The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-09-04

enter upon such measures OF eRis'aaon - s, il,
suggested to us by him We here with the knowl
edge. not only that We triumphant majority nut
with sort of overweeniDg sense Oh the party omhPo
tence in these halls which we were thus 70 exercise
the outset the proceedings ofthe house were
by that most unhappy and deplorable question OF APO
on~,he cause Of so much idle and fruitless agita-
ton in this House-a question which ne hoPed a. the
session TO see separated from the question OF the
r;ght of petition and thus rendered susceptible OF
ready settlement so far as this House was
After this brief delay, We entered upon the business
of The session, and mark the magnitude OF the mea-
snres which Congress had already dealt WITH and the
energy with which they had been carried through the
House. In
nv which the floating debt incurred by the last Admin
raon was separated from the current dealings OF the
present. and placed by ITSELF with pledge on our
mart however that it should be exnguished and paid
by the present Administration In the second place.
we hav passed the land distribution BILL which, IN ms
(Mr c. ) eye if it had other merit, was entitled TO
The highest consideration in being the time,
permanent prospective pre-emption bill Then we nad
passed the revenue BILL and he would say in regard 10
that though he voted for It with extreme reluctance
on account of various objections Of detail and with the
greater reluctance because in that vote he differed from
some of his respected colleagues yet he thought was
due to the principle that at all hazards party
popularity, should not shamble on from lndepted-
ness to and should provide meansto
meet the debts and carry business Government
Next we had passed sundry great measures OF puplc
defence for the augmentation of naval armament,
and the prosecution of land defences which bills
alone were enough to do honor toa Congress. Next
had passed that great act Of humanity and Justice
as well as Of mercy the bankrupt bill, by which SO
many thousands Of our fellow citizens would be eman-
cipated from the servitude OF state Of
which was alike Injurious both TO creditors and debt
ors Finally, had swept from the statute book MOI
only the Sub TreasuTy act-the sole measure OF Mr.,
Van Buren's ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ALSO the deposite
act, the chief measure Of Gen Jacksons second peri
cd; and have thus effectually put the stamp OF the
public reprobaton upon all the financial policy OF the
last Administration. Several of these bills had all
ready received the sanction of the Executive had be-
come the law of the land and beginning already,
TO exert salutary influence in the country ana IN
all of them there existed between the Executive ana
the two Houses Of Congress, sentiment 81 cordial
cooperation and common solcitude for their pas
sage ,e s
Now let the House ponder for moment, on these
facts. Mr.. c. said that we might in vain look back
the recent history Of the country for any thing TO
parallel these great events. He would aver and DEFY
any man TO contradict him-he would aver that you
might over the legislative history Of the last eight
that not only had previous Congress adopt
ed measures Of legislation of SO much. magnitude so
much value, and SO deeply exciting and important 10
character to the People OF the United Statesas this
CONF ress has done but that in the eight brief weeks
of the present Congress, might proudly point to
the completion of more great measures than nave oeen
accomplished in all the eight preceding years o. inc
| Administrators
we had manifested the patriotism Of Wing principles
the dignity and efficiency Of Wing Government; and
happen what might for the future thus much was Sc
cure and nothing could deprive the administration Of
Jehn Tyler Of the glory of having effected these great
these noble things for the honor and prosperity OF the
People of the United States. gas
Mr. c. said that these considerations were perth
nen introduction to the inquiry whether the President
Of the United States had been guilty OF reachery TO
his party and his country. Was any man justified in
III hon w
For what preex Not because he and we had acted to-
gethe goriousy and noby in the great measures
which Mr. c. had enumerated; but, forsooth, simply
because Congress and the President had differed IN Cpl
MON upon single question, that of Bank and for this
difference the President swantonly charged with foul
violation Of faith and honor. Mr. O. said there never
was more groundless accusation-one more totally
destitute Of all foundation in truth and in fact
In the first place, when and where was Mr.. Tyler
pledged to the Bank bills Of the present session
When and where was he pledged to any Bank
Never any where. Take the proceedings of the Har-
rsburg Convention Of hundred tests in regard
TO this question. Was the Bank bill in any Of its
shapes drawn out at that Convention and submitted
70 him. to be made The subject Of apedge his part
Was any Banka Was any hank idea 2 Every man
in the United States knows that such thing was
made the subject Of pledge At that Convention. On
econtrary, all specific pledges Of any sort were Pur-
that subject matter Of notoriety an were Gen
Harrson's; and in the face Of those opinions they
were nominated by the Convention.
| Mr.. c. said he would 60 further: not only was not
Gen Harrison, and least of all Mr.. Tyler, pledged TO
these particular bank bills or any other form of Uni
ted States Bank, but the whole party itself was alike
unpledged. He believed the precise fact TO be- that,
although the issue Of Bank no Bank was rendered
to the Wings by the other party, and attempts were
made by that party represent the idea of Bank as
the specific and discriminating characteristic Of Wing
gerry yet that issue refused, and the idea repuda-
ted if not universally, yet very generally, by the or
gans and orators of the Wings. And if, as he Mr..
G. believed this was the trne and precise state Of
the case then it is not the President Of the United
States who is guilty Of perfdy towards us; but # we
insist that bank il exclusively the essence of Wing
principles, then il Is who guilty OF peridy to-
wards the President and not towards the President
only, but towards the entire People Of the United
States For, if the premises upon which the gentle
man from Tennessee and the gentleman from Virginia
proceed in arraignng the conduct ofthe President
irue then the Wing party had oisted itself into pow
er by conceang from the People Of the United States
| the true issue
Mr. c. admitted that throughout the controversy, al
any rate wherever he was, and be addressed public as
sen,bes in manyof the States and on numerous oc-
casions, he admitted that the Wing party did under
take settle the currency question They undertook
to settle upon principles consistent with the prosper
ty and interests of the People Of the United States
4 They condemned the currency measures of the last
Administraton--they undertook to change its mea.
sures and to introduce better opes-they denounced
the Subeasury, put IN doing 30 they le themselves
open and uncommited as to the precise means of set
ting that question If the thoughts of many gentle
4 men, perhaps of most, turned towards the idea
of United States Bank, yet in the minds Of many
others that was an unsettled question and in the
minds of ALL scope reserved to The time of in
Producing such measure and to its precise details.
That leff by common consent, for discussion and
consideration when the time for action should arrive
| Mr.. G. said that in repeating the Subltreasury
act, Congress and the President had redeemed the
only distinct and notorious pledge in this matter ofthe
currency, TO the immediate execution of which they
were held, in his opinion, by the events OF the late
canvass for the Presidency. What should next be
done was thing for calm and mature reflection.
Mr. G. said he had voted for both the bank bills
that passed this House He had done So because he
approved entirely either of those bills, but because
there nothing in his past or present opinions to
prevent him from acquiescng in that respect in the
wishes Of majority Of his political friends in the
/ n. b.l. hat ntod