Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-01-04
DEBATE IN THE u. :. SENATE.
Tnrn,pAr, pccember sOlh, lsil.

fASNNNNNN
OF Wednesday, being the motion of Mr. Tal;mad:
to refer the plan Of n Fiscal Agent to u select con
mttce of nine, to be appointed by the Chair, when
MIR MANGUM, of North Carona, who had oil
tanned the floor yesterday ana addressed II
Senate in unusually animated speech in oppos
ton the project of the Secretary Of the Trcasur
for an Exchequer Board. The Reporter regret
however, that, owing to the frequent falling of II
speakers voice, much that he said was lost at tt
distant seat from which his speech was heard an
reported.
Mr. NJ. commenced with promise very frcquen
~ made in Congress, occupy but shert time
the remarks he had to Offer IL was no, his dess
to go into anything like regular dissection or sc
we're analysis OF the tremendous projsi submitted
the Secretarys report; yet inasmuch us very s,renu
Gus efforts were making to pre- occupy the publ
mind in its favor, MIR NJ. did desire TO express hi
views Of the scheme; in presenting which he desire
ito be clearly understood that he spoke Tor no IN
tcrest clique, or party, either IN the Senate or on
OF IL; the opinions he should express were his
He had not only absiuned from all consultation c
comparison OF views upon the subject, but had re
sisted such consultation when proposed TO him; he
cause looking nj all the past, he was disposed I
''et by-gones be -gones;" and, regarding III
actual state OF the country and the amoun; OF tn
public Distress he was prepared to meet gentlemen
who should propose any feasible measure tor its re
lief in broad and catholic spirit. On all this sub
ject of banking he held, probably, some pecuia
opinions; he did not sc, much value upon them, no
did he deem them Of any consequence to others
one reflection which could not but have occurred &
every mind. They bad here presented TO them
paper marked Ivy consummate ability, and drawn
up with great Labor the production, as 1t was said
OF Il gigantic intellect or, as others had c0DresseC
themselves OF The first mind in this Republic; nnd
gentlemen on nii sides OF the House had We'd with
each other in besowins upon IT their highest eulo-
gums.
Immature, however, as he was in criticism, he was
conIps'led to differ in his Judgment on the logical
qualities Of this production as well from the as,u;e
and ingenious Senator (Alr BIcnannnl from Penn
syiyinh rs from the bile and learned Senator from
South Carolina, (Nr Cahoun) than whom man
in this county was better fitted to Judge the
cloSenoss Of any specimen o! logic submitted TO
him. IL was very remarkable that the report pass
ed over and seemed Studlously To avoid those
points of nrgumen, connected with the general sub
jcci, which the nblcst minds had for years done
battle; and IN the deductions which 1t did make, SO
far from exhibiting the force and clchrne's of losi
cal head it presented M 81 obvious defects In logic |
the conclusions drawn from premises laid down DC.
ing incoasecuive, abrupt, and, in one instance es-
pecialy monsirous There was one TACT in refer
the plan suggested in this document, which
must have struck D who witnessed the proceedings
OF that body. Here PROJECT, the production OF
mighty intellect, one OF the FIRST minds OF the age
"a mind familiar for twenty years with the public
affairs Of this country, and closely identified with
great and glorious, and victorious political PARTY
and yet wonderful TO tell, with all this scknowledg
ed ility, all this experience and knowledge OF pub
lie alair,lud al this o'reful elaboration of great
and ol,-important subject, when the result of its Ia
bOTs was prcscnted 10 the Senate, not man had
been found who would rise in his place, and say,
Il will teke H." a project was thrown out, back
cd hy enough of intellectual power 10 force almost
my principle upon the assent OF other minds, and
vet there mol found among all the members OF
that body, no, not one, poor 10 dol reverence
And why2 The case was plain. II was an attempt
10 unite things essentially incompaibe-to drink at
once aud IN the same cup, from the mouth and from
tue sources of the Nile. And here he must he suf-
at he q 40 honorable
to-, and o those who on this occasion associ-
ntcd with him, habtually chcrishiug, they did,
the most exalted respect for the from whence
this document came, was such as entitled them To
the respect of every caEdid and upright man. They
stoo1 manfully by their principles, he they good or
bad, ard were too honest and too wary to step into
the dead fall which had been aufully prepared to
catch them.
