Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-04-07

mon in lis favor" Mr. Rives, in his RECONCILIATION
makes him sag That she would sign it 0niY under th
SPECIAL contingencies itc enumcrates, wit: that
iid been r'r0riy nsr6rGincd by experience to be
rfsMry Tor carrying the financial operations of Tn
Government, and that there uncquvncal ma nj
rsatoiis ni public opinion in its favor; and he add
cmplaiIcally, that unless it should be shown $50 b.
HcrcSS"rylor conducting The financial operations of tin
Government, he does not think can be constit~
h0ndHy chartered. These last clauses are quote,
ia'rly enongh, but in the first, Mr. Rives suppresse
The condition., 't!lat the public interest in relation t
the collection aud disbursement Of the woul
inht'F"iiy suiirr without one, very pregnant omIs
SION Nesay nothing Of the neglect to notice tn,
important passage in farrisons letter already quoted
VIZ 1.-The measure fadopied must have for its object
the carrying INTO effect facilitating at least the exercise
oil some OF the powers positively granted to the Gene
raj government. We trust for quotations to MIR
RIves letter, and for the last one the Enquirer.
Let us now compare briefly the opinions of Genera
Harrison with those of the early friends and opponcn
oil National Bank, the great question upon which iii,
Democratic and Federal parties first divided 1t is no
our purpose to enter into elaborate investigation
THIS much Inooted and long since exhausted question
In Virginia, at least, this matter heresy is not ole
rated IN any man calling himself Republican. Sh,
has never renowned her opposition on constitutions
grounds TO National Bank, notwithstanding the tenn
porary alteration, under peculiar circumstances,
some OF her great and good men. The concession o
her Madison 10 supposed necessity, strengthened oc
has ever regarded with painful regret. She has looked
upon 1t, as single spot upon his otherwise pure escu
| cheon. She dwes upon it, however, more in sorrow
than IN anger. She does not permit error however
great, to ''coud the glories Of his splendid life. She
recoects with admiration, with gratitude, with love
his eminent services, his faithful labors, his unrivullrd
powers of argument, his unsuled purity Of liie the at
ractve kindness of his temper and gentleness of his
manners; and this one tribute 10 the universal lmper
fiction of nature, however To be depored but adds
lI In II n he UISn hpy
ever that by this act, Mr. Madison departed widely
from those early landmarks Of Republican doctrine
which himself had raised so hg and planted deep
and thus left precedent dangerous If not fatal by the
authority of his great and pure tis consolation
10 know, that duress of State necessity nor dcca
ing energy OF age, impaired, in the slightest
sure, the deeprooted antpathy of Mr. Jefferson 10 this
oversladowing, corruptng and anti. Repubcan fraud
upon the Constitution.
When the bill 10 incorporate National Bank was
first proposed, Mr. Madison sgnalizcd himself by al
unanswcrablc argument against II, which comprises all
the valid objections that have since been urged. In
this famous speech, of which we have condensed re-
port before us, General Harrison for signing
bill establishing National Bank is thus tmphantly
met lr essential characteristic of the Government,
as composed Of limited and enumerated powers, would
be destroyed, if instead ofdrcc and incidental means,
any could be used, which in the language OF the
preamble Ia the BILL migM he rOAccred 10 he cOnduCire
10 Me successful conducting If he finances, might be
conceived to tend 10 give facility TO the obtaining OF
loans. A. We observed before We are not about to
give the arguments for and against National
Bank but com, General IlarrisonS
toned by Mr.. RIvcs, with those expressed by eminent
at the origin Of the controversy. No one then,
Of any party commended that the power III question, was
given by the Constitution, or even intended 10 be be-
slowed BY its framers hut the friends of the Bank
serted as General Harrison does now, that such in
siuon necessary and proper. alt agreed on all
hands, observed one of the principal friends OF the
proposed institution, ',ha the power to incorporate the
subscribers 10 a Bank, is not cyPress granted. To
show what little security there is in such doctrine, we
cite briefly the opinions Of some ofhe Federal leaders
Of that early day. ''Thc doctrine, remarked Fisher
Ames with Illconcca!ed contempt, that powers may be
implied which not expressly vested in Congress- has
long been bugbcar TO many worthy persons Son.
