Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1841-09-14

/ e~F~NH" NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ~
cessions, made in a genuine and sincere
spirit of Cancellation, the sanc1 ion OF
the President could not be obtained,
and the bill has been returned by him
with his objections.
|. And | shall now proceed to consid-
er those objections, with as much bre-
witty as possible, but with the most
perfect respect official and personal,
towards the Chief Magistrate.
| After stating the power OF Congress
to establish national bank, TO oper-
ate per Sc, has been controverted
Question from the origin of the Gov
eminent, the President remarks
"Men most Justly and deservedly es-
teemed for their high Intellectual en-.
dowments, their virtue end their pa
triotism, have, in regard to it. cutter
tanned different and conflicting opin-
IONS. Congresses nave differs Ihe
approval of one President has been
followed by the disapproval of anoth-
err"
From this statement Of the case
it may be inferred that the President
considers the weigh; of authority pro and
con, to be equaled and balanced. But if
he intended TO make such an array of il
if he intended 10 say that il was in equi-
librium-I must respectfully, but most de-
cidedly dissent from him. think the
conioint testimony of story,tradition and
the knowledge of living witnesses pro
the contrary. How stands the question
as TO the opinion of Congress! The Con.
gress of 1871, the Congress of IS13.I4,
the Congress of lSl5.l6, the Congress
Of 1881 %, and finally, the present Con-
gress, have all respectively and unequivo-
colly, affirmed the existence of power in
Congress to establish national Bank to
operate per Sc.
We behold then the concurrent opin-
ION of FIVE different Congresses on one
side. And what Congress is there on the
opposite side! The Congress of 1917
was member of the Senate in that
year, when it decided by the casting vote
of the Vice President, against the renew.
| uA Vi lAlC NAAoi kCI W Otu tDdlh vi All6
United States. Aud now here in my
place, add TO the testimony already before
the public, by declaring that it is within
my certain knowledge, that that decision
of the Senate did not proceed from dis
belief of a majority of the Senate in the
lpower of Congress to establish u National
Bank, bu; from combined considerations
l : 81 xpoffapns- opl ,np.-t.s,,tt,,,altt,, A
majority of the Senate, on the contrary.as
5 know, entertained 10 doubt as TO the
= power Of Congress. Thus the account
as 10 the Congresses, stands five for AMI
= not one,at most,not more than ore against
the power
Let us now look ;nto the state of au.
thority derivable from the opinions Of Pre-.
sidents of the United States. President
Washington believed in the power OIL
! Congress, and approved bank bill. Pre-
2 sidem Jefferson approved acts TO extend
e branches INTO other parts of The u. Sla,e,
a and TO punish .counteriefcrs of the note.
of the Bauk-actS which were devoid o
all Justification whatever upon the assump
ton of the unconslltutionaliiy Oft bank
7 For how coull branches be extended @
i punishment be lawfully inflicted upon the
i countcricncrs of the paper ola corpora
ton which came into existence withou
4 any authority, and in violation of the Con
. stitution of the landl James Madison not
outstanding those early scruplcs which
he had entertained, and which he proba
II bly, still cherished, sanctioned and signed
. bill to charter the late bank of the Uuite
(. States. 1t is perfectly well known tina
g Mr.. Monroe never did entertain any scru
y pies or doubts in regard to the power c
I Congress. Here then are four Pres
~ dents the United States who have d
a Iectly or colaterally borne officia! TESTING
ny TO the existence of bank power
I, Congress. And what President is Their,
d. that ever bore unequvocally opposite ties
n timony-lhat dsapproved bank charte
10 in the sense intended by President lyle
Gen. Jackson although he did apply tn
oC veto power 10 the bill for re-charterin
NJ the late Bank of the United States /
1892, it is within the perfect recolleclio
. Of us all that he not only testified TO ii
10 utility Of bank of the United States, bu
DC declared that, fhe had been applied to
We Conrress.he could have furnished the pla
1T Of such bank.
Thus, Mr.. President, we perceive tha
n in reviewing the action of the Legislati,
nj and executive departments of the Cover
IF ment, there lsa vast PrePonderance of Il
:. weight of authority maintaining the ext
at tence of the power in Congress. B
n9 Presiden; Tyler has, presume uninte
oil tIonally, wholly omitted to notice Il
led judgment and decisions OF the third coo
1n- dinaie department of the Government u
his on this contreyGrted queston--that d
ro. partment, whose interpretations of t
-, Constitution, within its proper iurisdicti
-? and sphere of action, are binding upon
'l!- and which therefore, may be consider
'pl- as exercising a controlling power o,
ent both the other departments. The
the preme Court Of the United States, W
ug- its late Chief Justice, the ilustrous NJ;
nds shall at its head, unanimously decided Il
100 Congress possessed this bank power; a
In this adjudication was sustained and re
M firmed whenever afterwards the queSti
liSe arose before the court.
After recounting the occasions dur
the his public career, on which he had
d as pressed an opinion against the power
now Congress TO charter bank of the Uni
the States, the President proceeds TO say
nv Entertaining the opinions above all
- Al ~. anI boy;,,r. toI,oos.Ls. a. Q