The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-08-28

lion Of the bl3 Was the pfese Walton Of the consis
tcucy and the conscience Of The President wholly
with the restoration of the blessings vi
sound currency regular and moderate exchanges and
the revival of confidence and business which Congress
believes will be secured by National Bankl Was
there alternative but To proong the suferings Of
bleeding country, TO send Us this Veto From the
administration Of the Executive Department Of the
Government during the last twelve years has sprung
most Of the public ills which have afflicted the people
Was il necessary thai that of suffering should
continue operate order preserve the conscience
of the President unyolated Was that the only sad
| and deporabe alternative think, Mr.. President,
there were other alternatives worthy the serious and
patriotic consideration OF the President. The bill
| might have become law, in virtue Of the provision
which required its return within ten days. II the
President had retained il three days longer it would
| have been a law, without his sanction and without
his signature In such contingency, the President
would have remained passive, and would not have been
liable any accusation of having himself violated the
Constitution. All that could have been Justly said
would be- that he did not choose 10 throw himself in
the way obstacle TO the passage Of measure in
dispensable the prosperity of the nation the judg
neni of the party which brought him into power ofthe
| Wing Congress which he first met and, if public fame
speaks true Of the Cabinet which the amented Har-
rson called around him. and which be voluntarily con-
tinued In analogous case, Thomas Mexican,
when Governor of PennsyIvan than whom the u nj
ted States have produced but few men of equal vigor
| Of mind and frmness of purpose permitted bill to
become law although, in his opinion, il was contrary
to the Constitution OF tha otate Anu nave ntaIui
and, from the creditable Of the source, am
inclined TO believe although will not vouch for the
fact that towards the close Of the charter OF the rst
Bank OF the United States during the second term OF
| Mr. Jefferson, some consideration of the question OF
the renewal Of the charter was entertained ana that
he expressed wish that il the charter we're renewed
might be effected by the operation OF The ten days
provision and his consistency thus preserved.
i II il possible to disin,er the yeneraed remains
of james Madison reaninae his perishing form, and
place him in that chair Of State, which he
so much adorned, what would have been his course
if this bill had been presented to him, supposing
him TO have announced bis acqulescence In the
settled judgment Of the nation he would nave sad
that human controversy, in regard to single ques-
ton, should not be perpetual and ought TO have ter
mnation This, about the power to establish Bank
of the United States, has been long enough contin-
ued. The nation, under all the forms OF Its public
action has often and deliberately decided IT, A Bank,
and associated financial and currency questions which
had long slept revived, and have divided the ma
ton during the last ten years OF arduous and bitter
struggle and the party which put down the Bank and
which occasioned all the disorders currency and
1 finances has itself been sgnaly put down, by one
| of those great moral and political revolutions which
free and patriotic people but seldom arouse itself to
| make. Human infallblity has not been granted by
God; and the chances of error are much greater on
the side of than that Of the majority OF
whole people and their successive Legislatures during
long period of time ! yield the irresistible force
of authority. will not put myself in opposition TO
voice, and essential to elevate my depressed and
| suffering countrymen.
| And why should not President Tyler have suffered
the bill 10 become law withou, his signature With
out meaning the slightest possible dsrespect TO him,
(nothng is further from my heart than the exhibition
of any such feeling towards that distinguished citizen
long my personal friendly i cannot be forgotten
that he into his present Office under peculiar cir
cumstances. The people did not foresee the contin-
gency which has happened. They voted for him
4 Vice President They did not, therefore, scrutinze
his opinions with the which they probably ought
to have done, and would have done if they could have
looked into fuuy Ii the present state Of the fact
could have been anticipated--f Harrisburg, at
the polls, II had been foreseen that General Harrison
would die in one short month after the commencement
of his administration that Vice President Tyler
would be elevated to the Presidential chair; that a
4 BILL passed by decisive majortes of the first Wing
Congress, chartering National Bank would be pre-
senicd for his sanction and that he would veto the
bill do hazard any thing when express the convic-
ton that he would not have received solitary vote in
the nominating convention, solitary electoral
vote in any State in the Union
Shall be told that the honor, the frmness the in
dependence Of the Chief Magistrate might have been
drawn in question if he had remained passive, and so
permitted the bill to become law1 | answer that
the Office Of Chief Magistrate is sacred and Allied
trust, created and conferred for the benefit Of the
ton and not for the private advantage Of the person
who fills II. Can any mans reputation for frmness,
independence and honor be of more Importance than
the welfare Of great People There is nothing in
my humble Judgment in such course, incompatible
with honor, with firmness, with Independence, pro-
perly understood Certainly, must respectfully think,
10 reference to measure like this, recommended by
such high sanctions-by five Congresses the
thority of five Presidents--by repeated decisions of
the Supreme Court-by the acquiescence and judy
mcnt OF the People of the United States during long
periods Of timely its salutary operation the in,c
rests Of the community for space of forty years and
demanded by the People whose sufrages placed Pie
sident Tyler to that second office from whence he
translated to the first, that he might have suppressed
the promItngs of all personal pride of private opinion
if any his BOSOM and yielded to the wishes
and wants of his country Nor do believe that in
such course he would have made the smallest sacfi-
fee in just sense, Of personal honor, ffmness, or
Independence.
+ But sir, there was still third alternative, to which
aude not because mean to intimate that il should
be embraced, but because ! reminded Of it by a
memorable event in the life of President Tyler. 1t
will be rccollected that, after the Senate had passed
the resolution declaring the removal Of the public de-
poses from the late Bank of the United States to
have been derogatory from the Constitution and laws
Of the United States, for which resolution President,
then Senator Tyler had voted the General Assembly
# of Virginia instructed the Senators from that State to
= vote for the expunging of that resolution. Senator
Tyler declined voting in conformity with that in
structon and resigned his in the Senate of the
United States. This he did because he could
IS form, and did not think il right to 90 counter, to the
wishes OF those who had placed him in the Senate
! II, when the people of Virginia, the General As
/ semby Of Virginia were his only constituency, he
would not set up his own particular opinion in opposi-
ton to theirs what ought be the rule Of his conduct
y when the People Of 26 States-a whole nation-com-
pose his constituency Is the will of the
OF State to be respected and that Of twenty
be wholly disregardedl Is obedience due only to the
d single State Of Virgnal The President admits that
G the hank question deeply agitated and continues to
If agate the nation, 1t is nconestble that il was the
. great absorbing, and controlling question, in all our
: recent divisions and exerons. am firmly convinced
c and it is my deliberate judgment that an immense
majority, not less than two,hrds of the nation, desire