Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-07-31

whether we'll or ll.founded, IL goes sightless
distance, beyond any principle involved in the
assent OF the States to the establishment of
branches of the central Fiscal Bank within
tller limits. 'r ta
While there is no violation or abandonment
OF principle in the proposed assent Of the States,
il could not fail to exert happy influence ia
treconciling opinions, and harnIonising public |
sentiment. In reviewing the history Of the past
opposition TO National Bank, it will be seen
that the most prominent objections to it has ever
been founded upon the supposed violation OF the |
rights and sovereignty Of The States in the intro.
tuction OF an institution OF so much power and
influence within their borders, without their as.
sent That idea was conspicuously put forward
by the resolutions OF the Legislature Of Virginia
in 1911, against the renewal Of the charter oil
the first Bank Of the United States. That noble
old Republican Commonwealth, Pennsylvania,
which so gallanty stood by the side Of Virginia
in that memorable struggle, proclaimed her prin.
ciples in language worthy OF her own character
and OF the cause. | see her two distinguished
Senators now near me, and they will pardon me
IL read the instructions she gave 10 her Senators
in 1911, in which, with such becoming gravity,
dignity and clearness, she put forth the grounds
of her objections 10 the renewal Of the charter
Of the first Bank Of the United States, or the in.
corporation Of any similar Bank. | wish those
honorable gentlemen could consider these in.
structions as still subsisting, in spirit at least,
and then I might felictate myself with conf.
dence on receiving their able support on the
present occasion. With their permission, | will
read the instructions:
The Legislature of Pennsylvania ever DESTROYS
TO secure an administration of the Federal and
State Governments conformably to the true spirit
of their respective constitutions, feel it their duty
10 express their sentiments upon an important sub.
ject now before Congress, TO wit: the continuance
or establishment of Bank. From careful re-
view of the powers vested in the General Govern
mert, they have the most positive conviction that
the authority to grant charters of Incorporation
1rithin The Jurisdiction Of any State, i0ithyut Tie
conSen! thereof, is not recognized in that instru-
ment, either expressly, or by any warrantable i'm
pDicaton:
Resolred, therefore, That the Senators of this
State, &c, &C., be instructed to use every exerOn
in their power to prevent the charter of the Bank
Of the United States from being renewed, or am
oLier Bank, from being chartered by Congress, de-
signed to have operation cithn The Jurisdiction Of
any State, ,cithout first haring obtainsa the consent
Of the Legislature Of that Stale"
The spirit OF these instructions is faithfully
embodied, said Mr.. Rives, in the amendment |
have had the honor to submit.
But it is argued by my friends on this side OF
the house, that the power Of establishing branches
of the proposed Bank within the States, inde
pendently Of their consent, must be asserted, be.
cause the constitutionality OF National Bank
Is now settled question. That the constitution.
alty Of National Bank is settled question, in
any practical political sense, is proposition
which, in my judgment, cannot be satisfactorily
maintained A retrospect of our political his.
tory will show that there have been, at least, as
many decisions Of the people and their represent.
tatives against it, there have ever been in favor
Of it. II the Congress Of 1871 decided for it,,
the Congress Of 1911 decided against it. If a
Bank was re-established in 1916, it was permit
ted to expire by its own Limitation in 1886, with
the hearty acquescence Of large majority OF
the people, at the time, in its fate. Three or four
years before that time General Jackson had neg
atived bill for re-charter OF the Bank, ex.
pressly on the ground Of the unconstitutionality
OF an institution organized as that was, This he
did in the very crisis Of pending Presidential
election, in which the p!opriely OF his course on
the subject Of the Bank was necessarily put in
issue; and yet he was reelected by an over.
whemng majority Of the popular sufrrages.-
When Mr.. Van Buren, became a candidate to
succeed him, he declared, in the most unequiv.
oca terms, his thorough conviction OF the want
OF constitutional power in Congress to establish
a National Bank in any Of the States of the
Union, and in very earnest and emphatic man.
ner invoked the decision Of the people on that
issue in the election. And yet, with declarations
such as these, preclulng the poss biity Of Ma.
tlons Bank for the ensuing four years, il he were
elected he was chosen President of the United
States.
In the result Of the late Presidential election,
the question OF the consttulionaity Of Bank
cannot, with fairness, be said to have been decided
10y the judgment Of the nation. There were too
many other prominent issues involved to Justify
that conclusion. The odiousness Of the sub.
Treasury, united in opposition to the Adminstra.
ton OF Mr.. Van Buren, many persons who differed
widely on the question Of National Bank.
The opinions OF the distinguished and amented
individual who was the candidate for the Presi.
dency had been decidedly opposed to the const.
tutionaty Of National Bank. In his votes in
the House oil Representatives, at former period
and in letter addressed to his constituents in
1922, which was extensively published, he had
manifested and declared those opinions in the
strongest manner. In his letter to Mr.. Shenod
Williams, in 1886, it is true, he said, he would
hol "'hholu MS signature, II erected President, |
from bill, with proper qualifications and re.
arictions cbarterng Bank, provided such an
inslitution, after fair and full experiment of
other expedients, should be show to be neces.
sary Cor the management Of the public revenue
and SsOriRed also there should be decided and
unequiNocaI manifestations Of the opinion of the
country in favor of it. The qualifications and
provisss, with which he so carefully surrounded
Ills answer. evidently left him uncommitted on
die question, and, taken in connexion with his |