gress may do he remarks in another place, "what is
necessary TO the end for which the Constitution was
adopted provided il is not rcpngnant TO the natural
rights of man, 10 those which they have expressly
reserved to cTScycs 10 the powers which are as
signed the States This rule otmcrpre;ation seems
to he safe, and not very uncertain ONE Independently
of the Constitution itself By that instrument certain
powers are specially delegated together with all pow
necessary and proper TO carry them into execution
That construction may be maintained To be a safe one,
which promotes The good nf The, society, and the ends
for which the Government was adopted, without i'm
pairing the rights of any man, the powers OF any
State
"Once break down the constitutional barrier of un-
qualified incrdctIon and this wide scope OF discretion
airy power follows Legitimate Corollary 10 show
how duse, ducte and cXpansIblc, rs the term she
cessary, upon which General Harrison and Mr.. Rves
dwell So cmphatcally ard rely with such blind securl.
IT, we subion the following extract from the opinion
of Alexander Hamilton, submitted to General WASH
ngton, and which, however ingenious and successful!
in lis object was an inconcnsive reply 10 the oblec-
tons of Jefferson and Madison. at is essential TO
the being of National Government that 50 erroneous
a conception Of the meann. of the word necessary
should be exploded II is certain, that neither the
grammatca nor popular sense OF The term, requires
that construction According 10 both, necessary often
means no more than ncrdu requisite incidental, "Sm,
or rOndurirc To- Ii Is common mode oil expression 10
saw that il is necessary iur government or person
10 do this that thing, when nothing more is intended
or understood than that The Intcrestof The government
or person requires will be promoted by the dong oil
this or that thing. The Imagination can be at no loss
for cyeuplicaon of The of The word III tins sense
And i, is the true one in which it is to be understood,
as used in the Constitution. 10 under
stand The word the Secretary Of State Ar Jeierssn)
does would be depart from It's obvious and popular
sense and 10 give il restrictive operation; an idea
never before entertained
With Gen Harrison opinions Of necessity, nc en-
dorscd hy Mr. Rivcs, il would not require the ingenuity
Of Alexander Hamilton, to establish National Bank
nj ouy moment Where would we be now, If General
Jackson had been thus loose and flexible III his notions
His veto alone saved MS from another National BANK,
when Congress was III 'oi'u '' oitS
which might very easily have been taken as IAN unc.
oui vocal manifestation of public opinion III ItS favor
We are never safe with such doctrines IN high place!
The people NAV elect Congress without reference
even adverse TO Bank, and yet clear majority soon
pronounce itself for such institution. Persuasion,
promises oans, gratuitics, decisions and thousand
other influences may operate, they have done
before, upon members of Congress- who are after all,
as experience has Proved Iibc, very all'ble nortas
BIZ such means, the Legislature of Pennsy vania was
induced against the clearly expressed will OF It's con-
stuents, to recharter the late Bank of the u s, an
act which has the appreciation OF General HARRISON
.But the period observes he ''for rechartcring the
old institution has passed, Pennsylvania has 'cSoy
taken care appropriate 10 herself the benefits OF It's
large capital" Subsequent events and the present
condition of the good old keystone State, are sad
commentary upon the risdom which was 50 much
Landed by Mr.. Rivcs's "Repubcan candidate. Be
sides. what ought TO make us more cautious, IS the
fac, that by bare majority in Congress, with fresi'
dent holding such opinions, this dangerous and unconst
utona corporation may be fastened upon u.s. Tor long
period ifnot forever By the doctrine of vested rights
and that which considers bank chartera contract, all
.,,,,l. ,,,l, q may