Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-01-19

L
tel convinced That cog INFANT Of the fact, of an.
ceiaeaion, can justly impute 20 any OF them great
&c censure thtn pertains TO omssion-failure TO per
os, as they ought to have done the duties enioin-
he'd" N""e""y 10
In addition to this direct allegation of neglect Of
Guy oy the President, l have only to add, that
.he gentleman rom the city OF Richmond (Nir. Rob.
ertson) has admitted in debate that he was enil,v
OF "grdrs neglect Of duty" and the gentleman m
MS amendment to the report of the Bank Commit
zee, NOES The following Language: enc suf6cien,
/ apology, however, has been offered Cor sutfeting
| the Cashier to allow Da6nep to keen for months
ana years together, the large amount of fur,s d,,
ly shewn by his settlements to be in his hands On
inc contrary, the Committee deem it to have been
esraNe neglect OF duty on his part not TO have re-
CURED the instant correction Of so ,oose and h,,,,
uous state OF things, and TO have invo ked If ne
eeSsary to that end, the authority OF the Boarj Of
directors" And so, indeed, has every one, who
mas spoken on the other side. And why such
grave neglect ot duty" on the part of IN. P,,s;
cent, hllIng so Gignhed and responsible n station
and charged with the care and controuI of milions
OF dollars, should go UNPUBLISHED, | leave those 10
hoor Tor MERCY ana for place.
We are told that the President could not look
Owe, inc transactions OF the Cashier, inspect tho
oookS, ana conduct the correspondence, (which, by
me oy, am informed is mostly carried on by the
CashIero and manage the fiscal concerns al ,ho
BANK; ard therefore ought not be held RESPONSE
Die Tor deialcatio OF more than halt a million Of
months ~ -
What are the duties, then of a Presid.n, or
Bank, IT he is not to have an eve over every de-
partmenH Not that he is TO perform the labor Of
bookkeeping, balancing accounts SC. but that he
10 superiniend the whole transactions of the
Bank, and TO see and know that those who have the
various transactions OF the institution TO reriotm do
their duty, and likewise TO see that he (tke Pr,si
deni) does his duty.
And beg gentlemen to recollec, that the late
President OF the Bank OF the United States was AL
ways held responsible Tor the action of that ns,ilu
ton, and for the losses 1t sustained. Dr. Btoeken-
broush contends that he could not be exn-ct,J ~
take notice OF The accounts of his customers. But
as Green's system OF overlooking was carried ON
by substituting checks on the Farmers Bank ougbt
not the President TO have noticed the variation b.
tween the accounts OF the Farmers Bank, and the
creuNS nIo~ed that institution at the Bank of VIr-
gina, ana which could not be carried on but nv IN.
connivance of the look keepers of the Bank of Viz
gina; and DO not doubt but that had the Presi.
dent caused monthly balance sheets TO have been
made out and submitted to his inspection, and com
pared them with the books, (Which understand
have not been balanced for yearsO this ,leflc,tion
could not have occurred.
Mr. Speaker, 1t has been sussested-nay insisted
upon, by the gentleman from Richmond thai tb,S
| grave neglect OF duty" and the consequences ro
suting therei,om will make Dr. Brockrnb,on,b
more active and yigIlant officer in futurs SIR /
cannot bring my mind 10 this conclusion for I 70.
gard the neg 'ect and miSmanascment OF the Pros;
dent as eyldercing "A want OF those ou,,6c,t,o,.
which are necessary 10 the efficient naussen,, nj az
such an institution. Such Eabltual NEGLIGENCE I
cannot suppose, Is attributable to accident or any
engagements connected with the Presden of tie
Bank, or TO confidence IN the other officers but re-
suits from the particular organization of his mind
a mind, incline 10 believe, not well suited IN III.
DRY details OF large moneyed corporation infer
! this rom knowledge of the construction OF mn,
own mind, and from the observations OF others.
KIN Cf M 4.
give my sanction 10 the principle that majfe,ssne.
IN once Will the better qualify the individual Nv
maleasarce, mean neglect and nat,entop: and
no one, so far as know or am Informed attr,bm,ss
! the abstraction TO any thing more.
