The Madisonian., 1840-02-25

''irom whose Legislation" he says "these evils
have sprung," 10 s'apply the remedy and
especially 10 enforce ian intleribie execution
Of the laws 'aganst Banks which may have
suspended specie payments, or in other words
rgdy 10 exact a forfeiture Of their charters
After these imprecations on the State Banks,
he araigns the State Legislatures for "ph.ng-
ing their respective States into embarrass-
nent and debt,' telling them that ''our people
will not long be insensible to the ertent ofhe
burihens entaled upon them and holds up
the States to the view Of the world, for their
extravaganza and improvidence, IN such
manner as cannot fail seriously to prejudice
their credit, whatever be their resources So
vehement is his horror Of the credit system,
that he seems to view with instructive aver
sion every thing'which II may have assisted to
create, and proceeds to denounce those noble
and most useful State improvements, which
have caused the recent wilderness Of Amerl-
ca to "blossom as the rose," as "splendid but
in many instances pro6tless railroads and ca
nails, absorbing the fruits of national industry
for years to come, and securing to posterity
no adequate return" After this onslaught on
the policy Of the States, and their institutions
and establishments, he summons up the spirits
and enkindIes the zeal OF his followers for the
work of demolition before them, by the war
| cries of monopoly" 'privileged associa-
tions." "parta lcgislaton," and tells them
that the abuses which they have the power
peaceably to remedy are such as have else
where caused the e6itsion Of ripers Of blood,
and the sacrifice Of thousands Of the human
race" but that he 'shopes they will carry
through the reform which has been so wed
begun" Submitting TO temporary sacrif ifaes
hoceper great, to ensure their permanent wei
fare"
Upon what new conception Of the powers
and duties Of Chief Magistrate of the Union,
the President has felt himself authorized thns
to interfere with the domestic concerns of the
States, and TO arraign, lecture, and dictate to
them in regard to matters belonging TO their
exclusive jurisdiction. ian interference which
seems to me to be consolidation in its worst
form, and il submitted to in this instance
would be a precedent jusiiying an in,erc-
renee with any other, even the most delicate Of
all the domestic institutions OF the Slates,)
know not But no rejecting or sober minded
man can fail to perceive, for an instant, the
widespread rum which would ensue to the
whole country, il this war upon its industrious
pursuits and It's established policy and Instr
tutions shall continue to be prosecuted, in the
destructive and ianatlcal spirit which the Pre-
sident encourages, If he has not infused, into
his followers. Great as are the sacrifceS,2
which he himself anticipates, they bid def
ance even to his powers of description. Let
those Institutions which supply the currency
and contribute in so large degree to uphold
the credit of the States, be annhiaed-Let
those noble State improvements, which giye
value to the products Of Agriculture, and HE
and animation to industry, in creating and
opening a way to profitable markets, be aban-
doned and suffered TO become "an heap Of
stones,"-let the value Of every description Of
labor and property be brought down TO the
standard Of an exclusive hard money curren-
cy,-and the imagination may conceive, but
no pen can adequately portray the general
scene Of desolation and distress which will
follow. To my mind, the most appropriate
type of it is presented in the ravages of Attila,
III the fifth century, over the face Of the iairest
portion OF Europe. 1t was the boast OF that
celebrated chieftan, "thai the grass nerer
grec upon any spot trhere has horse had trod;'
and il the destructive doctrines of the Presl-
dent shall be carried out, in the spirit of his
Message, he, too, may boast Of similar trl-
umph over the prosperity, happiness, and CT
vilization Of his country.
Have we not, already, had some foretasc
oi the disastrous consequences, which the pro-
pagalion of this spirit and these doctrines, is
likely to produce, in the recent proceedings Of
the Presidents party in the Legislature OF one
of the most powerful States Of the Union-I
allude to Pennsylvania. Under the instigo-
ton Of the Presidents message, we have seen
his political friends there bringing in and til
umphantly carrying through one brarch of the
Legislature, by dint Of party discipline, "A Bill
for forcing resumption of specie payments
by the Banks ,eiihin fifteen days, which, ii was
understood, would have been promptly passed,
under the same influence, by the other branch,
but for the patriotic Intervention of,he Govern
or, who, seeing the newt bile distress and rum
which so preciptate measure must bring up
on the community, and that il had already IN
flictcd serious blow on the credit Of the State
herself, by rendering il Impossibeto meet tho
payment Of large amount OF interest on her
public debt, on the day fell due, and thus en-
posed that great commonwealth TO the inlurl-
'ous effects as we'll as modification, Of yio-
laiion Of her solemn engagements, came for
ward nobly, in the face of the party depuncia-
tons which he loresaw and declared would be
visited upon him, and earnestly appealed to
the Legislature TO pause, and reconsider the
dangerous measure which was in progress
But in Washington itself, under the personal
surveillance and direction of the movements
of his party by the President, we have seen
still more alarming exhibition Of this reckless
and unconstitutional spirit of interference with
the domestic concerns and credit of the
States. On motion Of a member Of the Sc
nate, fresh. not from the people, but from the