Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1841-09-30
Messrs. GALES g. SEAroN.
STATEMENT

caiied 10 see the President on Official business
ON .ne morning (Monday 10th August) before the
Atss veto Message was sent in L found him
1Teaulng the Message to the Secretary of the
.:;aSuy. lie did me the honor to read the ma
!eriai passages to me. Upon reading that mart of
Nwhich treats of the superior importance and
vaiue Oh the business done by the late Banl, of
me United States in furnishing EXCHANGES he.
.weeh the different States and sections of the u
,h,.i was SO strongly impressed with the idea
ua' ne meant 10 Intimate that he would have no
ooJectlon to bank which should be restricted 70
uneaiihg In exchanges, that interrupted him in
Tue reaoing, and asked il was to understand. Inv
give his 10 5sa8 Bank ef IN the District Of CO.
,u"iDia, with Offices or agencies in the States
having the privilege, without their assent to deal
~ exchanges between them, and in FOREIGN bills.
ne promptly replied that he thought experience
/ 1sa SHOWN the necessity of such power in the
Sovernment; ~ could not restrain the Immediate
eAPIoos1on OF my qualification upon hearing this
avowai: said to the President at once. tba +
"hat had feared would lead to fatal dissentions
ainonS our friends, now regarded as rather for
tnnate than otherwise; that his veto of the hill
then before him would lead to the adopton of :,
much better one. l also congratulated him upon
the happy circumstance of the delav which had
taken place IN sending in his Veto Message. The
neat ana violence which might have been expect
th Gu - sne seto mad been sent in Immediately upon
inc dhe passage of the bill, would now be avoided -
lime had been given for cool reflection. and as
the message did not exclude the idea of a bank in
some form, no unpleasant consequences wonId be
likely to follow. He expressed his great surprise
snI: 'neie sn0uid De SO much excitement on the
ouoJect said that he had had his mind made I'M
on the Dill before him from the first. but had de-.
iayed MS Message that there should be time for
'he excitement to wear Off; that nothino conld he
more easy than to pass bill which would answer
al necessary purposes that it could be done in
tnree days. The next day, HAVING occasion 70
PRESIDENT no
hlsh him with such information as the War De-
Paftmeht Afforded OF the embarrassments attend
Ing the transfer and disbursement of the mbIc
revenue to distant points the frontier, in FIori
I I'd @c. lie at the same time requested me to
Draw up brief statement of my views upon the
subject, showing the practical ADVANTAGES and ne.
CesSlty OF such fiscal institution as he had
'hought OF proposing. Such information as I
co9id hastily collect from the heads of the princi
pa dlsDurslng bureaus Of the Department ihand-
~ ~ nm oh ue evening OF the same day, know
ing That time was of the utmost importance in the
state In which the question then was. He re-
ceived the statements gave him with manifest
indifference, and alarmed me by remarking that
ne began to doubt whether he would give his as
sent (as understood him) to any bank.
=. The next day "Wednesday, 18th August) was
tne stated time for the weekly mceting Of the
cabinet with the President. Mr.. Webster Mr.
E"ing, and myself, went at ten o'clock in the |
morning, and were informed that the President<
was engaged with Mcssrs. Berrien, Sergeant. an1
think, Mr.. Dawson, of Georgia. We waited I
until they retired, and the President made his an
pearance abont three quarters of an hour a(taTr-
wards. Mr.. Badger came in soon after tbe pros
ident Joined us. Mcssrs. CritteDden and Gran-
ger did not attend. The conference which ensu..
cd was long one-lasting two hours at least. ar +
cordiDg to my recollection. l cannot pretend IN
detail all that was said neither can undertake
TO give the language employed by the President
upon every point, nor of the members of the
cabinet: can only state the substance of what
was SAID upon those points which most attracted
my attention.
me President commenced by stating that he
hdd Deen waited upon that morning by a commit
zee OF Members OF Congress, who desired to know
MS views upon the subject Of bank--such one
as me could sanction. He had given them no
satisfaction upon that subject, but had informed
Them that he would first consult with his const;-
ional advisers, his cabiuet, thro' whom he tbot, il
most regular that his views should be commuui- !
;ated. He asked the opinion Of his Cabinet nm
IN the correctness of the ground he had taken; ;
emarkiDg at the same time, that the habit of ex-
PRESSING his views to Members of Congress unon {
subjects of so much interest subjected him to /
reat embarrassment and much misrepresenta d
ION. The question being disposed of, the Presi o
ent adverted briefly, but without much connex- ! I
N, TO the relation in which he stood 10 the Bank {
Iestion, and his disposition to 90 as far as he
uld to comply with the wishes of his friends. II