Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1841-09-02

this horrioe monster ola bank of the u. S. on the
country in 1916. Taking the ayes alphabetical.
ly, find among them Mr.. John G.. Calhoun, the
distinguished Senator from South Carolina next
we md Mr.. Alfred Cuthbert, now Senator from
Georgia; and next, Mr.. FORSYTH. of Georgia,
late SECRETARY of State. Then follow i'm rapid
succession Mr.. lngham, the former Secretary OF
the Treasury under Gen. Jackson's adninistra-
uon; John q. Jackson, the predecessor Of my
| colleague from the Clarksburg district rMr.
Hays;] Mr.. Kerr, the predecessor of my col
League from the Halifax district, Mr.. Coles i
MIR. Wm X. King, then representative from
North Carolina, but now a Senator from Alabama:
MIR. Lowndes, OF South Carolina; MIR. Lumpkin.
OF Georgia; Gen. VIM. Nc. Coy, the predeces-
sor of my colleague from the Rockingham dis.
trict, MIR. Harrs;] Mr.. Samuel Smith, of Mary
land, late distinguished Democratic Senator
from that state; and Judge Henry ST. GEORGE
Tucker, at pre- sent the able and respected Presi-
dent of the Court Of Appeals of Virginia, and
the acknowledged head Of the Democratic party
in that State. These are few EXAMPLES. MI.
Chairman, OF the FEDERALIsrs who were in
strumental in inflicting this deep wound upon the
Constitution of their country!
Now, Sir, let us look upon the other side of the
picture, and see who were the staunch Democrats
who resisted this monstrous encroachment upon
the liberties of the People. Sir, do not mean,
In any thing may say, to be understood as cast
ing any lmpatatoh on the motives Of the Feder-
alists, or as endorsing any of the vile calumnics
which have been propagated against their charac-
ter. Although dissent widely from many of
their opinions, believe that the Federal party
was influenced, in the main, by as elevated and
patriotic impulses as any party that ever existed.
NO, sir, far be it from my purpose, a, any
time, to denouncc aparty which numbered a.
mongst its members Washington, and Adams
and Hamilton, and Marshall, and a host of the
noblest spirits of the Revolution. merely adj
vert to the party distinctions Of the day to rebuke
the authors of the assertion that the Bank was
Federal measure, carried by Federal votes. Who
then, were those who were most distinguished
for their opposition to the bank First. sir,
will name Gen. James Breckenridge of Virginia
gentleman conspicuous for his elevated charac
ter and sound judgment, but who was a consis-
tent Federalist to the day of his death. Next id
order, will mention Judge CASTOR of North Car
DINA Joseph Lewis, of Virginia Timothy
Pickering, of Massachusetts, and my lamentod
and distinguished personal friend, the late Daniel
Shelley, of Virginia, who then represented the
district from which my colleague in front of me
Mr. Hopkins now comes, and who always
glorled In being called Federalist. Last, but
not least, among the opponents of the Bank in
1916 was Daniel Webster, row Secretary of State,
but then representative from New Hampshre-
man who, If MIR. Richie is to be taken as au-
thority, is the very impersonation of every vile
political heresy which spirit of lawless usurpa-
ton ever generated. Thus you see WHO were
'hc WHO NOLeu IOr THIS bill, and WHO
the Democrats who voted against it!
Having now completed this general view of
the SUBJECT let me turn for moment TO examine
what has been the course of Virginia, the shap
ship OF democracy,i on this great question. How
did her delegation stand on this memorable occa-
| sion! From the constant clamor which is kept
up about the devotion of Virginia TO democracy
as gentlemen call it, and her steadfast and uni
form opposition to bank, you would naturally be
led to expect that she presented on that occasion
an unbroken front. But how stand the facts q
Virginia in 1916 had twenty-five representatives,
and upon tho passage of the bill eighteen were
present and voted as follows:
AYES-Messrs. Tn. Gholson, A. Halves. ].
p. 1ungerford, J. G.. Jackson, ]. Kerr William
Mccoy, Ballard Smith, Henry st. George Tuck
NOES-Messrs. P. p. Barbour, y. Basset, J..
Breckenridge. j. Clopton, p. Goodwin. ]. John
son, }. Lewis, II. Newton, J. Randolph, ID. Shelf
fey.
Making eight for the bill and ten against it. Four
members were absent, viz. Hugh Nelson, James
Peasants, Magnus Tate, and w. VI. Roane.-
Classed politically, the delegation stood nineteen
| republicans and three federalists. The federal.
lists were Breckinridge, Lewis and Shelley, every
| one oil whom voted against the bill, whilst every
man OF the delegation who voted for it was a re.
publican.
But we are not left in the dark as to the sentf
ments of the absent members for, after the vote
was taken on the passage of the bill il was sent
to the Senate, whence it was returned to the
House with amendments ; and OH the 5th of A.
prll, 1916, Mr.. Randolph moved to postpone the
consideration of the bill and amendments indef.
nlteIy. (See journal, p 59S.) This motion
gave rise to much debate, and the vote being ia.
| ken, 1t stood ayes 81, noes 81. Before this vote
was taken, the members from Virginia who had
been absent at the former vote had returned tc
their seats, and three of them, viz Messrs
Peasants, Tate, and Nelson, voted against the
motion Tor indefinite postponement, whilst ony
one, Mr.. Roane voted for it. Yes, sir, strange as
1t may seem to some gentlemen, Mr.. Hugh Mel
son the predecessor of my colleague my left
(Mr. GIlmer,) and the immediate representa-
tive Of the Monticello district, voted FOR tn,
bank, Where that gentleman was when tn,
vote on the passage of the bill was taken--wheth
er he was in the city, or had gone home to con
suit the Mountain Sage as to the vote he SHOULD
gIve-l viii not pretend to say {; though, if
were to hazard conjecture on the subject,
would be the latter. Adding these absentees 4
the ayes and noes as given the passage o
the bill, we have eleven Of the Virginia deiega
ton voting for the bank and eleven against it,
But, of the eleven who voted against it, tire
were Federaists, while all those who voted for
were Republicans. These, sir, are authenti
facts But this is not all Let us look to the Senat
OF the United States. There you will find tina
both the Republican Senators from Virginia
James Barbour and A. y. Mason, voted for tn
bank. Where, then, sir was the potential voc
OF virginia Where were her instructions I
her Senators Did the sentinel sleep on tn
watch-tower Let it not be said, Mr.. Chairna
that this question was suddenly sprung on tn