The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1841-07-29

HaANNME w w. MMAAfAA H1AHHM - WV W
'eInmrnL Hhd who hes sines bssn called
- rs head, EFEs vel knawn, snd mnsl
sl heressiiy have entered inla he s0Hsi
teFalion d The nalIon; IS ihe essliHs zee
an tina h0ey, wilh ~hieh ne wanld be
iasssled ss Flre President. a. stll - The
contingency lby 10 means IN improbable
sns under the Circumstances Of lhs easel
whieh has since devolsed On hlm lhe o.
See Of Chief Magistrate. gave % those
0plnlnns The highest pracucal imporsanee.
tie nRssfying oPPasI'Ion % National
Bank. On The ground of Its uaeon.ilia-
nonslily. he'd deem sanehed by The pub.
lac history and records oflhe Government,
IN The eyes % he nssion. Tor near quar-
yer ola century.
Mr.. Clay here rose and called Mr..
RiVes 70 order, affirming il 10 be VIOLA
ton Of order 10 refer 70 The opinions ofthe
President on spending subject Ofdslibera-
iion.
Mr.. RiEes said, the Senator from Ken
lucky had certainly mistaken his purpose.
He was making an historical review Of
the circumstances attending the late Pre-
sidenfisl election, in reference 70 IN issue
alleged 70 have been made and decided in
that election. II was In that connection
only that he referred 10 the past opinions
Of the President on this question Of q
National Bank, IS known 10 the whole
country; and, in thar connection, il was,
surely, both his right and his duty, II he
thought proper 10 do so, 70 speak ofihem.
He did not speak Of what might or might
not be the present opinions Of the Presi-
dent and, least Of all, did he make any
reference 70 his opinions with 4 view Of
producing any effect on the independent
action and free deliberations ofihis body.
Some farther conversation ensued on
the question Of order, when the President
Of the Senate decided that the remarks Of
Mr.. Rives were in order.
Mr.. Rives proceeded. | think, there
fore. Mr.. President, there is no sufficient
ground for saying that the question Of the
constitutional power Of Congress to es-
tablish a National Bank was decided in
the late Presidential election. Ihaye seen,
with regret, the persevering. efforts that
are made TO occlude the liberty Of private
Judgment by holding up this question as
one finally closed and settled by the most
sanctions. Great names are
and | have seen this morning, the
name Of Mr.. Jefferson, who was all his
life an unyielding and uncompromising
Of National Bank, brought
forward to sustain il. A statements pro-
duced, from what source | know not, nor
Is 1t my purpose 10 question in any man
ner the responsibility OF ii, that Mr.. JEFF
ierson, in conversation with Mr.. w. A.
Bnrwell, Of Virginia, in the spring OF 1911,
after the refusal Of Congress to recharter
the first U. 8. Bank, declared that he con-
sidered the question offs consiitutionality
as having been defnitiyely settled. Now,
SIR, the published writings Of Mr.. JefIer-
sen show that three years after that time
ne did, indeed, consider the question oflhe
constitutionality Of a Bank Of the United
States as settled, but as settled against its
constitutionality. In letter to Mr.. Ep-
pes, dated the 9Th Nov. 1919. he uses
this emphatic language: After the solemn
decision Of Congress against the renewal
OF the charter of the Bank of the United
States, and the grounds Of that decision.
the want of constitutional power,l | had
imagined that question at rest, and that no
more applications would be made to them
Tor the incorporation Of Banks
The truth is, Mr.. President, that this
mooted question has received different
decisions, at the hands Of the people and
their representatives, at different times,
and II probably gives rise to as much diff
terence OF opinion at this, as at any former
period OF our history. If il has been
settled one way at one time, il has been
settled another way at another time; the
result (which is, that is yet an unsettled
and open question, and will, probably,
ever remain so, in the public judgment.
will not undertake to say on which side
OF 1t majority Of the nation are, at this
moment All must admit that a very
large and patriotic portion OF the nation
probably moiety at least vet maintain
the negative. In this diyiGel and nicely
balanced state of public opinion, on a
fundamental question Of power, and one,
too, which has never failed to excite a
profound sensation through the mass Of
the people. is 1t not the part of true policy
and wisdom to avoid the disputed ques-
ton, when the same practical results can
be attained in the mode proposed BY the
Secretary Of the Treasury | would ap-
peal to honorable gentlemen on this side
oil the House, and ask if they are not
wiling To show as much consideration for
the honest and conscientious convictions
oil large body of their fellow-citizens in
regard to the sacred boundaries Of the
Constitution, as they have shown in the
case Of the Northeastern Boundary, TO the
shallow and uafounded claims of a foreign
power in regard to the limits of the nation
al domain, BY a5staining from the disputed
territory.
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