The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-10-05

ti.p trouEd stand BY him and their influence ~
pr.rentiug any such mOssmsnfs while his Adminis-
frafon lasted. Mr.. Webster and otfers care Am az
PROPER assurances on his point
These quotations show that before the President
would authorize his Cabinet TO hold any consul Ration
with members OF Congress in relation to the second bill
he was assured BY them FIRST by Mr. Badger that he
absst temper prevailed IN he treo House by Mr.
Ewing, thai the House "lrO4id pass biz in eogrni-
~ 10 his uishss"-snd, py Mr.. Bell that " Mr. 80
Ser and Others" including all present, Of eours*
pIeaiged themselves only that they would stand n
BE President and see that the bin presented 10 him
for his appreciation, was such bill as be could sign
without inconsistency but that they would use their
influence 10 prevent any movement to &c, bill nov
which NIGH be afterwards 80 amended as to accom-
pIish what he believed TO be violation Of the conr
tuition.
beg The reader TO peruse these extracts carefully
10 remember that they the disclosures Of the
consultations Of the President, given by his late
confidential advisers, who then pledged To pro-
tect his reputation, but who now his bitter pol
cal opponents; and | ask them If they read thi.
account coored is by personal resentment and
political animosity without increased respect for the
character of the PRESIDENT While he manifesis The
earnest desire TO crafty his political party and
personal friends be appeals to his obligations 10 the
Constitution. He is wing-anxious 10 do all that
he can debut he cannot and be will not violate the
Constitution Of his country. Confdlng in the
surances of support,ihat the best temper peryades
both Houses-that the delay in the Senate TO act on
the first Veto the result OF bad feeling 10 him
or TO the Veto, he authorized Mr.. Webster and Mr..
Ewing confer with members Of Congress, qualify
ing his mission however with the declaration that be
would give his sanction bill {" if he supposed i
lrotid be made the ground rork or basis Of Bans
nth all the popers Of the late Bank Of tie tnHsa
States.
The charge against the President is that be acted
in bad faith 10 his Cabinet. Now hear what they say
Mr.. Ewing says
This bill framed and fashioned according 10 veur
own suggestions, in the imitation Of which and an
other member of your Cabinet were made by 700 the
agents and negotiaors was passed by large lon-
ties through the two Houses of Congress and sent
to you, and you rejected IT. Important was the
part which had taken, al your request in the or
ganization of this BILL and deeply as was commit
ted for your action upon H. you nertr consulted
on The subject Of the Veto rnessdge. You did
even refer TO IN conversation and the first notice
had of It's contents was derived rom rumor
| % And 10 me- at least, you have done nothing
| wipe away the personal indgnity arising out OF the
act. gathered, it is true, from your conversation
shortly after the bill had passed the House that YOU
had strong purpose to reject it, bf nothing tras said
IKE seftening apology me, either in reference 10
myself or those nip nhom had communicated az
your request and who had acted themselves and in
duced the two Houses TO act upon the faith Of that
| communication
Mr. Badger says
"The bill passed, The public know, and was
met by the Veto Now IL the President after the
meeting of the 18th August had changed his mind
IN he oustIt al of spd hal
come to doubt deny what he had admitted in that
meeting which is the favorable Interpretation
that can tie put upon his conduct, il was, in ny
opinion, plain duty on his part to have made known
TO the gentlemen concerned this change OF senii-
ment -tJ have offered them apology for the I'M
pleasant situation in which they placed by his
agency-or, at least, to have sofened, by full X
PLANTATION of his motives his intended Veto Of mes-
sure in promoting the success Of which they, his
request had rendered the assistance. But this the
President did not do Nerer from The moment Of my
earing his house the 18Th, did he open his lips 10
me on The subject.
Mr.. Bell says
al avail myself of this occasion to say that have,
at no time, regarded a difference Of opinion between
the President and myself in relation to Bank how.
ever important the subject, sufficient of itself to
justify resignation of the Office which lately held
in the Executive Administration of the Government.
Nor it because the President thought proper to
trfe with mislead his Cabinet there is hut too
much TO believe he intended to do the affair
of the late Fiscal Bank bill that resigned my place
There others, and some of them pre-exsting
causes, for such cause which many will regard
sufficient in themselves; and which could not have
been overlooked But IL possible to erplain or
remore them, and therefore they tcere nor promptly
acted upon. The last act of the President however
was conclusive of the true character of all the other
occurrences circumstances which had previously
awakened curiosity or excited distrus,."
1t will thus he that all of these retiring Score
al dnit hat fha hal u,,hl
confidence from them before they resigned If we
recur TO their statement Of the conversation Of
the 18Th, and of the pledges and then Civ
en- by them to i"m, and compare them with the sub
sequent proceedings in the Senate-on the floor OF
the House OF Representative and in the Wing eau
Gus, II will be seen that far from misleading them
they had misead him After events were such as 10
satisfy the Presidents mind that so far from suspend
ing action in the Senate 10 pr.ven, an ntenperaie
debate, had the plan. Of the Bank been
agreed on, and the President committed as has been
commended than Mr. Clay opened the debate ON III.
Veto in a studied and bitter denunciaton. This was
followed by the publication of Mr. Botts's letter dis
closing the fact that at the very moment when the
Cabinet was giving this of the best feeling
In both Houses caucus had been held To concert
measures to head Capt Tyler" declaring the inten
ton TO get up such bill as he would sign and hav-
ing committed him, then get amendments which would
carry out the wishes of those who wanted such a
Bank as he believed would be violation Of the Con-
sttutionl This letter was followed up by nightly
consultations in caucus, in which feeling towards
the President the reverse Of all the assurances that
had been given by his Cabinet, was manifested This
feeling no longer confined conclaves hurst
,ba ~ .,l