Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-03-27
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
Mr.. RIvES-AND HIS CASTLE MIL LETTER.


Harch 23d, l34O.
MR. RIvES-AND HIS CASTLE mil LETTER.
Tins gentleman once u cherished ia:orItc we
admired him only for the pure and noble principle:
he ardcntly procsscd, but also for the winning yet
powerful mann. il; which he incuca:cd them. Dur
ing the "terrorism of -, witnessed with profound
admiration his efforts in debate against such spirits as
Clay and Webster, Chs present associates and allies,
ana after little while, we Witnessed hun AGAIN IN inc
same Senate Chamber, engaged in hot debate IN behalf
of s'the rmness the vigor and the patriotism oil Gen
Jackson, and delivering, in vndicatIon of the TX
pungng Resolutions, speech remarkable for deer
research and giant ability and then too he tainted
by Mr.. Preston, his present ally, for ''scrvllity
In those his pamy days he feared not 10 rcbuke, and
effectively, too the advocates of an expanded cre
dit system, by boldly denouncing "the ruinous ucu
atoms arising from alternate expansions and contrac
lions of bank issues, making lottery in effect OF pr
vate fortunes and converting all prospective contracts
and transactions into species OF gambling; and, u!
advance OF many whom he now stigmatzes as Desruc'
tives he fearessly out in favor of "hard m1ntJ
Gorcrnmrnt" For this purpose, and as early as Janu
ary, "a, when the times did not uIperousy demand
such a recommendation, (as the State Banks had moi
yet been tried and found wunting) he fcclingly con-
iured his brother Senators to unite with hun "In an CT
fort restore the Government TO It's true constitutional
character and dcstnation-THhT OF SIMPLE, SOLID,
HARD MONEY GovERSMESr." Then, in the warning
voice of patriot, he also nred them to regard the
cause of the Constitution and the public liberty as
dearer the American people than the transtory state
of the money market Is not tins the same nohIttoh
which the President now so mpressvely holds out 10
the American people, We make this brief retrospect
to show the past position Of Mr. Rves; and also, that
the people of Virginia may determine for themselves
whether he is not battling against Nj Van Buren, for
attempting Ia carry out the great reform which he HIM
self suggested "A, for the Improvement OF the cur
rency, and 'hc safety and prosperity Of the country
lie now says, he cannot support Mr.. Van Buren, Tor
reasons but principally because he persists IN te
SubTrcasury project, with specie payments, the eHac-
ton Of which, he nnatcs, will produce "horrors such
as no pen can pourtray. Let me tell MIR. r. Tor It may
have escaped even his memory and the Electors of Va
that he declared in the Senate Chamber IN January,
81 in the midst Of distress before then sad to be I'M
paalleled (and for this language he was denounced as
uncclng by his present associates, as he now de-
nonnces the Presidency That the ordinary channels
of circulation being thus hat by the suppression OF
notes under Ter or twenty dollars supplied with gold
and sver-ruE GOVERNMENT WOULD he PREPARED,
without hardship To the public creditor, 70 RE9"!EE
PAYMENT or ITS DUES Is SPECIE, ana THUS REAL
IZr a E!ruRM, than which could be more deeply
interesting in every aspect 70 THE SAFETY AND PROS
PERITY rHE CouaInr.
This is no garblcd passage like some OF his extracts
from Harrison papers, but the whole text ana ny II,
we will Judge Mr. Rivcs Is not this The Sub Treasury
scheme at least respects the eAdction OF spccIc
His own words are-"Thc Government would be pre-
pared TO require its dues in specie Does the Prcs-
dent contemplate than this: But, Mr. t. may
pretend that he qualities by adding ';out hardship
to the public creditor And SO likewise does the IRE
sdent allege would be the effect OF the independent
Treasury. The present bill allows nearly four years
for fully carrying out this project and even this time
the House will probably Extend 50 as to adapt the mea-
sure still more gradually the business of the country
In 81, Mr.. Rves avowcd that the rfq"isuon 81 Spc-
cic would realize leiurin, than winch none couiu ue
more deeply interesting, ersry aspect, to the safety
of he
or even Col Benton, aud more highly the salutay Ell
fccts of broad specie basis:
To confirm this construction, as the true and only
meaning of Mr. Rves embodiment Of this future SUB
Treasury will refer TO the remarks OF Dancl wen
ster in January 81, but few DAYS after Mr. X. had
sketchcd out inns great Reform. Mr.. Webster proba-
blv states the ground Of antagonist as airiy us any
debater in the land. Now, mark his words, tfe Sc
cond suggestion is that which was made by the mono
rable member from Virginia. Mr.. klves nal mono
rable MEaBEE PLEDGES HIMSELF to s:ng forward a
propositions having for IT'S OBJECT TO DO AWAY WITH
TuE rArER SYSTEM ALTOGETHER and 10 return TO an
ENTIRE METALLIC CUERFSC and did he not then siiecf
at Mr. Rivcs proposition Lille 10" ":.:Ine-tno
Spartan for the tunes the same fashion; as WI H.
