The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1841-09-30


some Of The reasons which led 10 my re-
signaiion. on the I h instant. ofihe Office
OF Secretary ofihe Navy, and, for lhaipuF-
pose. ask . small spare in the National
Inlelligencer.
Az The cabinei meeting held % the 18th
OF August last. 1.-THE Attorney General and
the Postmaster General being absent The
subject Of an Exchange Bank, or instinl-
lion. was brought forward BY the Presi-
dent himself. and was fully considered.
Into the particulars Of what passed | do
not propose now 10 enter. twill be suf-
ficieni 10 say TIA. il was then distinctly
stated and understood that such an insiilu-
ton me-, the appreciation Of The President,
and was deemed BY him free Of cOnslitu-
iional objections; that he desired lif Con-
gress should deem il necessary TO net up
on the subject during the SESSION. that
suct an institution should be adopted BY
that body. and that the members Of his
Cabinet should aid in bringing about that
result; and Messrs. Webster and Ewing
were specially requested by the President
TO have communication upon the subject
with certain members Of Congress. The
institution then spoken Of was 10 be locat-
ed in the District Of Columbia; 10 be au-
ihorizei to establish agencies in the States
and Territories with power 10 deal in bills
of exchange between the United States
and foreign countries, and in bills Of ex-
change drawn in one State or Territory
and payable in another State or Territory;
and The exercise Of this power was not TO
depend on any assent, expressed or inn
piled, Of the States within which such
agencies might be established.
In consequence Of what passed at This
meeting. saw such friends in Congress
as deemed il proper 10 approach, and
urged upon them the passage Of bill to
establish such an institution, assuring
them tina, | did not doubt il would receive
the appreciation of the President.
The bill was passed, "a the Public
know, and was met BY the Veto. Now,
if the President, after the meeting Of the
18th August, had changed his mind as to
the constitutional power Of Congress, and
had come to doub, or deny what he had
admitted in that meeting, (which is the
most favorable Interpretation that can be
put upon his conduct,) it was, in my OPT
Mon, plain duty on his part to have
made known TO the gentlemen concerned
this. change Of sentiment-Io have offered
them an apology Tor The unpleasant. si,ua.
ton in which they were placed by his
agency-or, a, lea,i, 10 hare sof.sncJ, by
! full explanation of his IN i!iges, his in
tended Veto Of measure in promoting
the success Of which they. at his request,
had rende ed their assistance. But this
the President did no; do. Never, from
the momen, of my leaving his house on
the 18Th, did he open his lips 10 me on
the suhiec:. |, was only from the news.
papers, from rumor, ffom hearsay, learn.
cd that he had denied the cons,ituiionality
Of the proposed institution, and had made
the most solemn assrvcralinns that he
would never approve measure which
knew was suggested by himself, and
which had been, at his own instance. in.
PRODUCED into Congress. l: was sill in
the Presidents power, BY a proper state.
ment in the message containing his objec.
tons to the bill, To have supplied these
omissions, and in some degree at leas, &c
have repaired his former neglect; buI
: when that paper came to be read, it wa.
found that so far from saying ffankly tina
he once favored and had been willing II
sanction the bill, bit hal been led &c suc1
was the fact by subsequent reflection ID
adopt different views upon the subject, he
treated the measure as one erilentIv in.
consistent with his previously expressed
opinions, and whica i, oag,it not TO have
been supposed for m)men; he cJald ap.
prove.
! Whether this conllc, OF II, Presidsn,
! is susceptible Of jus, defence or reasona.
bic excuse j; is no! necessary now to in.
qn!rc. have not heard, mr. CAN | ina.
ginc any gIounl 70. either. Whether al
explanation of it has been Offered to any
one Of the gentlemen concerned | know
not, but none was at any time offered to
me: and while forbcar to make the re.
/ marks. obvious and painful as they are,
, which the transaction Suggests, I declare
! the conviction that this conduct of tn.
President. standing without known de.
fence. excuse, or explanation. constituted
lf no other reasons had existcI) ample
ground for Withdrawal fran his Cabinc,
without delay.
1t is scarcely necessary to say that
have not supposed, and do not now sup.
pose, tina. a difference merely between the
President and his Cabinet, either as to the
constitutionality or the expediency of a
bank, necessarily interposes any Obstacles
- full and cordial cooperation between
them in the general conduc. Of his admi-
nistration; and therefore deeply as I re-
GREETED the veto Of the first bill, | did not
feel myself at liberty to retire on tina, &C.
count from my situation. But the fats
attending the initiation aud disapproval of
the last bill made case totally different
from that--one IL IL helieveI wi,hou, /,