Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1839-10-31
..N.nu,mG. ocroBE. 81, 1879.
THE BANKS.

suTed terms. Let them be punIshfd iof then us
honesly--et them meet with an indy rebuke
from The people. sucl honesty should give TO Ie
gaIized fraud aud swinding; and IL calls upon the
people 10 i" let Their delegates in the next Legisla-
nre know tha, there must be reformation deStruc-
Gon." Similar sentiments expressed by the Fin
castle Democrat, and indeed may say by the Loco
Foeo press generally.
let us look into his matter a little. Is i, not
gross abuse Of language 10 denounce Banks, which
able to pay 10 the last farthng all they owe, as
dishonest, Fraudulent. Saondiiag concerns, because
circumstances perhaps over which they have no con-
irol, compel ihemlo suspend payments inspecie? II
the editors ofthese denunoiaory prints hem
selves called upon pay their debts in specie, could
lhey do it, if the Banks should cash all The mites
IN their possession Perhaps they might, because,
for aught We know, they may nothing-bul
there are thousands Of others who owe large sums,
for which ihey have given ieir pton'issory notes,
who. they called pay in specie,-and
specie is the ouly ieeat tender for them as well as
for the Bank, would be compelled TO suspend"
But they rognes aud swindlefs for this Sup
pose they have lands, and the notes of other solvent
individuals, and other property, not only amply sufi
ocnI 10 meet their engagements, bur to leave large
surplus on hand. with What show Of justice could
they be held up as fraudulent banhrupts d! Yet,
precisely in this condition are the Banks, which
thus depicted by simpletons and demagogues-sim-
pletons ifhey do not know tie true Of the case
demagogues If they do.
Agan--lhe Banks creditors well as debto,s.
lfthey the holders Of their pfomissory notes, so,
the other hand, they hold the promissory notes
of individuals. II hey are legally bound 10 redeem
their in specie, they have legal right de-
nand their debts in the medium. II they are
compelled by law 10 resume specie payments, or to
wind up theirallairs, the same rlgor which is prac
Used towards them, they in turn, will be compelled
10 practice towards their debtors lfhe OF flesh
is cut ftomtheir heart, they muslin selt-deence,
act The like penalty from those who owe them And
who does owe lhem' Perhaps a, b aud c may
each say, II do not" Stop, my good sir do not
answer too quickly. If YOU do not them, per.
haps you do owe d, E aud +, & they &, II and
X, and so on, throughout the alphabet, 10 X, and
Il, who do owe the Banks Compel the Banks to
pay their debts in specie, and they must call upon
y, and Il and they in their Turn, must call upon
their debtors aud 50 on Throughout every rank and
gradallon OF society. The shock which touches the
merchant first, must necessarily reach to the fduhest
link fthe electric chain by which every man ia
sucieiy is bound 10 his fellow Lei the blow he given.
and they who now most iuiously demand the deS-
truction ofihe Banks, the adoption towards them
OF measures Of severe and rigorous eviction will be
the FIRST invoke the Legislature save them from
the consequences Of heir own nconsideratc rashness
One word more. 1t seems to be the
remarkable instance Of the violation of the prrpri-
4 IL, ,I,o
nounce the Banks swindlcrs. should retain, at
the head OF their editorial columns, the name of Dr.
John Brookenbroueh, the President and the CON
trolling genius of one of these fraudulent and swnd
ling institutions, the Democratic candidate Tor
Governor. These gentlemen must certainly enter
tain novel ideas Of Bank Do they imagine that
it is self moving machine and Tia, its Presidents
and Directors ale the mere puppets OF the invisible
machinery by which it is worked We beg them
to be assured that they entirely mistaken, fsuch
really be their conception OF a Bank. And yet can
it be otherwise, when they denounce a Bank as a
dishonest, roguish thing, and propose ut the same
time to elevate lis President to the Chief Magistra
cy Of the Slate II the Banks he justly chargeable
with fraud aud sv udllng, The inference is inevitable
/ that those who manage them rogues and
/ drels. II cannot be otherwise. Are the Valley
/ Star the Fincaslle Democrat. and others, prepared
to take this high ground. and 10 apply these foul
ephcts to their democratic candidate for the State
Executive IL they say no, as we are sure they
will, then we tell them that their epthets words
without meaning-lhe coinage ofdstempered brains
and windy stomachs"--the borrowed terms of fac
ton, caught up, they used originally. with
out the slightest nowledge Of regard for their
import. and used solely excite popular prejudice
and to operate in favor Of a political party. We
beg these editors to ask themselves whether they
would dare TO apply the Presidents and Directors
of the Banks in Virginia. most Of whom AT least they
know TO be gentlemen, who would dlsdain, equally
with themselves, dishonest actiou--if they would
dare TO apply to these gentlemen personally the
epithetS with which. when losing sight Of them as
individuals. and thinking only of The Banks they
garnish their crude eonceits :! And yet these gen
iIcmen are, in fact and in essence The Banks. They
contract AID they expand-hey open aud they close
Their yaults-upon their votes hang all the great
questions which ever and anon agitale the commu-
my upon this subject. They the soul (ifa
Bank have soul, which is a mooed poni) of these
corporate bodies. Ard # they are individually hon
est, how can. they be collectively dishonest! One
might imagine from the denunc atious of the Banks
which are ever on The tongues cf ignorance and pre-
JUDGE, especially when they are stimulated AID
qu'ekoned by party spirit, that Bank is some nigh
! ~ Phantom just as in The picture books of chill