Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1841-09-03
NMIR iPRlASS
Communication.
Huntington, August 20, 1871.
To John Tyler, President Of the United

SlN "o ohC VI tit ooNtltIEn HtoIiN ~ t''o
great nation, l address you and for this |
make no apology, but simply to say, that
whore one is elevated to office, no matter
how high, or honorable the station, no mat
ter though he be surrounded with the pa
geantry of the old world, and hold converse
with the representatives Of the crowned
heads Of Europe, his official acts, become, as
hwcre, public property, and are liable TO
Be, and ought to be, scrutinized and canvas
scd with great freedom and independence,
though with respect. You, sir, act by a do
legatcd authority, as one Of the servants oil
the people, and 10 them you are, and must
be ultimately accountable. Though, sir, !
shall speak with great plainncss, yet do not
conclude, l underrato the dignity of your
station, the urbanity of your manners, tho
integrity Of your character or the capacity
Of your intellect. No, sir, | am a friend ;
one who contributed what in him lay, to
elevate you to the second Office in the gif
Of the people. But, sir, permit me to say
that I have boon disappointed and %grieved,
IN your applying tho reto pomer, in a%rrosting
the most deliberate legislation Of Congress
the funeral kneH, 10 the bill, providing for
the establishment of a national bank and
I must speak out. My fidelity to you, and
respect for myself, and the institutions of my
country, require it. If tho reasons, which
you give, in your reto message, are insult
hcient to justify the exercise of such a tre-
mcndous power; their insficiency should be
exposed. In all charity, | will examine
them. You begin, by saying in substance,
that the power of Congress to create a nation
al bank has been a cercd question from the
origin Of our government, and that our
country has been, and till is deeply ngitdted
with this unsettled question. Your opinion,
you add, has been uniformly against the OK
ercise of this power; which has been pro-
claimed upon all proper occasions. This is
made the plank, upon which you rest your
veto message. That men of equally high in
tellcctual endowmcnts, and justly ostcca,cd
for their virtue and patriotism havo enter
tanned, theoretically, different opinions, in
regard to the exercise of this power is fully
admitted and it would i'll become mo, tc
say that such results, were not equally from
the sincerity of their convictions. As you
sir, waive tho discussion of the question up.
on its original merits l shall spend no TIM
in inquiring ; which was the better opinion
Mr.. Dallas, Secretary of the Treasury, evel
in 1914, in his communication of a genera
plan of a national bank to Congress, inqui
rcd, whether it could be deemed a violation
Of the right of private opinion "to conside
tho constitutionaliiy, Of a national BAN
rs a question forerer settled and at rest.
The question, for you, sir, is this Ina. no
the Constitution received, a legislative, prac
teal and Judicial exposition, in this parti
cular, which should not at tho present da,
de disturbed. Is there no respect, due, t.
deliberate and reiterated prccedcnts! Hav
you not, sir, exhibited a pcrtinacity in op
posing your individual opinion to legislotiu
and judicial preccdents, tina, i'll become
the chief magistrate of this great nation
Flow docs this matter stand 7 Let US examine
Are you not wrong, in treating this as a
unsettled question, upon which to engra,
an obnoxious Ucto ? You know that in 49,
the first national bank was chartered. Th
'onstitutionality Of the measure was niue
discussed among the people, in the Hous
Vi Representatives, and the Senate. cham
bcr. The bill received the APPRECIATION of
majority of both houses. The question wa
lily discussed in the Cabinet and ate
$40 most mature consideration il received tn
mature of Washington. Here then, 81
,ru have a precedent, within Two years ate
the organization of the government, undo
ihe Federal Constitution, made upon til
most solemn consideration, upon that the
nrw and interesting question. In 1909,
mistake not, sir, Mr.. Gallatin, Sccretar
at the Treasury, made a report to the St
ate in favour Of the renewal Of the clarte
Il the national bank but as Congress ros
tro same day, there was no action on it. .
memorial from the stockholders Of the banl
lad been presented to the House of Repre-
scntatives, and in January, 1910, a repo
vas made of a resolution declaring that
was proper to provide for the continuance
the Bank Of the United States. A bill WI
reported to the House for the renewal Of II
charter; and after some days debate, upc
question of indefinite postponement, whit
is an indirect mode of rejection, the vo
was more than two to one against it. III
bill however received no further action til
session. 1t is apparent that there was n
then a majority in the house opposed to
national bank upon constitutional grounc
In 1871, a new bill reported to the hous
was disposed OF by an indefinite postpon
nent by a majority Of one vote. In I
Senate upon another bill reported 10 til
hnlv for the Same ohiect thcrp was "a