Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1841-10-11
GSNCnuUWG. OCTOBER II. us,,
WM. II. CRAWFORD'S OPINIONS

! he edh6f OF me Ncpuolican soma time since n,
pr ssed the opinion, the accuracy Of which "a.
ln,sroned. lha, prior TO the death Of Mr.. WIN. u
C,a"iord, ul Georgia lie canied the views h.. Irn
unnrnly expr ssed, from 1911 10 1882 IN III III
TO the constIutionahty ,fa National B INK D.
editor Of the Augusta (Georga) Constiiution,l,.,
concnrrcd IN opinion with neighbour aud ,,,,s,
III as FAR back as 1929 Mr.. Crawford had ch,,,.,
ms OPINION on this question. This statement, Inv
ever. we rehutled, BY q1o,ns a letter of Mr.. Crax.
ford, II Mr. lngeIso !. dared N December ls3t
two years after h's alleged ch nge OF opniun in Winch,
a ri referring 10 his celebrlted speech of ISL =,
t'ver Of The Bank, he declared enphatically lI,,
the sentiments therein expressed were sun enl.,
,'lnrdby him. SO that, # the editor OF the Angp..
Ia Con,luonallsl did, as he still alleges, hear Al,
Cra"iord in 1929, avow change OF opinion, and
has letters of that disting u she'd gentleman !, III;
possession which will prove his ASSERTION, Mr. C..
le,er II 1881 70 Mr.. lngersoIi proves quite as con-
cusvely ina he had changed back again Bu1,lrn
Coz" es another letter from Mr.. Crawford to M.h.
! ~ chrrson, written on the 4th February, 1888,
interference ra'iculal. to the Tariff, but incluen
denlaty touching upon National Bank, which
would sre.n to shuw that he la changed for the
third time. But IT'S worthy Of especial note that 80
long as he looks ".xcluslvely on the constitution,
lie tell, that ne finds in il authority to incorpotae
Bahk-and IT is only when, turning from that nsfu.
nlrn', lac seeks iia Key 10 Its inerpre a,ion other
than that furnished by its own language, that he
be 'ns IL do"b the correctness of his cary embraced
aud long maintained oplnlon. The exrac, from hls
lrtler 10 Mr.. Dlcherson Is IN the following words:
''The publication III The journal Of the federal
convention, and other documents connected wltl,It
has thrown much lght npon the powers OF he fed.
era gov tome". | verify heieve il they had been
published before the oil the federal gov
eminent, neither the bank of The United States, IA,
assumption OF the Stale debts. protective tanf
would ever lave been found IN the federal staue
book. When | made my OPP npDn the bank
question III 1911, that opinion was found d exclu-
svey On the constitution. The publication OF Tie
Journals, which have perused for The fl 81 tune
has changed that op'uioD. II 10 med your opln-
upon the pr tective system ~ the way, be-
iore the publication ol TIE j,urna, aud probably,
with 'ut hay ng seen Laiher vi ,iilns repou'
When Nir Crawford says"l have now ,erused
for tue s. ii ne" tie "ournal,' 10 whlc he a,i,l-
butes In, thauge ofopnon on the power OF Congress
TO incorporate Bank, does he mean. that although
w,uins IN 1888. he had read that .jourua as lar
ba as 1893, when the editor OF tie Augusta Con-
sri,u,onasl alleges lie had avo"ed change of opln
on! II lie had read that journal IN 1929
then the ednor Of he Consurlunalist must be mis-
t,ken because Nh Crawford attribute, his change
Of opinion TO tie new Ishl impaired 10 his mind by
that u5hc ton. Yet # he had read the journal IN
1929. and his change OF opinion was the couse-
quence, how dues IL happen that in lS3l lie tells
| Mr.. lngeisolI that The orIn aud views ably
maintained IN his speech 10 favor Of Bank in 1911,
remain unchanged There is some mys'ery III
the matter certainly and ii is due TO Nh C,aniorJs
nemor, that hc should be relieved, if possible, from
4 the awkward l,m.na in when he is thus involved
by HI, friends.
Oar nelghbor is right IN surprising. thai attach
"some impotrauoe Mr.. Crawiords opinions in
C,ror OF a Bhnk"-but not entlr, y, or mani
~, because has opnlons are, per Sc" emil
lied, IN our tsIIniation, 10 any wy extraordina-
~ respect. Mr.. e. was man OF eminent talents.
II tue; but in this respect even he inferior
many Il his contemporaries, -some of them perhaps
OF less celebrity Than hi self. The chief value #
his opinions is served from the fact. to which, if
Alright, he adverts IN his letter of 1881
to Mr. lngesoll-lo vii, that his eight years expe-
renee IA, Secretary of the Treasury, had SAT- Fl d
linn OF The great utility. If not tie absolute necessl
4 4 IA National BAUM. as IA fiscal agent Of The goveLse
menl. Aud 4 is worthy oI remark he,e that no
Secretary "i the Treasury, Mess,s Teney and
| Woodbury. exc pied, has ever held different an-
guagc; a ID one of these (Alr Tane,) was too short
IA Tune al the head of the financial Dtpa,tmen, to
lean the value of the N ional Bank BY Its loss.
Hamilton, the Secretary under Washing on: Gala
lin. the Secretary under Jeftron ID Has, the Secre.
tary under Madison; Ctaword the Secretary un-
der Monroe; Rush. The Secretary under J. Q. Ad-
ans; and McLane, Of the Secretaries under
Jaekson. all concu,red IN the utility # such in
slituton-uay, We believe We do not go too far when
we say that all Of them asserted its absolute and in
dI,p nsi0le tecessii,, as AN arm of the natouai
treasury. AGAINST ihs host Of financial talent and
! practical craftsmanship stands The name OF Lew
Woodbury., "soltary aud alune." For one, We
Glucose to c"nhde IN the opinions of those whose a
b'lity as II anol's and statesmen IS universally
conceded. aud whose OPP MONS we're the offspring oh
! no parry txctemenl and the die un of no ltcal
reputation for hnancia skill is not the most nvabIe,
aud Who was called INTO the Department under clr-
cumstanccs winch pr clnded he possbily of fair
and impartial exercise of his judgment. Feuered
by hls party Ties, the embodiment OF lis enbh'
| tered meJnjlces, aud the mnulh-pece Of one who
had sworn The downfall of the former NH
hou could be give that institution far trail IL
! was Impossible. lii, n,,to was .Destructjon to the