To the honorable Senator from New York mir
Tallmadgc) he would say that, although he was
willing do anything which could consistently be
done, TO relieve the disresse9 OF the country, and
was prepared to receive and consider whatever that
Senator and his committee might propose subsii.
for this scheme, yet he greatly feared that their
Efforts TO prepare such measure would he wholly
unayailing he feared so. How did it happen that
nobody could NC found TO come into this new pro
iecl Was it not, obviously, because old principles
had been Abandoned Whatever motives might
have led TO the presentation Of such scheme,
whether II had been conceived with view secure
or hold power, it was altogether conception,
the time. Such al least, would be the opinion OF
il entertained in one part Of the Union If Mr. NJ.
TO set about u dissection OF this remarkable
production, he did dot know that ii would be worth
the metal which might be worn away in the opera
tion. Nobody put the measure forth thing to
be adopted; that seemed not 10 he thought of;
as II stood, II was repudated on all hands. In
denvorins TO speak fayUraby OF il, gentlemen did
not speak Of II, but Of something ese-something
yet in nH6ibTS-somc underlined CREATION whose
form was as yet mystery. After all the long
sdcfalion which had been given 10 the general sub.
Jet, and their familiarity with all the leading points
involved, here, at this late hour, project pre-
scented ms occupying intermediate ground, and
all men of all parties were called upon to come to-
gejhcr and unite in supporting 1t.
For long week MIR. NJ. had pondercd the PRO.
lect, and had endeavored to divest his mind OF eve.
ny feeling but desire to find the truth. f4e had
viewed the proposal, not like the advocate who had
written this report, but like an honest man, deter.
mined TO do lis duty. And he was compelled to
come to the conclusion that in the worst Of
times this Government had ever seen, never had
there been so bold, reckless a push for absolute
power, was now unblushinsiy made in the paper
before the Senate. lie repeated the assertion.
Never never in the whole history Of this Govern.
mcnt, had there been Witnessed push so bold, or
one which, II successful, must I've attended with con.
sequences vast, and disastrous to the liberties
OF this lard. With Government possessing
power OF patronage which, even IN the iecbest
hands was OF threatening aspect 10 liberty-u pa
trouige which, spreading itself ike polypus, insin
uuled IT'S ptenuutcd fbres through all the intcrs-
tees OF society, and, by its tempting power operate
ing To subdue oil that manlincss Of principle that
hardly virtue, which characterized our ialheis-tO
propose TO supetadd TO this threatening, this por-
IentOus amount OF patronage the entire money pow
er md this to be managed and controlled at will
by those hands which pull the wires and move
tho puppets of party If he believed the country
was prepared for such measure as this he should
feel depression oil mind which nothing could cheer
he should look upon his children with tears, nnC
must despair Of the welfare OF his country for cen
turics to come.
VIVA, concentration Of power did it not atomp
10 achieved In the present PROSTATE and down
iIpddcn condition Of our State bonks-he spoke o
~ spurious and multudlnous herd which hat
pfprung up under the mIsrule OF late Admlnistra
tion-ins tu ions rotten throughout and lettering L
their fal-if the Government should at once furnish
TO the people paper currency which should bc il
sound and general credit, those banks would pop
ono after another like guns dischnrging in burning
ship from one end Of the Union 10 the other. Thu
Government machine, fobricating paper like this
WINS 20 spring up amid the general blight and bar
rennoss as "a vivifying and iructiiyng germ" o
public prosperity, (he used the language OF the elo
auont author Of the roport) Yes-no doubt an,
when it should have terminated and sprouted; whor
IL should have put forth It's root downward an,
borne fruit upward" while the whole land rounC
nbout was barren DESERT when II should hav,
spfcad its branches far and wide, and covered TN
whole lnnd with ls shade-then-o yes-thon Vs.
were TO lie down in that tranquility and roposc
which the writer OF this report thought desirable
Tho roposo, the stiffness Of an ineIofable, mean
mcrcenary despotism. To such measure Mr.. VI