Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1841-09-14

ana MS CONSISTENCY tuuS IicS1i NSes
fit were possible to disinier the venc
rated remains OF James Madison, reanl-
mated his perishing form, and place him
once more in that chair OF state, which he
SO much adorned, what would have been
his course, ifthis bill had been presented
TO him, even supposing him never TO have
pronounced his acqaiescence nithesetsled
Judgment of the nationi lie would have
said that human controversy in regard to
single question should not be perpetual,
and ought TO nave termination. This,
about the power to establish q Bank of
the United States, has long enough con-
tinued.
The nation, under all the forms OF its
public action has often and deliberately de-
cided it. A bank ,& associa'ed financial ana
currency questions, which had long slept,
were revived and divided the nation du-
ring the last ten wears of arduous and
bitter struggle; and the party which put
down the Bank, and which occasioned all
the disorders in our currency and Enan-
ces, has itself been signally put down, by
one of those great moral and political rev.
oluiions which free and patriotic People
can but seldom arouse itself TO make
Human infallibiliiy has not been granted
by God; and the chances of error are
much greater on the side of one man than
on that of the majority ola whole People,
and their successive Legislatures, during
a long period oftime. yield to their ir.
resistable force of authority. | will not
put myself in opposition to a measure so
imperatively demanded blythe public voice
and so essential to elevate my depressed
and suffering countrymen.
And why should not President Tyler
have suffered the bill to become law
without his signaturel Without meaning
the slightest possible disrespect to him,
(nothing is further from my heart than the
exhibition of such feeling towards that dis.
tinguished citizen, long my personal
friend it cannot be forgotten that he
came into his present Office under peculiar
circumstances. The People did not
foresee the contingency which has hap
pened. They voted for him as Vice
President. They not, therefore,scruiinize
his opinions with the care which they pro
badly ought to have done, and would have
done, ifthey could have looked into futu
rty. 1.-THE present state of the fact:
could have been antici7ated-if at Harris
burg, or at the polls il had been foreseer
that Gen. Harrison would die in ont
short mouth after the commencement o
his administration; that Vice Presiden
TYLER would be elevated to the Presiden
+ tial chair; that bill, passed BY decisiv,
maiorIties 'of the first Wing Congress
chartering a National Bank would be pre-
sented for his sanction; and that he woulC
veto the bill, do | hazard anything whe
express the conviction that he woulC
not have received q solitary vote in tn
nominating Convention, nor one solita
: nv electoral vote in any State in tn
! Unionl
Shall be told that ;he honor, 1.-The firm
ness, the independence of the Chief Ma
! gistrate might have been drawn in que:
ton if he had remained passive, and S
D permitted the bill to become a lawl
Il answer that the Office of Ichief Magistrat
: is a sacred and exalted trust, created an
/ conferred for the benefit of the nation, AN
t not for the private advantage of the pc
: son who fills it. Can any mans reput;
q ton for firmncss, independence and hoi
= or be of more importance than the we
fare of great Peoplel There is hothin
i" in my humble judgment. in such cour
. incompatible with honor, with firmnes
IS with independence, properly understood
Certainly, | must resp ectfully thin
in reference TO measure like this, r.
+ commended by such high sanctions
$ by FIVE Congresses-by the authorir
e of four Presidents-by repeated deci
$ ions of the Supreme Court-by til
, acquiescence and judgment ofthe pei
S pie of the United States, during Ion
is periods of time-by IFS salutary OPP,
e ration on the interests Of the comml
e nifty for aspace of forty years, and d.
le handed by the People whose suffrt
h ges placed President Tyler in tn
second office from whence he W;
e translated 10 the first, that he migI
/ have suppressed the promptings of q
IS personal pride, Of private opinion,
al any arise in his bosom, and yielded
ut the wishes aud wants OF his COuntr
g Nor7do l believe that, in such
m course, he would have made Il
re smallest sacrifice, in a just sense,
j personal honor, firmness or indepe
lg denCe.
f But, sir, there was still third q
y tentative, to which allude, not b
n cause | mean to intimate that il shou
We be embraced, but because | am r
O. minded of it by a memorable event
e. the life of President Tyler. 1t will
#. recolIected that, after the Senate h;
es passed the resolution declaring the r
tic moval of the public deposites fro
he the late Bank of the United States
lr- have been derogatory from the Co
ed stitution and laws of the United Stat
he for which resolution President, til,
VS. Senator Tyler, had voted, the GeneI
W, Assembly of Virginia instructed t
MS Senators from that State to vote |
he the expunging Of that resolution
as Sentor Tyler declined voting in CO
to forlnity with that instruction, and !
la signed his seat in the Senate of t
lid United State. This he did becar
De, he could not conforms, and did not thi