Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1841-08-26

spect for the wisdom Of the Legislature would
naturally decide the balance in favor oftheir
opinion: it is chiefly for cases where they
are clearly misled by error, ambition, or in
terest, that the Constitution has placed
check in the negative of the President.'-
Sir, this sentiment ought to be printed in let
ters OF gold, and hung up at the portals Of
the Executive mansion.
Gen. Washington gave to this subject his
most anxious consideration. He held up the
bill to the last moment that he was allowed
by the Constitution to retain it, and he task
ed all the faculties of his great and compre-
hensive mind to the utmost, to come to a cor |
rect conclusion, and he finally gave to the bill |
the sanction Of his name.
The gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. |
SAUNDERs) says that this decision by the |,
Congress and the President ought not to be |
regarded as authoritative, because it was
made in the infancy of the Republic. Here,
MIR. chairman, again join issue with the
gentleman. maintain that there are cir
cuustances which give to this decision of the
government sanctity which belongs to no
other adjudication. What are these circum-
stances! In the first place, it was made We
ry recently after the Constitution was form
ed, and alta period when the views and mean
ing OIL Its trainers were necessarily much bet
ter understood than they are now.
/ Secondly, 1t was made, 10 considerable
extent, by the same persons who had framed
the Constitution itself, and who, of course,
+ are to be presumed to have understood its
| provisions better than any one else. And
here, sir, let us resort to the official records,
, and see precisely how this matter stands
Ii gentlemen will consult the ior rnals, they
will lind that there were in the senate of the
United States, In the year 1871, eight MEM
bers who had been members OF the Conven-
ton which formed the Constitution. To a.
VOID all mlsapprehension, will give their
nanes' and II any gentleman desires to make
the examination Tor himself, he can do so by
referring to the Journal of the Senate, 1871,
page 234. The names are: John Langdon,
New Hampshire; William S. Johnson, Con-
necticut; Rufus King, New ork Robert
/ Morris, Pennsylvania; Richard Bassatt,
) Delaware; George Reid, Delaware; Pierce
Butler, South Carolina; and William Few,
= Georgia. Ut these, the six first named voted
e In favor OF the Bank, and the two last named
i, against it.
0 In the House of Representatives, there
i were also eight members who had been MEM
o bers OF the Federal Convention. They were
n George Clymer, OF Pennsylvania; Thomas
+, fitzsimons, OF Pennsylvania; Nicholas Gill
: man, of New Hampshire; Roger Sherman,
e Of Connecticut; Abraham Baldwin, OF Geor-
s gia; Daniel Carroll, of Maryland; James
d Madison, OF Virginia; and Hugh William
e son, OF North arolina. The four first nam
6 ed voted Tor the bank, and the four last nam.
o ed voted against it.
1t thus appears that ofthe sixteen members
@ OF the Convention which formed the Consii-
o tuition Of the United States, who were in the
i Congress OF 1871, ten voted for the bank and
e six against it.
We also know, officially, that George
8 washington, the President Of the Conven-
$ ton, and Alexander Hamilton, one of it's
: most distinguished members, were in favor of
G the Bank OF the United States, and we know,
= too, that James Madison, in 1915. relnquish-
= ed his objections to the constitutiona!ity of a
. hank 50 that, if We classify the members of
e ihe SohVehVton "i.1oC vPinioHs !, t;o i,,l-
Y portant subject have been officially declared,
we will find they stand thirteen in favor of il
IS to five against it, nearly in the ratio OF
3. three to one! Here l leave this point, with
70 this single inquiry, which throw out for the
10 consideration of those who are to follow me
e in this debate, VINO CAN BE MORE coMpe-
n TENT TO GIVE A JUST EXPOSITION OF THE
IT CONSTITUTION THAN THOSE WHO FRAMED 1T ?
~ The third consideration, which seems to
% me to give peculiar authority TO the decision
% OF the hrst Congress, is, that it was made
1t without reference to the influence Of party
o The subject was taken up and considered as
5, financial and business measure, and it was
s. discussed, as all great measures should be
d discussed In our legislative halls, with calm
j. ness and dignity and mutual forbearance,
o and 1t was decided, as have already shown
= by reference, to the journal, without any re-
h gard to those party Influences which some
) times sway the judgment of the most yirtuous
= men.
I'll The last circumstance to which will bare
n ly advert, as giving a peculiar authority to
= the decision OF 1871, is the character of the
J hfst President--the Father of his Country,
f do not propose, MIR. Chairman, to pronounce
4 a studied eulogy on the character of Wash
8 ington. Nothing that could say could add
! another ray to the halo Of glory which sur
: rounds his name. Nor will stop to combat
n the views OF those who charge that in his ad-
: ninlstration of the Government he departed
!, from the true principles of the Constitution.
J. Let others think what they may, l have no
Z! hesitation in announcing it as my opinion
y that George Washington was not only the
S pnrest and best, but also the wIsEsT man that
/. 'his country ever saw. benign Providence
: seems to have created him for the special
e purpose oil achieving the independence of his
! country, and of establishing its liberties upon
, sure and permanent foundations. This man,
then, fresh from the Convention which franz
! ed the Constitution, over whose deliberations
ne mad been chosen to preside, was called on
{ TO decide this great constitutional question.
lis sound, discriminating, and, may almost
| add, lnilexible judgment, was enlightened by
the able arguments of Hamilton on the one
side, and Randolph and Jefferson on the other,
and, after the most mature deiiberation, he
gave his sanction to the bill. If all these
considerations do not give authority and
sanctity to that judgment, what circumstan-
ceS can give validity to the decision ola hui
man tribunal?
| Thus, sir, the bank Of 1871 was establish