Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-08-28
rod Williams, written prior to the Presi-
4 - =

rod Williams, written prior to the Presi-
dental election in 1886:
al was not in Congress when the late bank
was chartered, but was member Of the thirteenth
Congress, after its first session, when the con
duct of the bank in its incpen measures, was
examined into; and, believing, from the result
OF the investigation, that the charter had been
violated, | voted for the judicial investigation,
with view Of annulling its charter"
In another part of the same letter, Cen
eral Harrison said .' ..a'..
"The question, then, for me TO answer is,
whether, under the circumstances you state, if
elected to the office of President, | would sign
an act TO charter another bank answer.
would, If it were clearly aScertained that the
public interests, in relation to the collection and
disbursement of the revenue, would materially
suffer without one, ard there were unequivocal
manifestations Of public opinion in its favor. |
think, however, the experiment would be fairly
tried TO ascertain whether the financial opera
tons Of the Government cannot be as well car
ried on without the aid of a National Bank If
it is not necessary for that purpose, it does not
appear to me that one can be constitutonally
chartered. There is no construction which | can
give the Constitution which would authorize it,
on the ground OF affording facilities to commerce.
The measure, if adopted must have Tor its object
the carrying into effect facilitating at least the ex.
ercse of some one OF the powers positively grant.
ed to the General Government. If others flow
from it producing equal or greater advantages to
the nation, so much the better; but these cannot
be made the grounds for justfyng recourse to
it.
"The excitement which has been produced by
the bank question, the number and responsibility
OF those who deny the right to Congress to char.
ter one, recommend strongly the course above
suggested"
In his speech at Dayton, Ohio, in 1910,
Gen. Harrison made this declaration
My opinion of the power of Congress to
, charter a National Bank remains unchanged.
There is not in the Constitution any express
grant OF power for such purpose, and it could
never be constitutional 10 exercise that power,
save in the event the powers granted to Congress
could not be carried into effect without resorting
to such an institution. Mr. Madison signed the
law creating national Bank, because he
thought that the revenues of the country could
not be collected or discussed TO the best advan.
tage, without the interposiiion Of such an estab.
lshment. | said, in my letter to Sherrod viii.
lams that, il it was plain that the revenues of
the Union could only be collected and dsbursed
in the most efectual way, by means of bank
and if was clearly of opinion that the majority
of the people of the United States desired such
an institution, then. and then only, t0ould sign
} a bill going to charter Bank"
The space can hardly be better employed
: at this moment, than in extending this
r Bank History" so as to show how our
fathers and the fathers of the Constitution
= understood it. This is done to our hands,
i in the following article from the Alexan-
dria Gazette st. Louis Ne,O Era.
We are under obligations to Mr. Senator
WRlGHr, for having called our attention to the
) opinions of the Great Architects who framed our
Republican Edi6ce on the subject Of National
Bank. In Mr. WRIaHrs Speech procaming
the future course Of the Government, and the
monied concerns Of the country, we noted spe.
cialy the following passage:-
"He MR. WRtGuTl knew Of nothing which
could induce him to vote for the chartering OF a
National Bank He should oppose The re.char.
ter Of the present Bank, on account Of its open
and fragrant violations Of its charter. And he
should vote against the charering Of the present
Bank, or Of any bank, by Congress, whether it
was to be situated at Phadel phia, at New York,
or in any other Of the States. He was so op-
posed, on the broad ground that Congress had not
, the constitutional power to charter any Bank.
He might be too sangulne, but he fully believed
that in addition to the invaluable services which
had been rendered 10 the country by the Pres
dent Of the United States, he was yet destined
: by Providence, 10 render one service which
would eclipse all that had preceded it, By bring
ing back the Constitution TO the construction IN
tended to be given to it By the acise men whc
framed it and by the people who adopted It,"
Of course, as the question of the consti-
tutionality of a National Bank is the sub
ject Of which the Senator is treating, the
fresh harvest of glory is to be acquired by
General JACKSON, by "bringing back the
, Constitution" to tie construction uhach the
. ,Cise men Dho framed 1t, intended it shoulo
receius UPON THIS POINT. Be it our pro.
vince then to ascertain how those "wise
men" themselves construed the Constitu.
ton, then fresh from their hands, upon this
great question.
Of the members of the Convention Of
+ 1887, which formed the Federal Constitu
ton, thirty eight sanctioned and signed the
r instrument, viz: NeD Hampshrc-Johr
J Langdon, Nicholas Gilman. Massachu
sehS--Nathanel Gorham, Rufus King
Connecticut-Wiliam Samuel johnson
Roger Sherman. New York-Aexandel
, Hamilton. New Jersey-Wiiam Living
ston, David Breary, William Paterson
Jonathan Dayton. Pennsyluania-Bena
min Franklin, Thomas Miffiin, Robert
= Morric Caorue Clyuar Tbomoe E;t,e;r,