The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-08-05
MR.. CRITTENDEN.


most slowly most reluctantly, if am thus to be whip
ped to what is reqnIe of me with Presidential
scouIge."-Speech Of Senator Crihenden, delivered
august l.
Congress was sent here to relieve the dis
tresses of the country-not to add to them. The
People expected Congress to adopt constitution
al measures to secure their prosperity. They
did not ask-did not expect a Bank until the
advocates of monopoies threw aside the mask
and disclosed the cloven foot of the golden mon
ster. 1t was left for President Tyler TO destroy
this hydra, and he did it. Although, like the ia
bed beast, another head more horrible than
the first, sprung instantly upon its bleeding
neck, yet he met that, too, and despatched It
in much less time than the first. The People
Eve mean the mass, not faction) applauded
the decision of the President, but the members
who rode these famous hobbies could not give
up their own opinions of their own wisdom to
please the People.
To boldly assert that the People demanded
these Banks is to contradict the assertions of
their own friends previous to the election; and
to make out the People as not knowing their
own will But the rights of Senators, spoken
fly Senator Crittenden, means, in his mind,
their right to make the President an automaton,
to sign bills, whether he approves them or not.
Will the Senator pretend to deny Mr.. Tyler the
right to think for himself? and will he denounce
the Executive for the exercise of constitutions
al right? We contend that this very denying
and denouncng is breach of the Constitution,
because it assumes to ccnsure the President :or
using an express constitutional prerogative. 1t
is much breach of the Constitution to con-
denim an officer for using constitutional right,
as it is to denounce him for violation Of that
sacred instrument Mr.. Crittenden does not
pretend to assert that the President has acted
unconstltutonally, but the whole matter of COM
plant rests simply upon the fact that the Pres-
dent differed with the majority respecting the
constilutionality of a National Bank, and so
thinking, had the courage to enterprise his con-
stutional prerogatve," to prevent Congress
sonal violation Of the Constitution.
AT this session, Congress has attempted TO
undo two important things which they did at
the extra session; yet no one disputes their
right to reconsider their acts, though we may all
laugh at their folly and incon ,ist-ncy at their
not knowing their own minds for two consecu-
tive sessions If President Tyler had signed
the first Bank bill, they would have been as
ready to repeal il at this session as they We're to
annul the Bankrupt law; for not dollar of
the stock would have been taken. Even at the
time that the bill was in the hands OF the Exc
cutive, those very men were busy in proposing
"a supplementary act" which was to alter the
feature of the main bill, so as to induce capital
lists to purchase the stock.
We now come to another point of the extract
which heads this article. Mr.. Crittenden says
he will make any sacrifice to his country, but
that he will be very slop in doing 1t. Here is an
open acknowledgment that the People require
of Mr. Criltenden sacrifice of Individual opin-
ion and yet, with full information of the great
distress in the country, he declares that he will
. be very slow in the sacrifices he makes for his
country.
He must not be hurried to do good. He is a
grave and noble Senator and will do the People
service when he gets ready. If some thou
sands die for want, and cor upton creeps from
necessity into the bosoms of thousands of 9TH
ers in the meantime when he knoaos all about
then very slow TO act
Is this the language that becomes a Senator
Is this the manner that should dignity a mem
Der of the most important legislative convention
in the world2 Is this proper idea to be thrown
out to the People by their servant Is he to
set up his own dignity against the sufferlnss of
millions, and to say TO them, 'when the Presi-
dent agrees to think just think, then we
will relieve you; but we can do nothing before
that; or if you compel us, shall be very
slow"
But Mr. Crittenden gives for his
slolr sacrifice, by saying, " If am thus to be
TO be whipped on to what is required of me with
presidential scourge."
We would ask the length, BREADTH and
weight of this scourge, as we have never seen
it, We have heard much said about the Presi-
dents debating to Congress, but have never dis
covered any appearance of it. AT the com
mencement of the session, the Executive, as in
duty bound, according to law and usual custom,
called the attention of Congress to certain points
worthy their consideration. All Presidents have
done this, yet 1t was never before called Pre-
sidenial scourge."
Unfortunately for Mr.. Criuenden, the saddle
is on the wrong horse. The scourge is Congress
sional, not Presidential At the extra session
Congress forced one veto on top of another
and now they are making ready to do the same
thing over again. Would Mr., Crjttenden have
the President approve tomorrow bill he re-
jected yesterday The honorable Senator's
pretended ignorance Of Mr.. Tyler's opinion on