Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1842-02-15
MIR. HANNEGAN,S SPEECH

dressed the House as follows:
Mn. SPEAKER IL vas not my intention at the
meeting OF the House tins morning 10 have ptrtIc-
pated tu the discussion which has tanned us tor
two days past. Indeed have never until tins al
examined the details OF the bill before
l was aware that the general proposltO had been
submitted 90 the House from the committee 90 Ways
and Means, through their chairman. my distinguish.
cd and highly esteemed freud Mr. Henley. Know
ing the soundness Of his views generally, and salts
fed It'll the general nature of the proposition,
had prepared myself % vote I'D silence for the bill
before Us. But the unexpected and furious opposi-
ton Of - many gentlemen 10 a measure 80 whole
some and as ] regard H. absolutely essential 10 the
ultimate safety ct these funds, seems To require
different course on my part. Viewing the question
do, and urged on all sides by NV friends and
the friends OF the bin u address the House further
silence might wear the appearance OF culpibie IN
difference
The vide range which has been token in debate
by gentlemen with whom differ politically. Is To
IN degree InexplIcable. can find no
for their course but desire 10 avoid the true
issue before attention from the bill it.
self winch, When fairly viewed. is supported alike
Ivy the suggestions OF reason and Justice. and the
dictates OF humanity. The course pursued by gen
tlcmeu IN the oppos ton. making direct al.usion To
the two great political parties o; our country. must
be my Justification for similar one. they have
seen proper To invoke the shade of modern Wing
gerry throughout this discussion % denounce this
party measure, and with undefined latitude ar
ray for trial the principles aud the course OF the
Democratic party.
| shall not pursue those who have preceded me in
this unl med course. II Is necessary however to
bes;ow a passing notice upon some assertions made
by some OF these gentlemen. They tluojlngly brua
before the House Tie ghost Of the United States
Bank of Pennsylvania accom- panied by the charge
that Il was chartered ID Y the Democrats.
Ii hardly necessary for me here 10 deny charge
novel. aud entirely des itute Is Of ;bc
blance Of truth That institution ~ Is we'll known
was chartered by the Wings IN the Peuusv wanna
legislature who aided by the accursed of gold
able To add another to the list OF traitors whose
and memory Will be preserved only for exc
Grafton.
The attempt is made By gentlemen to justify the
State Bank IN her continued suspeus ON, and great
indignation Is expressed the remark Of the nom
orabe Speaker last evening, that THIS Institution Is
either nsovent and cannot pay or she - dishonest
and Viii not pay
Whence tins indignant feeling at an expression
which carries truth face! In what other ght
she be regarded can gentlemen place her
IN any different attitude What would be SAID ct
an individual who being largely Indebted should
presIst refusing 10 take up his OWN piper accord
ing 10 Us terms, or any other manner discharge
his liabilities Would he not be pronounced by
the voice of the community dishonest iusolvcnt !!
Assuredly he would. Hsuch the case IN tfanSlc-
tons between man and man, what there to create
such distinction IN favor of corporate associations
: TO exempt them ON the operation Ot primer
pie winch depends on common honesty for it, eXls
tence and support For four years past the Bank
has under various preteXts, refused 10 redeem her
issues IN gold or silver she bound 90 60 by
the terms OF her charter and she PROMISES 10 do
the face OF her notes. care not what her pre-
text or excuse may be. she haas levied in open and
continued violation oi her contracts, and can only
be regarded a. dishonest or nsOvent, under all the
rules which regulate civilized comuu
mites.
As an offset to her condition however, gentlemen
have thrown teeth the miserable condition Of
the state, her PROSTATE credit and violated faith.
Can il be possible that they hope by such auslons
To relieve the Wing party from the odum which has
been 80 Justly incurred In the manag cement of our
State affairs for the last ten years Have they not
held the reins OF government during that periods
and is il not their folly aud their crime that has
plunged this unhappy land into condition at this
hour, when have every thing 20 dread and no.
thing To hope fort THIS au>on cannot but regard
as signally unhappy for those VINO have made II.
Equally the pOmpous display Ot the Journal OF
the session at which the Bank chartered, to
prove that majority ct the Democrats who then
held tins hoor voted IN favor OF the act Of
Incorporation suppose they did what does IL
prove Nothing. Before You hold the Demo-
cratic party responsible, i0r the corruption and mis-
management of the Bank. II Will be necessary to
show that control and direction have been In
their hands. The reverse is the fact; and 80 far
from their having had the control "f the INST tuition
if am net greatly mis- niormed, no single branch
IN the State Is or has been under thelr direction
But take gentlemen on their own ground, thai It
Is an institution Of our own creation u 50, then
surely We have some right. To suggest a reform o.
abuses; To speak Wurd ot wholesome admOnItlo on (;
to utter the sound of alarm against impending evil
without beng ARA gned hostile 10 the whole
some institutions of the country. For my own part
entertain no stllty 10 State banks when proper
~ organized aud honestly managed. II Is the im-
proper management of the state Bank and trluchcs
10 which | object and surely every friend Of the
country must unite with me coudeuiug the course
which the documents before the House inform Us
has been pursued by MANY OF the -lirauches. but
peeally those at Lafayette, al South Bend and the
wantOn prof. gacy winch mas marked tae institution
at Michigan city. Surely It VIII not be coutendcd
that the Democrats who voted Tor the charter % the
Bank fpresaw the abuses which have sprung up un-
der theguldance of Wing Directors, that they had
the most remote anticipation OF the present state
of things. With much propuety might Il BE-
charged. that the great founder OF the Jewish TEN
pie foresaw, and intended that our Saviour at his
coming should fad the holy edice ten nted by the
money changers, usurers and robbers, whom he
drove from It's sacred precincts.
One gentleman tells us that the time when
we had good and Wholesome currency good alike
in every quarter of the Union, and what he pleas
ed TO term the tampering OF ANDREW Jackson des-
troyed IT, Ifthat gentleman had said the currency
was good TO oil outward appearance, he would have
stated what none viii deny. IL was Hut II
was the outward appearance alone. That appear
ance decetful and would not stand the test.
as all our eXperenc has proved. The Bank
Of the United States. though vetoed By Gen. Jack
son. virtually and sub tantuliy rechartered by
the State Of Penusy lvanil. with powers and i'm.
munities equ,ito the dem,n of her friends. From
that hour 10 this. the government has had moth ne
To do with the institution directly or indirectly.