Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-01-21

h s,,,os ltn, l,poe Colossus deCyirg all law, and
working their own will, uncontrolled and uncohtF"''a
ble He had ever believed that the banking system
could be 80 controlled by well dgcsted restrictions and
checks as 10 be dsrohcd Of their capacities tor cV a
made powerfully conducive Ia tue general prosperity
of the Sate;-he had believed that leG'sia'ive emu
ments would be asuiclen.-he siil believed iat my
oud he So if the Legislature would firmly enforce an
obsarvopce ii Them, Bat the facts developed IN the
repor. Of the Committee had startled his a'in III ''e
virtue Of enaciments and ciafters The deocraF a'.e
lone continued neglect Of the requirements OF the IA"
by the Bank looked something like loreshadowing o'
those events forctold before mentioned Here ""s
that deliberate disregard and disobedence ot lhose
laws that had been relied upon as The safeguards OF Tue
People, from the unmeasured eVs al uhesa.hra ooo
ton by those Banks. The enormous loss OF oioVVo,
was the first fruits that they gathered from this neglect
of law Their constituents would have further tas'e
of the quality Of Tie fruit Of this tree, when they mao
to paw an increased tax levied TO make good the oe
cit in their revenue, consequent upon that loss.
Coul any one doubt that the occasion ana the t'"e
for legislative interference had come that their GUY
"a their constituents to the community at large, and 10
the State as stakeholder, demanded that they sh"u'u
eyer, themselves 10 check and repress that disposition
10 ne elect the requirements OF charters ana OF laws
and preserve the future from similar disasters iaS
there not been an entire neglect OF the duty prescribed
by law Could the Banks do more than disregard laws
and charters and thereby waste or lose the FUNDS en-
trusted 10 Them and inure the body polite IL lhey
could he would like TO know what that was. II they
they claim or exercise the right of interference II
they did not interfere now, they would have gwen
the approval Of silence 10 disregard OF law, aha s
consequent injurious effects and they would lie ior-
ever foreclosed from holding the Banks 10 nny ac
count for disobediencc Of law. That the laws ne
elected in this case were wise and necessary was
shown nv the evil consequences OF that neglect II they
are wsc they should be enforced; if they did not re-
nrcss the violation Of them they had as well do away,
bv solemn enactment with all restraints of charters
4, Ia mockprv To talk ct the restraints
OF laws and charters when they stood idly by and per
ni.,cd such violations of them Let them say to the
Banks your will shall he your only law-and then their
constituents would longer rcposc behind their char
ers and their statutory enacmens as safeguards that
would protect them from the unresralned evils that
were known 10 be inherent in the Banking system.
There could be no doubt that the occasion and The
time far action by the House this subject Of the
banks had arrived. 1t was clear that the interests o
the &C. hole required that the Legislature should indicate
its determination make lis val and its law respected
That it should make known that tie restrictions 1t I'M
poses on these corporations were something stronger
than ropes Of sand. The next question was how that
determination was to be made known and how lis ac-
ton could be rendered eccual Tor the correction aud
prevention of the injurious and dangerous disregard Of
ens restraints ~ the banks II was clear that the only
mode By which those hccts could be attained was 10
hold them strict accountability, and 10 punish them
for every breach Of law. 1t had been quantity SAID,
that corporations had souls, and we're consequent
l.. IRRESPONSIBLE to punishment. If they could not
plaisl the corporations they could attain the same
effects bv holding their aiccrs 10 strict accountability
And that was IN fact the cal. way III whic! The rir-
noses Of remedial and preventive justice could be at
a:ned Ii would hc unjust 10 hold the stockholders 10
an account for ihc :aisdccds of their agents, and IL
would be Intellectual Tor the correction OF the Offenders
In the case before tHnm they had already seen the ex
tent 10 which the officers Of the Bank Of Virginia had
offended al had offended and ali had pad the Pc
salty excent the President the Cashier had offended
ia the same manner 10 tlic extent as Tie Pre-
siGent is charged 10 have done-h,s defence vas the
same lie too, comidcd too much III his srooTdia'es;
vet it availcd HIM nothing; his honor, his honesty
,ycrc no, inpeachcd, al unsa,Ecd: yet all feel
;i,l i. was propery removed from office, because he
.eC 10 observe the duties and obligations prescribed
| 81 law III violated law demanded his removal
violated la,2 made the same demand III relation 10
the President, II his case presents the same iacts-lle
had no; understood tie defence Of the President TO be
placed on other grounds than these occupied by tia,
al the officers 1t not denied that lie lad been
oulty geIcc o oft-Tepeacd and ong-continu'd
Toryence Il was not denied that he had been I'M
faithful 10 the law and the charter oil the bank was
no; denied that his aiiGre 10 iu. the requirements y!
