Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-08-24
Communicated.

met with IN the political discussions of the present
day, and so far have the newspapers of the coun-
try generally in their zeal for party, departed from
the proper track in this respect, that their readers
are seldom able to place any reliance upon the
statements made in their columns.
The press of both parties are obnoxious TO this
charge; and it is much to be regretted, for
it is only by fair and dispassionate discussion of
important topics connected with the science of
government that truth is to be elected, and only
by the practice of principles founded in truth and
justice, that the welfare and happiness of the people
to be secured and promoted.
The interests of the country, however,a Deepen
dant upon the promulgaton of correct political doc
trine and the fair statement and dissemination of
truth, appear with most editors to be secondary
considerations to the interests of party-and when
in conflict the first pretty sure to be sacrificed
10 the last
These reflections have been induced by the peru
sal ofa communication and the leading editorial in
the last Southport American, in which there is any
thing but spirit of candor and a love of truth ex-
hbited, and which go far to show the ignorance or
dishonesty of the writer's, or the weakness Of a
cause that could render such resorts necessary on
the part of its advocates.
The first idea advanced by the correspondent
of the American is, that the whg party has faith
fully and repeatedly urged the government to fulfil
its JOnndca and constitutional duty, in furnishing
the people with a sound currency, while the dem
ocratic party has officially announced It's DISPOSE
ton to wrap itself up in its own experiments, and
leave the people to take care of themselves &c.
The particular mode in which the whig party
proposed TO furnish the people with a sound cur
rency, the writer did not fit to state, but of
course he meant by the establishment of U. S.
Bank, as other mode has ever been suggested
by this party In relation to the question, how far
the agency of institution of this kind Is needed to
furnish the people with a sound currency, there
may be an honest difference of opinion. The idea,
however, that Z. S. Bank is at all necessary for
this purpose, Is now pretty generally repudiated by
the candid of both parties.
Governmental tinkcring with the currency, and
attempts to regulate exchanges by means of naten
al banking institution have been found by expert
ence, so far the general business interests of the
country are concerned, to be productive of evil
and rejecting men are beginning to see that tn e
best means of relieving the country from its EN-
barrassmens, of getting a sound circulating medi-
UNI, and of regulating exchanges, are productive
industry, and curtailment to as great an extent
as possible of the runous excess in the issue and
circulation of bank paper, rather than by the crca-
ton of any banking institutions, national or
state.
Experience has fully demonsrated-1st That a
national bank is unnecessary as a fiscal agent eff
the government, which removes one Of the strong
est grounds of the advocates for the creation of
such institution. I'd That connection between
Bank and State, is prejudicial to the interests o
both,- not required by the business Interests
of the country
How far the wing mode of furnishing ''sound
currency is in favor with the people, it is not diff
cult 20 iudge-for whenever distinct issue has beer
made up on this point, and presented them, their
decision has been unequiyocally against Bank.
Look at the result of the State elections since
Henry Clay, the advocate for L. S. Bank, has
been nominated by the wings as a candidate for the
Presidency.
The assertion that it is the JoadeR and conStit,-
hondI duty of the general government to furnish
any other currency for the people than gold and
silver, it would be very difficult 20 prove. Wing
leaders have searched the constitution in vain for
some clause comforting upon Congress the power
to establish bank, and they have been compelled
10 resort to a constructive and unwarran;ed inter-
probation of that instrument, to give even colour
of authority for their efforts to create such an in
stitution.
1t is the doctrine of the democratic party, that
Congress in It's action should confne Itself to the
strict letter of the constitution; and in addition to
their objection to a bank, on the score of its uncon-
stitutonali,y they believe it to be unnecessary as
fiscal agent of the government, and highly dan
gerous so far as the interests and liberties Of the
people are concerned. In their opinion, the sound
est kind of currency which the government can
furnish, and the people can have, is gold and sill
yer, and when this is done, they believe that the
whole Constitutional duty of Congress in the pre-.
misses is performed. The remark that the demo-
cratic party has "officiay announced It's DISPOSE
ton to wrap itself up in its experiments, and
leave the people TO take care of themselves is
mere party slang and of course unworthy Of atten-
ton.
General and equitable laws-as little restriction
of individual rights as consonant with the public
good-no special favors, but dispensaton of the
blessings of government, as the dews of heaven are
dispensed, equally upon all-and no interference
with the natural laws of trade and commerce, are
cardinal principles of democracy.
The advocates of banks and other corporations
and of high protective tariffs of whom we take the
correspondent of the American to be one, ofcourse
hold the converse of these principles.