The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1841-09-16

"As 70 the other act, it was passed no less for
the benefit Of the community than the banks
protect the ignorant and un~ary from counter.
Z irit paper, Blrponinpto have been emitted by the
bank. When gentlemen are claiming the al.
! vantage supposed TO be deducible from acquies.
conce. let ne in1 ire what they would have had
those 10 have done WHO believed the establish.
mont of the bank an cneroachment upon State
rights We're They 10 have resisted, and how
By force p
The honorable Senator then proceeds TO
bear the following iesIimony, as an actor in
the scene, 10 tho principles upon which both
Of those laws were passed:
The acts OF 1904 and 307, relied on as rlcdg.
es for re chayterIng this company, passed not or
ly without any discussion whatever Of the con-
iI,uiional power OF Congress 10 establish bank,
but, | venture 10 cay, without single inolnbsr
having had his attention drawn TO tins question.
| had the honor Of seat in tho Senate hen the
latter law passed, and probably voted 70. it and
/ declare. with the utmost sincerity, that neyor
once thought Of that point, and appeal conf
deatly 10 every honorable member VINO was then
present to say if that was not his situation"
The Senator himself thus furnishes the
tue explanation Of the considerations on
which those acts were passed-ao e1plaua
ton The benefit Of which he must il Justice
extend to Mr.. Jefferson, while lie claims il
for himself, and has 50 disposed Of his own
argument.
ho.d, therefore, that, il President T'y
Ter had respect either 10 the sage views .
or the lever glorious example Of the
fathers Of the great Republican school,
be never could have brought his mud 10
the conclusion the! he was ~ duty bound to
give his official signature aid approval 10
such bill as We sent him.
beg leave 10 refer The honorable Scna.
/ tor from kenlucky TO another passage IN
the Inaugural address of Presider, Tyler,
which be seems to have wholly overlooked,
aud Nhlch plainly lntimaes, as it appears
10 me- the determination Of the President
10 make The Constitution, in his own con
scienlIous Interpretation Of II, the sole rule
Of hts conduct 10 The opening Of that ad.
dress he makes the following Impressive re.
ference 10 tho solemn obligation he had Ia
ken upon himself in assuming the oiiiee Of
/ Chief Magistrate; My earnest prnycr,"
says he, shall be 10 carry out understand.
iogly the principles Of that Constitution
which | have sworn to protect, preserve,
and defend. ;" Why this emphatic refer
ence 10 The Constitutions, of his country, in
connection With the solemn sanctions Of bis
oath Of Office, ii he did not intend 20 make
III, under oil circumstances, the primary
aud unbendng rule of his official couduc,
4 In the closing part Of the same address he
I repeats, in The following language, jus,
admon.tion against the exercise of any pow.
cr not clearly granted by the Constitution:
"Those said hcl who are charged with tho
administration Of tie Government should care.
fully abetGin trcm all sttcmpts 10 enlarge tic
range Of powers thus granted 10 the several De.
partmerts other than by an dppedi 10 The People
f05 additional grants, lest by so dong they dis.
tIrb that balance which the patriots and states.
men who framed the Constitution designed 10 os,
tlbish between the Federal Government and the
States composing the Union"
Surely, with language like this upon his
lips, and sentiments such as these 10 his
heart, tie President could NOT be Justly ex
pecied to sign bill which IN bis conscience
he believed. and had so repeatedly and so
Iemnly declared, to be contrary TO the Con.
si'ntIon OF bis coun;ry.
There beng, then nothing in the opia.
ions Of the faihers and founders Of the re,
publican school to induce President Tyler,
as a consistent disciple OF that school for
twenty five years past, and one who had
over aud over expressed his conviction of
tho unconsululionulity Of Bank of the
United States, to change tina; opiuion, what
course Lui that which he has pursued was
left to hum when the bill for such bank
was presented for his approval!
The Senator from Kentucky tells US that
the opinions Of the individual nominated,
by the patriotic and enlightened Conyen.
lion which assembled at Harrisburg, as a
candidate for tho Vice Presidency, on this
great and mporan, subject, were but little
thought oi.
MIR. CLAY. The Senator has stated this
very dllltreu!ly from the manner in which
stated tie fact, What said was, tina,
the President thought his opinions more
extensively kaown than they actually were:
anu 'tdA luS tte9 IShAt lANliNS as dA'uSlNGN
to them when they were known, because
he was the candidate for the second office
only.
| acQuicsce IN the Senator's explanation.
Gut was not this most extraordinary state
Of things! Aud did it not, if it were SO,
bcspeak on the part Of tba, Convenlon a
signal instance Of recklessness and wan, Of
consideration The party, he says, were
intent on the one great object Of an old
fashioned Bank of the United States, and
they knew that bill chariorlng such
bank might be dependent for its fate on the
casting vote Of the Wee Pfesiden, 10 thus
body, las 1t was when it was nega,iyed by
the potential voice OF George Clinton -
Surely Il would have evnced a most extra.
ordinary want Of foresight, when such is
sues were depending, to select candidate
for that chair without the most careful IN.
quiry into his constitutional opinions. Was /
John Tyler so Insignificant character that
they knew nothing of his past history =
a