The law and charter had been followed ~ the itic
ton of the greatest injury to the stockholders and the
State II is acknowledged that if lie had discharge;
his duties, all would have been well. II cannot he
shown l.t he should not share in the responsibility
;hrt has crushed the actors He first dignity
FIRST III position, first III power, and should not be second
in responsibility
/ Ii Gentlemen could show how the observance Of
these laws tina, all acknowledge 10 b. 50 wholesome
and absolutely necessary 10 the weil.bcng OF socic
IT, could he enforced III any other manner, than BY
making an example Of those officers who disregard
lhcm thcy would attain Their object and relieve the
House from the necessity Of calling Tor tic removal Of
Dr.. T.; hut they could not.
II The friends Of DR.. Band The zeal Of no man
had been ike That of his since the days, when at The
beck Of Rodcrick,
RI ''insan, from copsc and heath arose,
gnnncis aud spears. aud hendcd ho"s,''
of clansmen ready to do his bidding unto death-con
scious that his defence cannot be made by any argu
nent the facts Of the case, call 10 their aid all ths
powers of fancy and Of eoqucncc, and appeal 10 ou
Il feelings the ark OF his satry if once moved The
gentleman from Richmond City, in the same momen
that he acknowledged that he has been negligent, ask
ed if any one could lay his hand upon his heart ant
say he viii not be vigant in future The wise hay,
told that the past is the mirror OF the future. WheI
:, they look into that mirror, they perceive that DR.
, g. had been habually negligent of his duty; hat
habi,nay Sc. at nanght the bylaws Of the Bank ant
the statutes Of that body SEEING this, how could theI
expect change Of conduct for The futmre The etcr
nal fitness n things required that the same cause
should produce the same effects Conduct was HE re
suit of character and the character which has made Dr.
i 2. needless Of Tie law in the past, would make hl
needless of the law III the future. The gentlemen
> from Richmond and Accnmac urged rs the defence
DR.. Brockencrnngh, that his negligence had arseI
from over confidence in men, and they had cncantc
=.
logy Of those lofty and ennobing qualities that Gle
waited their nature towards lis original pnr.ty-and
> which they would fam induce them believe that th
g virtue OF confidence the chief. They had rouse
by their descriptions of the demoniac condition ofihos
: who were devoid Of tie eminent quality Of confidence
u lie Yielded 10 in the extent OF his admiration O
chat quality and all its kindred, and claimed to be- far
: moved from that denonac condition ghlfully por
trayed by gentIcmcn;-but lie regarded il as entirely
social virtue; being out of place when present else
= where Confidence in has been the banc Of nation
y fountain Of all evil to them. Ii gentlemen wou
turn to the pages of history and consult the fate Of ever
:, free people, they would perceive that confidence ha
y been the destruction Of each. The people of Rome
i when they rallied around julius Cesar as The guardian
Of popular rights little thought that that confidence il
him made Rome the heritage of luxurious and mbecil
, tyrants. The gay the gallant, the enthusiastic sol
: diers of Republican France, when bearing the banner
. of victory, under the lead Of Napoleon, over th
thrones OF Kings, fondiy imagined tina; they Civ
: inr liberty 10 an cnsaved world. End Lad no dresI