe with more than monarchical
power The Federal Executivsf And it i. a pcli
tician whose opinions are thus loose and mutsble,
that tho people OF Virginia are called upon to cup
port as the advocate OF n literal construction Of the
Contributions the defender Of State Riehts-as
the champion ofthe principles embodi ed 'in Tay-
lor's Resolutions and Madi,on's Report"
But We sre gravely informed that Mr.. Van Blu.
rem is opposed to n National Bank, To Internal I'm
provements by the General Government and to
the IaIif-and that his hostility to these measures,
gives him an irresistible claim to the confidence
and sutft ages Of The people of Virginia. These, fell
low citizens, ate the stereotyped phrases by which
cunning lacticians hope to deceive and mislead
you Allcandid men, of all parties. admit that they
have ceased to be practical questions. All idea
of charterins a National Bank, has been relinouish.
cd by its former most ~ssnguine advocates, ms unne-
cessnry and inexpedient in the present and proba-
BILE future monetary condition of the country; the
necessity OF Internal improvements by the Gener-
al government has been entirely superseded by the
energetic application of the resources of the sever.
al States to TINT object; and The Tariff ia settled BY
tho terms OF tho Compromise Act of 1888. usles,
"''"ftoe "PeHed JOr PonHcdI purposes by those
rcho Ggeette dread The re-ests5hshment Of hiph
protectirs duties. These duties, indeed, are no
longer necessary, the stability ofour manufacturin.
embellishments enabling them to maintain a compe,
tion with foreign fabrics without a resort to this
e.traneous suPport-a support which, huc,uating
with the alternate rise and fall of parties, i. far
from being desirable, even were il any longer es.
sential-for, with that branch Of national industry
AS with every orher, stability Of legislation ia far
more important than temporary advantages, of
which they may, when least expected, and when
their withdrawal nigh, operate most disa.tronslv.
he deprived BY the result of an annual elec.
ton.
II The policy of re-charrering a National Bank
however, were yet an open question, what eusran.
tee have Ne in MIR. Van Bmen's past polite al his.
tory that he would oppose it's Incorporation, if he
found 1t e<pedient TO sanction III 1t i. impossible
that he can be more decidedly opposed toa Nation
al Bank now than he was to the Sub. Treasurv Sys.
Tern in 1894; and yet We now 6ud him sdyocatins