Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-09-25
DEBATE ON THE VETO.
SPEECH OF MIR. RIVES,
OF VIRGINIA,

OF VIRGINIA,
| On the Executive Message containing the
Presidents objections to the Bank Bill.
In SENATE UNITED STATES, Aug. 10, 1s41.
Mr.. Rives said he came prepared to give
silent vote on the bill, and he should
have contented himself with doing so, but
for the observations which had fallen from
the Senator from Kentucky in respect to
the conduct of the President of the Uni
ted States. Mr.. r. had hoped the Sena.
tor would have confined himself strictly
to the merits of the question before the
States. He told US, said Mr. r. that the
question was this: whether, the President
having returned the bill for Fiscal Bank
with his exceptions thereto, the bill was
such an one as ought to pass by the con-
stitutional majority, of two-thirds, and
thus become law of the land. Now,
what was the real issue before the Senate!
Was it not on the naked question between
the bill and the objections to it, as COM
pared with each other! had really hoped
that the honorable Senator, after an
nouncing to us the issue in this very
proper manner, would have confined his
observations to it alone; and, if he had
done so, should not have troubled the
Senate with single word.
But what has been the course of the
honorable Senatorl | do not reproach
him with it; he, no doubt felt it necessary
in order to vindicate his own position be-
fore the country, to inculpate the course
taken by the President; and, accordingly,
about two-thirds of his speech, however
qualified by expressions of personal kind
ness and respect, were taken up in SOL
emn arraignment of the President of the
United States Most of the allegations
put forth by the Senator seem to arrange
themselves under the general charge of
perfdy-of faithfulness to his party and
to the People.
The Senator begins with the violation,
by the President, of the pledge given in
his inaugural address. Now, | must say
with all due Difference, that the very Ian
guage quoted by the honorable Senator to
prove this, received, wherever had an
opportunity Of hearing the expressions Of
public opinion, very different construc-
ton. The President told the nation that
he would give his sanction "to any con.
vised by Congress for the relief of the
country on the subject of the currency.
He does not say any measure, but to any
constitutional" measure. Why insert the
word constitutional" if he did not intend
to qualify, in an important sense, the
pledge given? But the Senator finds, in
the next clause of the inaugural address,
an explanation of the sense in which the
word constitutional is here to be under
stood, viz: that che should be governed by
the sage views of the fathers of the Re-
publican school, and by the light of their
ever glorious example" The Senator in
his commentary on this clause, seems to
have stricken out as significant and ex.
pressive aportion of it as any of its other
words, viz: that the President should be
guided by 'the sage views" as well as the
ever-glorious example of the Republican
fathers to whom he alludes. What were
these sage views, as expressed in the purest
days of the Republic? The sage views
of Mr.. Madison in 179l--the unvarying
opinions and testimony of Thomas Jetfer-
son He was to look to the sage views
delivered by them, as well as to their ex-
ample. And, on this point, could not
but remember what Gf have not been
misinformeD was the fact, viz: that the
honorable Senator himself stood in rela-
ton of particular privity to memorable
act of another of the "fathers of the Re-
publican school," when he gave his casting
vote against renewal of the bank char
ter. Was there nothing in the sage views
and examples to instruct the President
in addition to the convictions of his own
Judgment! Who is the individual that by
universal consent, is recognised as the
founder of what the President refers to as
'the Republican SCHOOL," 1t is Thomas
Jefferson. For, however l concur with
the Senator from Kentucky in paying al
homage to the unrivalled virtues and ever
glorious public services of George Wash
ington, ! must be permitted to say that he
has not generally been considered as be.
longing to that "Republican" party tc
which the President alludes.
We are told, however, of the example
of NIr. Madison, which, it is said, Presi
dent Tyler must have had particularly in
his mind when he penned this passage
have already adverted to Mr.. Madison's
views in relation to a National Bank ir
1901, views which never Were retracted
by him till 1915; but the Senator tells US
the President referred to his conduct ir
sanctioning by his signature the charter Of
the second Bank of the United States, as
that example by which he was himself
to be governed. How does that example
apply to the present case? Look at the
letter written by Mr.. Madison to Mr.. In