The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-09-25
STATEMENT.
Messrs. CALLS g. SEAros.

the morning Monday, 10th August before the hrst
Veto Message was sent In found hun reading the
Message To the Secretary Of the Treasury. He did
me the honor to read the material passages TO me.
Upon reading that part Of il which treats OF the supe
nor importance and value OF the business done by the
late Bank Of the United States 10 furnishing Ell
changes between the different States and sections OF
the Union, Twas SO strongly impressed with the idea
that he meant intimate thai ne would have no OBJ
lection TO bank which should be restricted 10 deal
ing ia exchanges that interrupted him in the read
my and asked If was to understand, by what be
had Just read that be prepared to give his assent
to bank ia The District Of Columbia with offices or
agencies in the States, having the privilege, without
their assent deal in exchanges between them, and
in foreign bills he promptly replied that he thought
experience bad shown the necessity of such power
in the Government could not restrain the immedl-
ate expression Of my eradication upon hearing this
asowaL ! said TO the President at once that what
had feared would lead to fatal discussions among our
friends, now regarded al rather fortunate than 9th
erwse that his veto Of the bill then before him would
lead TO the adoption of much better also con-
graduated him upon the happy circumstance OF the de-
lay which had taken place in sending in his Veto
Message. The heat and violence which might have
been expected if the Veto had been sent in nmedi-
aiey upon the passage ofthe bill would now be avoid
ed Time had been given for cool reflection and as
the Message did mol exclude the idea Of bank in
some form, no unpleasant consequences would be
likely 10 follow. lie expressed his great surprise that
there should be much excitement upon the subject
said that he had had his mind made up the bill be-
lore him from the first but had deIaye his Message that
that there should be time for the excitement to wear
OF that nothing could be more easy than to pass
bill which would all necessary purposes; that
il could be done in three days. The next day, hav-
ing occasion 10 the President again, he requested
to furnish him with such information the War
Department afforded Of the embarrassments attending
the transfer and disbursement Of the public to
distant points on the frontier, in Florida &c. he at
the time requested me TO draw up brief ate
meDt Of my views upon the subject, showing the
practical advantages and necessity Of such fiscal in
stituiion as he had thought of proposing Such in
formation al could hastily collect from the heads Of
the principle disbursing bureaus OF the Department
handed to him on the evening Of the same day, know
ing that time of the utmost Importance in the
state in which the question then was He received
the statements gave him with manifest indifference,
and alarmed me BY remarkng that he began to doubt
whether he would give his assent Gas understood
HING TO any bank
The next day w ednesday, 18th August) was the
stated time fu the weekly meeting OF the Cabinet
with the President. Mr.. WEBSTER, MI. EWING, and
myself went at ten o'clock in the morning, and were
Messrs BERRIEs, SERGEANT, and, think Mr. DAw-
son, Of Georgia We waited until they retired, and
the PREsDEsT made his appearance abou, three quar-
tiers Of an hour afterwards. Mr. BADGER came in
soon after the PRESIDENT joined Messfs. Carr
TEsDEs and GRANsEn did not attend. The confe-
renee which ensued was long one-lasting two hours
at least according 10 my recollection. ! cannot pre-
tend detail all that said neither | under
take 70 give the language employed by the PRESIDENT
upon every point OF the members of the Cabinet.
/ can only state the substance Of what was said upon
those points which most attracted my attention.
The President commenced by stating that he had
been waited upon that morning by committee OF
Members Of Congress, who desired 10 know his views
upon the subject Of bank-such he could
sanction He had gwen them satisfaction upon
that subject but had informed them that he would first
consult with his,constItutonal advisershs Cabinet
through whom he thought it most regular that his
views should he communicated. He asked the OPT
Mon Of his Cabinet upon the correctness Of the
ground he had taken remarking at the, same time,
that the habit Of expressing his views TO Members OF
Congress upon subjects of so much interest sub
jectcd him to great embarrassment and much mlsrep-
resentation. That question being disposed OF, the
President adveried briefly, but without much con-
nexion TO the relation in which he stood TO the Bank
question: and his disposition 90 far he could
to comply with the wishes Of his friends. He spoke
OF the relation that existed between him and his Cabi
net, and how necessary it was thkt he should have
their support. Would they stand by him lie much
preferred that the whole subject should be postponed
until the next session but il il necessary TO nc,
now, he thought plan might be devised which, with
their cooperation, might be carried through lie
wondered why the Senate continued to postpone act
ing upon his Veto Message, which was yet to be dis
posed of He supposed might be 10 hold il az a rod
proper that he should consider further upon the sub
cct until the Senate had decided what they would do
with the bill then before them. Some present
sured him that the postponcment Of the question pend
ing in the Senate was intended give time for reec-
ton, and to prevent an Incorporate debate.
The President then gave the outline Of such bank
or fiscal institution he thought he could sanction.
II was TO be in the District of Columbia TO have the
privilege of issuing its notes. receive moneys on
depose, and to deal in bills OF exchange between the
States and between the United States and foreign
States But he wished TO have the opinion of his
Cabinet upon IT, His own consistency and reputa-
ton must be looked to. He considered his Cabinet
bis friends, who must stand by and defend whatever
he did upon the subject. He appealed particularly to
MIR. WEBSTER for his opinion upon the point of con
sstcncy and whether there was not clear dis,inc-
ton between the old Bank Of the United States
bank Of discount and deposifea and the one he now
thought of proposing; and whether the constitutional
question not different He reminded us that in
all his former speeches and reports he had taken the
ground that Congress had constitutional power to