The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-05-12

monv of the Executive press - w asnlngton
20 the testimony Of is pe!mary satellite az Rich
mond-the "faithlul Abdiel Of he EnquiEer"-
he Whose political career has been 50 remarkable
far ts purify. disinterestedness, fidelity, and con-
sistency. What says this press about this no
table scheme2 In 1884, speaking OF Mr.. Leigh's
scheme, the editor said:
twenty six friends but il certainly does not satisfy
us The letter which they have called forth should
call forth in lis turn another letter 10 explain the true
meaning of that passage which speaks Of divorcing all
connerion with banks, State or Federal. DO you
mean they might say) that the public money il TO be
LEI, in the hands Of the house officers respon
sble 10 the President and removal by him Ifs is
Mr. Leigh prepared the irresistible objections
urged by the "Globe and to increase in alarming
degree the patronage, p0'0er, and influence OF the
Executive r.
This is what Mr. Van Buren, means and this
will be the inevitable effects Of its adoption.
The editor Of the Enquirer" did not become
passive as soon as the editor of the "Globe" took
its position; and when he found such large
mass of the Democratic Republican party going
in favor Of this scheme, in his paper of the 9Th
of September, 1887, he pours out the following
Jerermad. Show is il that the great mass Of
the two parties seem TO be respectively shifting
the grounds they occupied in "a z" the friends
of the Administration violently assaiied il;
their head, are inclined to support il. A better
soldier than ourselves then gave forth the most
serious objections to the scheme" Here the
editor of the enquirer" makes a precious con-
fession He admits that the Republicans with
the President at their head, have changed sides;
and yet, with reckless effrontery, he charges as
traitors and apostates all those Republicans who
stood firm in their opposition, and refused to
change with him.
=.
the editor calls ii ''iDiid and dangerous scheme,
establishing two sorts ofcurency-the better for
the officers of Government-the baser one for
the people"
In his paper of the Goth October, 1887, he
SAYS this "notdble scheme" "ariW enlarge the
Erecntice poaoer already too great for re-
public"
might multiply these extracts almost indef-
nitely, but these, with the endorsement that
those which have quoted from the Globe are
irresistible, are sufficient, in all conscience.
What, fellow-citiZens, is the substance OF
these objections2 Why, that this "nofabie
scheme" will so increase the power, enlarge the
patronage and eaiend the influence Of the Exc
cutive department, as to ride over all the other
departments, overcome the rights of the States,
sap the foundations of liberty, and rise into mo-
narchy. Yes, these are the objections Of the
"Richmond Enquirer" and with these objec-
tons upon the lips of its editor, he is pursuing
with fire and sword, the very men who, agree
ing with him to the full extent Of these objec-
tons, and unwilling to incur these dangers to
their country, have adopted the only mode Of
successfully avoiding Transportation TO Mr..
Van Buren's reelection. For such conduct,
coming from such a source faithful history will
visit upon the head Of its guilty author, that nea
sure of scorn and Indignation which such fredch-
cry to the safety and true interests of the coun-
try justly merits and will single out, in blaze
of truth not to be obscured, who the "reaP'
apostdte is !!
As further and most conclusive proof Of the
unanimity with which these objections to this
"notable scheme" were entertained by the ad-
ministraton party, it is proper to remark, that
when il was first proposed in the House of Re-
representatives. by my immediate predecessor, il
was most rudely and uncercmoniously strangled
in its BIRTH and almost denied the right Of de-
cent interment Not single member of the
administration party, save Col. Beale, Of Vir-
ginia, dared to vote for it, did single press,
supporting the administration, sustain it. The
lightnings Of their patriotic Indignation" fash
ed upon il in successive streams, and the thun-
ders of their denunciaton poured upon it in their
loudest peals; and to all human appearance it
was dead, dead, dead. Yet, strange to tell. by
the magic power of that political "gdiranism''
which has been recently practised with so much
skill and success this very "nofabie scheme
has been resusctated into life, animated with a
new and purer soul, and is rapidly rising into
the vigor of manhood, not as the babe OF Beth
lehem" to do good, but as the dragon OF destruc-
ton to do mischief.
Now, fellow-citzens, whatever the banks may
have DONE however unworthy Of confidence
they may have rendered themselves, this does
not diminish one single objection to the Sub
treasury scheme. They remain unchanged and
unatered; for this scheme, remember, has no
connexion with banks at ALL
Another ground of objection to this notable
scheme is that it will endanger the safety of the
public money. 1t would seem to me, fellow
citizens, that facts alone were sufficient to sus-
tain the truth of this objection. The account Of
losses by individual and bank agency, stands
thus:
Individual agency-By discussing
agents, $4,25O,OOO
BY Collectors and Receivers, to Oct
1887, 2,l7S,O22
$6,42S,O22
BY Banks, as repositories, about 100000
Excess of loss by individual over } az e7e 900
bank agency
To this may be added about 100000 for indi-
vidual defalcations since October 1897 and de-
ducteu ABOUT @IUu,UUO cOHected or secured, leav-
ing net balance of IS, 278, 022 in favor Of bank
repositories. These are the simple amounts as
gathered from the Treasury reports, unfalsifed
and unsophisticated by the modern system of
magnifying and diminishing arithmetica rhe-
toric.
In reference TO this subject, find in the last
annual message of the President the following
deceptive and delusive statement into which he
was evidently led by the one-sided report of the
Secretary of the Treasury not by miss,ate-
ment of fact but by suppression of fact-a
suppression which leads to a false conclusion Of
fact. The message says:
The general results, independent of the Post
Office, which is kept separately and will be stated by
ifselfl thew fAis