The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-01-01

Tor their beggarly piitance ofexecutive patron
age, every where rushing at Mr.. Riyes at the
hrst intmaiion Of such license, from the
Globe office, without even stopping TO inquire
what it is all for or knowing what Mr.. Rives
has done. We venture to assert that had some
presses we might mention, been asked TO ex-
plain truly the nature Of the offence for which
they have denounced Mr.. Rives personally,
they could give no other answer but that they
are bound by their conditions Of patronage to
echo the Globe. Mr.. Riyes has not changed
his position, If principle is any criterion. He
has pursued straightforward and undertaking
course. He iorewnrned Mr.. Van Buren, of
the consequences Of the policy he has en-
braced, year since and indeed at the first
indications Of the approach Of Loco-lccoism
in the u. 8. Senate in 1886, he took precisely
the ground he occupies at this moment. We
know personally, that Mr.. Van Buren, himself
has acquitted him of all suspicion Of incon-
sistency on this subject. 1t was not possible
for Mr. Rves, in the nature OF things, in urg-
ing his own long cherished and well known
principles, derived from the earliest moments
Of his life from the very lips Of Jefferson and
Madison, to avoid collision with measures
and doctrines of directly contrary nature, by
whomsoever advocated. Nor would he avoid
a controversy against such doctrines, although
they should be urged by his best friends. He
would be recreant to his own conscience, and
a faithless representative Of Republican Virgi-
MIA were he to do so.
The Report Of the Secretary of the Trea-
sury in answer to Mr. Rives resolutions, is a
complete admission of all the facts supposed
to exist, as to the arrangements of the Treas
ury with the U. S. Bank. the assinine
commentary of the Globe to the contrary
Notwithstanding. We shall speak to that re-
port, more particularly, hereafter, contenting
ourself, for the present, with notice of the
vile attack upon Mr.. Rives, in the Globe of
Friday night.
The Globe POUNDS its assault, principally,
upon the pretence that "the Secretary Of the
.
conformity to an act of Congress" We deny
this. The act of Congress was not conformed
to. 1t was expressly violated, although the
President is bound by his oath to see the laws
faithfully executed How is it! The act re-
CURED the sale to be made for " money in
hand" The Secretary admits that the sale
was not made for money in hand. 1t was sold
upon certain conditions Of indulgence-the
proceeds passed to the credit Of the Treasu-
rer on the books of the Bank, to be drawn for
periodically as the convenience of the Bank
would admit. And this is the arrangement
Mr.. Biddle declared in his letter, to be highly
honorable to the Executive officers. But how
did the Secretary seek to evade the RESPONSE
bility of these facts' Why he reports, in the
first place, the proceeds are left in the Bank
as Especial deposits" In his second and err
planatory report, he says, the proceeds were
left in the Bank, at the special credit of the
Treasurer on It's books. This is, false
phrase. If the credit is in the name of the
Treasurer at all, it cannot be otherwise than
special-and it must be to the Treasurer.
Weak invention to gloss over a down right and
Intentional misstatement! The Secretary has
involved himself in flat contradiction.
The Globe says:
He EMr Rivesl and his friends had Joined the op-
position in squanderng the public money in
appropriations beyond the Department estimates and in
scattering the thirty millions among the States and State
Banks by the distribution Bill
The Globe knows all this to be falsehood
fabricated out of whole cloth The mere
statement Of the we'll known fact that for the
last several years, the administration has had
majorities in both Houses of Congress, is suf-
ficient to refute it-they have had their own
committees-reported their own bills, and
voted their own appropriations. We defy the
Globe to point to single instance in which
Mr.. Rives "joined the opposition in squander-
ing the public money" The truth is, no APP
preparation has been passed, no money squan-
dered, which tho administration itself has not
instigated and controlled. But the most grace
less charge is that Of his "joining the oppo-
si.ion to scatter thirty millions" by the distri-
button bill. Every body, who knows any
thing about it, knows that General Jackson
recommended that measure when he first
came into office-that it was driven through
Congress as all Executive measures are driven
through,by the party lash;was npprouedby Gen.
Jackson himself, and claimed by the Globeit-
self as a democratic measure! Mr.. Benton,
we admit, proposed to relieve the Treasury Of