now snccrs at The President for rcteratng this TAR
s;-Lted Reform So tho record will show that Mr. H.
did once ain at total overthrow and destruction Of
the existing monetary system Of the country II The r."
ou;,;;ioa of specie will produce such an effect as he
now prctends it will And vet this man Affects 10 be
s'unchanged. ),
Presidency, and for which Mr. Rves aborcd most siren
uouslv land against Gen Harrison, the present "is
nnm;nccl-thr hanks suspended SpccI" payments, and
he their own act thus rendering It impossible" ~ &C.
cc.!:.cc with the provisions oi he Law 9" July, ~, o
which Mr. Rives had been the prime mover, Ter tie
Government TO retain hcn rs repositories or 10 receive
or pay out their notes g,
Laws most rightly determined that lie would not be
priv to infringing their supremacy Unpleasant, yea
Distressing as his duty was 10 him as man, ana SUI
more as politican-for he had nothing to gam bu
every TIM to loose politically by adheriag to THIS up
r;nb and constitutional course-he persisted most no
nv in defiance of the solicitations of irends-the
tannts of foes and the OF bankrupt wing par
tsans TO see that the laws were faithfully executed
and even his bittcrest opponents do acknowledge una
he exhibited more moral grandeur IN that houf, IMAM u
any other of his whole public lIte.To witness tht
rcsoIution Of one man backed not by the satellites Of
TRIMMINGS of kinrly power hut clothcT SIMPLY IN th'
moral weight of an American Maglsrae--stcnmihe
the seshncss of thousands, and not lew OF ms Owl
nartsans too who were anxious to ride 20 er DfoHef
promises aud PROSTATE laws, IS spectace sci"o"
found in history-worthy of unqualified admiration
and could spring only from "hcns conscta recst.
In that dark hour, many fell off, qnaed beneath
the last-and this the storm that frightened hlr
Riyes out of his cherished principles tor 1t was during
this suspension that he first suggested or al least ss
tanned Col Preston proposition in the Senate TO com
mel the Government to receive the paper OF rrcdcea
BILE banks and this monstrous proposal was auVocac'
bv him, who but few sessions before, had deliberately
vised the cxaction of all the dues Qfthc GorERNMEN
rs SPECIE and yet he affects to be ''unchanged. "h
the intelligent people ofFirgnia be hoodwinked thus
Will they not read compare and condemn:
Mr.. Rvcs in the same speech on the removal OF The
deposcs had the balances to declare that associate'
wealth is the dynasty of modern States this woui'
be now, in the eyes of Mr.. Rves, with his new noton
of credit and banking, bank treason and destructV'sn
against the dearest interests OF the country ANA We
NAV well use the soul-strring language which ne thet
applied solely &c The U. S. Bank, Justly applicable
the State Banks for their conduct since "Ihs modern
dynasty is now seeking TO establish IFS sway over us
in the worst ofa possible forms-control!ng the Tor
tunes and the hopes of individuals and communities
influencing the public press, and debating to The or
rans Of the public will.
It is not easy to bio. from memory an inerestn:
debate in The L. s Senate Chamber during the session
of IS, between VIM. c. Rves and Silas Wright
When the former defined his position, avowed al
uormed neutrality" which he most knightly declared
he was resolved TO maintain against both wings an