Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-05-29
Washington, May IA, lslo.

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To he Democratic Republican Party Of .7lnbama
Fellow citizens The extraordinary exertions when
are making to mslead the public mind on the approach
;pu Presidential election, and which we are informed,
have extended Alabama induce us to address you on
the proprety of adopting political organization IN
eycry county throughout the State which shall insure
union of effort in defence of our principles, as effect
i've as that with which they aSsaed The Two great
parties, which have always divided the country, are
again in the field, struggling for mastery; IRE, under our
appropriate and principles contcndng Tor STREET
construction of the Constitution which shall protect The
rights of the many against the encroachments OF pr
veged few; while opponents, under the hope OF
concealing their political identity, have assumed the
new name of Wings but true TO their old principles
That ours is a Government, not OF equality but OF
prircge and that under the CONSTITUTIONS Congress can
confer on favored individuals not only the exclusive
privilege of manufacturing paper currency for the
whole Union, but the RIG 1T to convert the whole rcvc
nues Of the Government into such bank capital to be
used and loaned out for their individual benefit. This
is the true issue which is involved in the present con-
test Of political parties and to insure another signal
triumph to the Republican cause, 1t IS only necessary
that the question should he fairly understood. The
great body of the people, who have tavors to ask
but an honest and equal administration oil the Govern
mcnt are, and have been, essentially Republican
IL any portion of them have adhered with striccr hde
v than all the rest TO these cherished principles, II
has been the Southern people. With them, kepubi-
cansm is not merely sentiment; consecratcd by edu
cation and their earliest political rccocctions II IS TO
them citadel of defence against the encroachments OF
the stronger sections of the Confederacy fortress for
all their rights and institutions against the assaults OF
Tariff, Bank, their still more formidable enemy
Abolition. With what proprlcty, then, can the South
ern people, unless under most wotu misconcepton OF
the contest be expected throw their strength against
the reelection Of a Chief Magistrate, who, by his un
fnchng support Of Republican principles has been
designated by his opponents, "a Northern President
,ciM Southern principles
q I Et
cause and the strength of prime let Us not un
dcrratc the efforts of adversaries 10 mIscad and de-
ccive the people 1t is not Gen Harrison popularity
we have to meet; il is not the naked face the naked
weapons of our old Federal opponents have TO
tend against it is their still more powerful allies which
give heat and violence TO the contest The nhoe
banking pOccr Of Tic country with very few honorable
eptons, has taken up against the present Ad-
minstration. The number of these institutions is above
eight hundred dispersed through every State and Ter
rory in the Union. To Judge Of their power and lntiu-
ence it sufficient to say, that at the period Of the ge-
neral suspension of specie payments there was due TO
them from the people, the of five hundred
millions of dollars What n weight of influence is this
10 throw around the consciences and opinions Of men
in contest, by which the banks struggling 10 re-
gain their lost power and privileges Is 1t to he won
dercd al that four hs Of the political press, the cita
del OF popular rights have surrendered at discretion
to this immense power, and are doing It's bidding by
writing up General Harrison and writing down MIR.
Van Buren,, Need we be surprised at the books, pam
phles, documents, essays speeches. caricatures, and
lives Of General Harrison, with pictorial representa-
! tons, which are pouring in upon central committee
of members of Congress at this place, who frank them
in the proportion Of r0eOn loads the bushels sent by
the Republican members Need wonder at the per-
feet organization Of this party throughout every State,
and in every county in the lnion:-that this central
committee have found their way 10 almost every post
Office Alabama and that every human is used
10 Cause the people to ground their arms before these
potcnatcs oil the paper system, and the political party
to which they allied: Need wonder, that when
n the makers Of paper money have much At stake IN
the coming elections, they should avail themselves
of pccuniary pressure in England, still more intense
than exists in tins countrya pressure which the board
of trade OF the great manufacturing town OF Aanchcs-
ter have proven concusvely TO be produced by the
Joint action Of the Bank of England and British bank
crs-a pressure which has reduced our cotton in Eng
lsh markets to the lowest prceneed we be surprised,
that this moment should be seized on favorable
one TO increase the pecunIay suerngs Of the people,
with view Diminishing ground of accusation against
i the present Administrations: Need we be surprised
that travelling cmissares ofbank power should be sent
abroad 10 preach to the people, that the hard times
produced by the SubTreasury policy of the Admins
traon, before that policy has been either adopted or
put in force.
In reply to this camor of hard times, we put the
question to the banks why they, who have the exclu
sive privilege of furnishing bank paper currency,
have not furnished the country with sufficient and
sound paper medium. We hold them 10 their respon-
ShlilY, ana demand an answer 10 the question: ne
Sub-tcasury, which they affect TO dread, has not been
put in force and the banks are, from the necessities OF
the case, to great extent the repositories OF the pub
lie money The bills of all specie paying banks are
still received i'll payment of public dues The Legs-
atures O! the several States have imposed dSabili
ties them. On the contrary, it has been matter OF
exultaon the floor OF Congress, and in the Oppo-
/ position press, that Democratic Legislatures have
shrunk from the responsibility of enforcing any mea-
sure Of restriction or forfeiture on the suspended
In This condition If all lpuiso-
tive interference the part of the States the Federal
Government, why do not the banks relieve the present
pressure; fGjc, where their apology for not doing
it, except determination to drive the people, by suffer
i ing, against the present Administration, If unable,
does not prove the utter woressness Of these nstt-
tons and of bank circulaton Why should they throw
the blame the Government, which has control
over the question: except in the collection of its
revenues which il does in bank paper and which
the present Treasury bill does propose to dis
continue for years to Gomez If the banks, chcn they
hare erery thing in their aray not able will
ling furnish suiciency of sound currency for the
demands of the country, they might as well be abo-
lished and let return TO metallic currency at once.
The first manifestation Of relief under the present
pressure has BEEN not from the banks but from private
capitalists. Money is now abundant III New York on
good security, less than the cgdl rate Of interest and
have the authority of the Wing correspondent ofthe
National ln,cgencer, that INF that city the difficulty
not IN finding tenders at legal interest," hut sound bor
ro,oers utterly has the bank system destroyed any
thing like sound credit.
But fellow-citizens, whatever are the odds against
in this contest, look with confidence to the peo-
ple as the only power which trumphanty sustain
the canse equality against the powerful foes by which
1T IS assai!ed 1t Is question for the industrious pro-
ducing and sturdy agricutursts of
the county-how far they will degrade the pursuits of
labor, by giving 10 the manufacture of paper money
an ascendency which shall make labor sill more tr-
butary the exacons of the paper system From the
beginning of time, perpetual has been waged By
privilege popular rights. The struggle still
going on, for the purpose Of giving TO the cormorant
appetite of the banks larger slice from the loaf of Ia
bor and is for this reasons We urge on you to take