The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-09-07

II cOT
Presidency and Vice Presidency, could not have been
| intended 10 have been made. But the honorable Sc
nator tells this is all sheer deiusoni on my part
and arises from what he IL pleased TO say Is the CON-
mon error OF US Vrgnians-to CONSIDER The senli-
ment prevailing in Virginia the sentiment Of the
| whole Union.
Mr. CLAY spoke of some peculiar opinions ex-
listing and in operation among the People OF Virginia
! The peculiar opinions Of he People Of Virginia
| (continued Mr.. RIvEs) | had hoped would never be
considered a reproach by any native son Of Virginia
| and the iaunt coming from the honorable Senator
from Kentucky, himself native son OF our ancient
| commonwealth is the unkindest cut Of ALL
Now sir with all possible respect fol- the honorable
Senator will tell him, if he will allow me- what Is
an that he himself seems very prone TO fall into
lit is to think that his personal opinions must,
of necessity, be the opinions Of the country and
because the question OF Bank or no Bank was
the prominent and he says, riidL issue IN his own
mind, he concludes that it ought TO have been and
was the prominent and vital issue in the minds of the
people also.
beg leave say that my horizon, in the Presidcn-
lial canvass, not quite limited as the Senator
seems to suppose-not confined exclusively TO Virgil
MIA, either above or below tide water, TO adopt his
political geography of our State. visited other and
leading States, during the progress Of the canvass,
and sought information from them all would re-
mind the honorable Senator of what passed on this
aoor few weeks since in his own hearing, as to the
of the canvass in the most powerful and impor
Of all the States in the late election. When the
honorable Senator from New York, who sits behind
me, Mr.. Wright,) appealed TO my honorable friend
his colleague who sits near me, and inquired OF him
if any thing said by himself the opponents OF
the late administration generally, IN the Presidential
canvass, in that State, about Bank OF the United
States my honorable friend replied no we were SO
much occupied with the Sub-trcasury, that we said
nothing about Bank Of the United States" would
appeal to my honorable friend now on this point
Mr.. TALLMApog. attended altogether to the Sub
treasury.
Mr. RIyEs. That SO far as the financial question
concerned, was every where, within the limits OF
my observation, the OF political discussion by
friends who thought the interests OF the country
demanded change OF administration. Subtreasury
Sub treasury" was the issue and not F" Bank or
Bank So odious was tie Sub-treasury 10 the
Jealous spirit of American liberty, and determined
the opposition Of Republican people to H. that
they resolved to put it down at all hazards willing 10
leave the future and TO the wisdom and the delbe
rations il would bring along with IT, to decide which of
the various plans that had been might be suggested
should be substituted in the place oft.
Mr.. TALLMADGE. Although did not discuss the
matter myself, still the newspaper organs of the late
administration displayed at their head" Independent
Treasury and no National Bank.
MIR, RIvEs continued l know full well that our
adyesares eager and anxious To force the issue
of National Bank upon us But we declined It.
had the honor myself of being in the Empire State, in
the very Crisis OF that great political contest, which
had broken up the fountains of that mighty deep,
long swayed by the leaden sceptre Of party discipline
Of his countrymen embracing ten thousand enIight
ended and gallant reemen collected from every quarter
of that great State to deliberate upon the desnes Of
common country and while all voices were raised
in unanimous reprobaton Of the odious Sub-treasury
system solitary word uttered pleading the
rts ola National Bank 1.-THE history ofhe late
could be impartiay and faithfully written from
temporaneous materials, such, | am convinced, would
be found to have been its actual course, in at least
hree-fo fourth sof the States of this U MON.
The Senator from Kentucky has reminded me,
Their ungraciousy, think, considering how long he
took shelter with me under the same roof OF the hum
BILE half rdy house, the State banks, for which he
supposes me still 10 retain preference. For four
long years did The honorable Senator himself inhabit
this ioay house, valianly defending it, with all the
vigor Of his prowess and eoquence, agains, the fierce
assaults of the forces of the late Administrations and
il am not greatly mistaken, as late his cee
brated Hanover speech last summer, he recognized
to be fair competitor Of his preferred expedent
National Bank) for the public favor declaring that
the choice between them should be left 10 the future
and deliberate judgment of tat people.
Mr. CLAY. No; you are mistaken. recognized
1t only a pts aHer
Mr.. RvEs. A pis aiier is about as much as is left
to us. Not having the speech of the honorable Sc
nator before me, will not contest the matter
with him, though may take occasion hereafter TO
fresh the recollection Of the Senator. What, sir,
was the bill of the Senator, which sent the
President, but pis aiier2 According TO the Sena-
tor own statement, il was very different thing
from what he would have made il. 10 its location, in
its and character and especially in the called
compromise section which the Senator tells he
troduced in spirit of the EXTREMIST concession, he
agreed TO make 1t very different thing from old.
fashioned Bank Of the United States the beau ideal
OF currency and finance in the eyes Of the Senator
The Senator'S bill, then, was but a pts aiier,
and there cannot be much choice, presume, between
one pis diier and another.
The Senator from Kentucky says he found me-
several years ago, in This hal ray honss which after
the thorough Kidding the roof had received in the
breaking up Of the prt-bank system he had supposed
would have abandoned How could find il in my
heart, Mr. President, to abandon it, when found the
honorable Senator from Kentucky (even after what
he calls the Kidding of the roof anxious take
refuge in IT. from the ruins of his own condemned and
repudlaed system, and where he actually took refuge
for four long years, have already stated. When
first had the honor 10 the honorable Senator in
this body, found him. not occupying the humble but
comfortable halfway house. which has given him
shelter from the storm for the last four years but
more lordly mansion gaudy TO look upon, but alto
gether unsafe To inhablt-old, decayed, rat-eaten-
which has since tumbled to the ground with its own
rotienness devoted to destruction alike by the indg
nation of man and the wrath Of heaven. Yet the
honorable Senator unmindlul of the past and needless
oil the warnings of the present, which still ringing
IN his ears will hear Of nothing but the instant Ie
construction of this devoted editce In thing, al
least the Senator does me great injustice, when in
the teeth of my explicit declaration that was for
the custody of The public MONEYS by lar
before adjournment he says am for gong home
leaving the Treasury and the country in lawless
condition
owe ii TO myself Mr.. President before close to
say one or two words in regard TO this Gorgon ola
Cd6at which the Senator tells upon the authority
OF Dame Ru.nor, has been formed TO break up the
Cabinet, TO dissolve the Wing party, and to i1rma
new or third party Although the Senator was pleased
to acquit me OF being member of this supposed caba
he yet seemed TO have lurking lea iousies and
suspicious in his mind the subject will tell tho
honorable Senator, then, that | know of no such
cabali and should really think tina, | was
the last man that ought TO be suspected of any