Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-08-07

URShtHrtOH, Jun ''lSt, I-ib.
Gentlemen. OGic.nl duties growing ont al iie CLOS
irr scenes Of a gIcatly proI:aclcd SESSION OF Congress-
added TO those which are o:da'lv occar:encc. have com
PEELED ne 10 postpone 10 tins tl!ne,a reply 10 your con-
munica.:nn.
Won have not. rentlemrn,i in the conrse you have pnr.
sued, misiudrCd either the extent oil Your o"" 'ie"''
nor the Importance Of 4 free communicate" ~ op'n''
between the constituent and a proposed hrp.esrnVa','
The authority uf the clcctnr Ia call ~ s""d '"'t" vi Wv
candidate for his favor, Cor an nn3cservcd aFo"a' o. us
opinions III 'rcrard /" all natter % l'1".'c co"cr'" ma
may become his of!cga! day !" act uprn, - "'i ch!E
or understandable yaInc 10 the success of po!ittca! inSt'in.
tons like ours, but may, hiii, "i'"ont '"'e@e'"r""
be regarded as Indispensable I" The maintenance 81 NJ
publican Government. viewing We s"'y'ct "a '''
,,,h. and ;,aving satisfied myself that IN prnp"unGIng
ou.s,,,ns I, m. you have, a. YOU assure me, been ac-
mated ny an uui;"rn"d desire 10 De able to bcs'ow your
sutTracc, undrrStandngiy, and 10 possess yo"Fsci, %
information winch you deem mairr4a! !" Lat chu, J
c~!,cerfuIlv comply with your request
You ask M. first, ~swhc;hrr, II elected ffes!deh', ]
will veto anv bill, having CIR lis object, the Abolition oi
slavery in the District d, Columbia: or whether VIII
sanction any bill granting appropriations OF '"e Pu"'c
money 10 any Stale. soliciting aid tor Tie emancipation
pr ihr,r slaves" Nv attention has been ireiurnti!
heretofore called to tn" first branch Of your enquiry
and my we ws in respect 10 II, gwen. The substance "i
them vas repeated, wi;h additional explanations, 10 d
letter recently addressed by re to a Committee com
pn-.d Of citizens Of Louisville, kentucky, N reply 70
= uues;Ion. embracing among other things, the par
,;cular nom, now referred tn. IS my reply to your
several questions, will, unav"idablr, he OF cnhs'dc'-
able length, have not dccmrd II adTisahIc 10 re-
neat tha, answer hcrc-bnt Will cause cacii o. you
10 be supplied with Il copy thereof, ana cannot n"oot
| vorr being satisfied that have at least ia'iIy mel
the subicct.-Trc second branch OF your enquiry
,hourh scarcely oiless Importance, was not broughi nj"
view on that occasion Nearly all now agree that tic
Federal Government possesses no power 10 'h"''t''
with the institution OF : avery IN Tue states u Nv
general and undoubtedly the correct principle IS, tha,
81. EnIar,l (,nypYnmrut cannot Apply the lion
funds 10 objects, upon which they arc rltl'1 cAP'fSaiy
prohibited from acting, or III respect u WHICH, ~ =
an acknowledged absence Of delegated authority
sarc, supposed necessity and apparently r'coi't' ia
bic considerations Of cxpcd'cncy have, from ''ii!r l"
time. led 10 limited expenditures TOR winch u was MOI
cnsy 10 find a warrant m the Constitution. but lIcSt
have always been regarded by the sincere ireuds 81 q
strict construction of that instrument as ihatlcfS
10 be regretted. and as far az possible 10 De pre-
vented. The form of your question presents i"f
consideration the points whether the consent % t't
Slave States could confer on the Federal Government
The Constitutional power 10 apply the pnDi'c inn"s -
the emancipation oi Their Slaves. uni"s'lathgy sas
It could not, and that never could give my sanction
TO such a measure. If Stale consent could confer
power where the wantof il would otherwise be 50 mani
fest, find il difficult To conceive of any case III "hIch
the same result could not, with At least eqna! pt"pf'e-
iy. be claimed TO follow from the same cause. The cs-
tablishinrn OF such 4 principle, must, IN my Dcst
INDICTMENT, inevitably lead /" the prostratt"n "i thai par
ii,rnn Of powers between the General and Slatc r"-
vcrnmcnls, which the trainers of the Constitution m
tended 10 erect, aud might well he dreaded as an open
ing wedge to an early and more extended ac'ioh y
Congress upon the particular subject under con-
SIdara,inn. We have seen too much ut i"' progress
I'VE character Of constitutional rEcroachncnts IN the
early stages of the Government, u ierl assured, tiat a
continued practice OF contributing L" the emancipation
Of ayes hy the appropriation oil money, might NOT IN
course oftlmc, lead 10 attempts by the Federal Govern
rnrnt 10 accomplish the same object, without rilh"r the
consent Of the Shareholder or indemnity for his lnss.
You next ask inr, gentlemen, whether | think mat
ut THIS time, the safety Of the public money requires q
rc-claricrinG oil!ic L. States Bank, or whether wou'd
sign a bill charicrrns Gnch an institution. My OPINIONS
upon the subject ofa l.. S. Bank were asked when ]
was first a candidate for the Presidency in l436, and
were SO fully given as TO meet not only Your question:
but also, think, every aspect wfichihe subject can br
made to assume. They will be found in my letter to
IN. Hon. Sherrod Williams, of Kentucky, which has
been extensively published, and are therein thus eI.
pressed:
"You next ask whether ! will sign and approve IF it
becomes necessary 10 secure and save from deprecla-
ton, the revenue and finances of the nation, and TO
afford a Sound uniform currency to the people of the
United States) a bill with proper o dlications and re-
strictions) chartering a Bank of the United States.
ain the published letter OF Mr.. Butler to Mr.. Gar
land, which has already been referred TO, he thus states
nv opinions upon the subject of the bank: 'Alr. Van
Bnren's opinions in regard to the Bank of the United
States, were expressed in the Senate of the United
States in 1s2j; repeated in his letter TO the Shocco
Springs Committee, whilst a candidate for the Vice
Presidency, aud have been 50 freely uttered by him,
that there cannot, think be occasion to say much upon
that subject. Butte close the door to cavl, state lst.
That he holds that Congress does not possess the power
to establish a National Bank in any of the States ofthe
Union, nor to establish in such States, the branch of
any bank located in the District Of Columbia; and I'd.
That he is, therefore, decidedly opposed to the establish
mcnt Of a National Bank in any of the States; and is
also opposed to the establishment of any such bank in
the District of Columbia, as unnecessary and ineXpe.
dent, and as liable to a great proportion of the abuses
which have, in his opinion, been practised By the ex-
isting Bank
"This d ,claration, with other uniform, repeated and
published avowals of my sentiments, in regard to a I.