The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-08-31


Presidenfs objections 10 the Bank BiH
M -
In Senate UKITEp STArEs, AUGUST IS, lS4l.
MIR. RfvEs said he came prepared to give silent
vote the bdl and he should have conented himsel
with doing SO, but for the observations which had fa
len from the Senator from Kentucky respect the
conduct of the President Of the United States. Mr..
H. had hoped the senator would have confined him
self strictly 70 the merits Of the question oefre the
Senate. He told US, said Mr. r., that the question
was this whcher the President having returned the
bill for Fiscal Bank with his exceptions thereto, the
bill was such an one a. ought to pass by the constu
tional maJoriIy OF twothirds, and thus become law
OF the land. Now, what the real issue before
the Senaie9 Was il not on the naked question be-
tween the bill and the objections to it, as compared
with each other Irealy had hoped that the honora
bic SENATOR after announcing the issue in this
very proper nanner,would have confined his observa-
tions TO aons and, IL he had done So should not
have roubledlthe Senate with single word
But what fns been the course of the honorable Sc
nator1 lido nos rsproach him with it; he, no doubt
felt il necessary In order 10 vincate his position
before the coun0y, 10 inc,pate the course taken by
the Presidents; and, accordingly about two-thirds of
his speech, hysxsss quslAsd by expressions Of per
sonal kindness and respect taken up in solemn
arraignment of the President of the United States
Most of the allegations put forth by the Senator
TO arrange themselves under the general charge Of
perfdy0f faithlesness his party and to the people.
| The Senator begins with the violation, by the Pre-
sident Of the pledge given in his inaugural address.
Now must say, With all due Difference that the very
language quoted by the honorable Senator TO prove
this received, wherever l had any opportunity of
hearing the expression Of public opinion, very dife-
rent construction. The President told the nation
that he would give his sanction " to any constitution
al measure which might be devised BY Congress for
the relief of the country the subject OF the cur
rency. He does not say any measure, but to any
| " constitutional measure. Why insert the word
constitutional IL he did intend qualify, in
important sense the pledge givenl But the Senator
fndsi the next clause of the inaugural address, an
explanation Of the sense in which the word consti
tutional" is here to be understood viz that ne
should be governed by the sage views of tho fathers
Of the Republican school, and by the light of their
ever-glorious example," The Senator, in his com
meniary this clause to have stricken out as
significant and expressive portion Of It any Of its
other words that the President should be guided by
the sage views" well the evergorious example
! of the Republican fathers TO whom he alludes What
of the Republicl The sage views Of Mr. Madison
in 19lthe unvaryng opinions and testimony OF Tho
mas Jefferson He TO look TO the sage views"
delivered BY them, well to their example And,
on this point could not but remember what If
have not been msnformcd) the fact, viz. that the
honorable Senator hmselfstood in relation ofpartcu-
lar privy memorable act of another of the fathers
of the Republican school when he gave his casting
vote against the renewal OF the bank charter Was
there nothing these sage views and examples to in
| his own judgment2 Who is the individual that, by
universal consent, is recognised the founder Of
what the President refers to as "the Republican
school7" tits Thomas Jefferson. For, however
concur with the Senator from Kentucky in paying all
homage to the unrivalled virtues and ever-glorous
public services Of George w ashington must be per-
mttcd 10 say that he has not generally been consd-
| cred belonging to that Republican" party to
| which the President audes.
| We are told however of the example of Mr.. Mad
ison which, il is said President Tyler must have had
particularly in mind when he penned this passage.
have already adverted TO Mr. Madsons views in rela-
ton to National Bank, in 1871; views which never
reracted by him till 1915; but the Senator tells
us the President referred his conduct in sanction
ing by his signature the charter of the second Bank
Of the United States, as that example by which he
was himself to be governed. How does that example
apply to the present case Look at the letter written
by Mr.. Madison to Mr. lngersoll, IN explanation of
that and let any candid man say what is the de
duction fairly to be drawn from it, 1t is this that
Mr.. Madison had changed his opinion. Not that he
still believed Bank unconstitutional and, be-
leving signed the bill; but that his opinion as to its
unconstitutionalty had undergone change: for, in
the very first paragraph of that letter. he says that he
considered " the constitutionaiity Of Bank sus-
tanned by the considerations" which he proceeds to
detail | refer the Senator TO The letter itself but
that is not ALL Before condemn President Tyler,
under existing circumstances, for putting his negative
on what he believes to be against the Cons tuition
he has sworn to support let those circumstances be
compared with the circumstances under which Mr..
Madison acted In the letter to Mr.. lngersoll, Mr.,
Madison says he obligatory force of presidents in in
terpreting the Constitution depends, among other
things " on the prospect which there may I've of
change of construction by the public its agents
The consttutionality of Bank had, at the time of
MIR Madison's action upon il, been annually recog-
nised he says, fir twenty years successlvely-the
whole nation had acquiesced in it and there was no
prospect of any change of opinion yield to no one
profound respect for the principles and character OF
M hama ham uaf al.
every allowance for the course he felt his duty to
pursue. Let me read sentence two from his let
Ter to Mr.. lngersoIl
The act establishing Bank ofthc United States, ~
says he had been carried into execution throughout
period of twenty years, with annual legislative re-
cognitons-in one instance indeed, with a positive
ra niication of il into new State, with the entire &C
quiescence of all the local authorities well The
nation large to all of which may be added de-
oreasng prospect of any change in the public opinion
adverse to the constitulionality OF such insttu-
ton.
Now will any man pretend to assert that the same
circumstances exist now Has there been annual
recognition of the conslutonaty of the Bank for
the last twenty years Do the local authorities eve
ywLere acquicsce in it And is the opinion in favor
of the constltuonaty of National Bank uni
versal and confirmed that there Is prospect of
any respectable body of public opson being arrayed
against it I No. The reverse of all this is true.
Half the nation arayed agalns, both its constitu
tonalty and It's expediency; the local authorities in
several quarters in open arms of remonsronce and
threatened resistance against it, So far from their be-
ing prospect of any change by ne Public lis
agents the construction which affirmed the coAs-
u,onaty of National Bank, that construction has
already, 10 great extent been reversed These are
the circumstances under which President Tyler had
TO decide on his of action circumstances in
every feature strikingy contrased with the crcum-
stances of MIR. Madisons time, Therefore say that,
if in his Inaugural he had in view the example Of Mr.
Madison, referred to by the Senator from Kentucky,
it formed rule by which he was bound to surrender
his solemn convictions TO the unconstitutonality Of
the Bank.
But the Senator from Kentucky has told US that
Mr. Jefferson, In various WAYS recognised the cons-