Mr.. Speaker, have you adverted 10 the a,gner,
OF the gentleman fiom Richmond What. SIR. nrrIi'
sence Gegct diligence !-habiIual and ons praci,S,d
neglect OF duty work eptire change in the baL,s
OF senUemin, well nigh three score and ten wears
OF age! Would II not lie about as .oscal 10 main
tain the converse Of the proposllion-tbat teligcpr.
| viii beget negligence
! The gentleman has referred to the fabeof Arsus
ana mas oespoken our sympathy in behalf of The
President Of the Bank, becluse even Argns bin,ssS
once RENTED his eternal vigilance and nsrni,,o5
the beautiful 10 TO be stolen from his care Did Ina,
gentleman reflect that hiie the sumbers nj A.
might be typical OF the negligence OF Dr. Brock
enbrougb he should yet (even IN poetir i,,st,es,
| "A y out end apply the moral of tie fable Areus
| MIR. Speaker, slept; so has the President of ill.,
! Bank; but sir, Argus for the momentary npse of
wa'chiulneSs, was punished with eternal deoriva
ton o. SIGHT According to tradition his eyes were
transferred into the plumsge OF the peacock. bv
Juno, IN remembrance Of him. And sir the in1,,r
tai application Of this moral, while II NAV afford
TO The President OF the bank justification for nee
| llsence, IN the siumbers of Argus himself sbouId
analogous retrIbution.
] The gentleman from Aecomsck has told US. that
| even the sentinel will some times relax IN, vigi-
, aanee, ana sleep on his post, when no enemy is
| thought TO he near, and when for long ine the
/ loot OF an invading foe has not been discovered
around The encampmeR. Sir, that gentleman il a.,
military man, and familiar with the rules md or,;
cles of war and ask him, what would be lie nun.
ishment OF the lonely and half clad soldier, who.
when the relief guard came around at the bopr oi
~ O'Clock al night, should be found sleepn1 M his
post, knowing no higher incentives to watcbiuln,ss
and duty, than the error of the law the driving
Steel and patterng raInl Sir would he death YET
this publ officer, who has ii LED so LARGO snc. =;
the public eye, and had every incentive ~ no,n,
hun 10 dutyi Who possessed character honor and
hlgh reputation, has been found sleeping al his mos,
Tor years while the citadel has been entered and
| lad waste, IS TO escape unpun shed.
COnhdence-a wise provision for man IN ,yb;.t
the hand OF his Creator is SEEN has been invnk.J
IN TINS debate, IN DIR BrUckenbrougb,s behalf. 80
the gentleman from Richmond, with an s,,c,,,,"1 |
peculiarly ieiciIous, has od US, tina, confidence is
l ne blessed medium through which our 800
and mos, endearng enjoyments flow. Wlbou,
confidence, mans breast would be a charneI bou,.
| OF corruption, and ike the troubled sea. would
cast up mud and dirt continually. What e,e
enaoes man 10 recline upon that soft and tender
! pHo"' ana there smooth hle's rough Journey and
receive rssh assurances OF abiding affsctiooj RI,
/ Tor confidence lhut same bosom would he IN bir, |
cen OF Kissing rents, and would make no, .,J
mat al Desdemona's, and his, that of OtbeIlo,s /
confidence IS the best gift OF God 10 man -
the spring to parental duty and affection, And -,
without The principle Of confidence, we mint like
! FHSnius, be driven TO ayenge our doubts. bv dri.
'S 'he Iatal dagger into the bosom Of the Innoreni
an9 unoiiending and legitimate offspring.
But whaieve. It may he 10 the social ci,cle y,
however indispensable 10 mans contenrnent and
haPPihess-ii Is the rock upon which more nubI,c
men have made shlpwreck, than all Others. AMI ,b,
ohcsr VI permits his bark TO float on her su,f,c.
i enters upon peTious enterprise. The pentIe,,,n
sid That this neglect Of duty grew Out oC an v,,
| confidence IN some Of those associated viii 49,,
he said "the very head and front az he oe"ai;.-
hath this extent, no more" '5
Mr.. Speaker, an apt illustration Of tho .H.,,s =,
oyei-conhdcnce on the part Of supsri,, 5fic-. =.
amorGeo IN the case Of the Chesapeake and eor,,d
ne history OF TINT transaction believe IN In. t,;.t
~ ms Commodore Barron having been o,dsr.d
by Government 10 the Chesapeake IN co,...'I
/ ,he american squadron IN tie Mediterranean v,.s
lperhaps by permissiOn) with his family In H..
ton, while the ship was getting ready for the e,r',
capt Gordon was appointed 10 the Cb.,,nsat.
ana reported the ship to the Commodore. ,esdv ~,
sea. Commodore Barron went on bo,,I a.. 80 ~
was gotten under weigh, and proceedsdto e., srtP
Leopard was anchored IN the Roads and Ill -,
nm Il o