The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-10-12

TO THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED
STATES.
DEFENCE OF THE ADMINISTRATIONS

ground occupied by MIR. Tyler at the Harrisburg
Convention.
In a communication addressed to the Wings oil
Maryland it is attempted to convict Mr. Tyler oil
Inconsistency by implication, that In taking ms scar
in the Harrisburg Convention he thereby pledged
himselfto support National Bank
The writer Of this address is known TO be man Of
great talents, and considered as standing IN inc
first rank among the members Of his profession and
is il not a amentable thing to such man step
ping forward in the rpeness Of his years. and al the
height Of his wsllearned reputation, to obtrude HIM
self on the public in the character Of violent party
scribe land yet, in what other light can we con-
slider the man who, in uncalledfor and gratuitous
manner, sends into the country, with the sanction
of his name, such address; error and absur-
dity, will venture to assert, never penned
within the compass than contained in the
address just alluded to. 1t proceeds the follow
ing extraordinary assumptions
First Because Mr. Tyler took his seat in the Con-
vcnton that he thereby pledged himself to sanction
all their measures however irreconcilabe with his
views Of the powers Of the Federal Government.
Secondly. That all who sat in that Convention
agreed to give up their opinions, and abide by the de-
csion of the majority there assembled. Are these
positions defensible
1t is fact too well understood be contradiced,
that Mr. Tyler took his seat in the Harrisburg Con-
vention with the full purpose of supporting all wing
| measures which did not conflict with his constitu-
tional views. 1t has never been supposed that an
| individual, in conserving TO become member OF
political body, was bound to carry out and support
all the various and conflicting opinions that might be
| entertained by those who composed that Conven-
ton upon questions of controvertcd, constitutional
law 1t would be an unreasonable demand, indeed,
for any portion Of its members to require those who
dissented from them upon some disputed questions,
to relinquish their principles, aud support those
which they had always resisted. 1t is usual to
| ground proposal for a coalition of hostile parties on
some ineligible basis TO assign some motive for
cooperation Of political adversaries, in the accom-
plishment Of any particular object; to offer some
| pledge of sincerity, and to point out some general
coincidence of principles and views, which shall ex-
culpate the two parties IN the Judgment OF their re-
spective friends from the charge of inconsistency
| But, in this instance, it was deemed Unnecessary
The Harrisburg Convention assembled to unite their
strength upon individuals, whose elevated virtues
| and unquestioned patriotism would impart to the
ticket union and concert of action regardless Of their
opinions to the powers Of the Federal Govern
| ment to establish National Bank. In confederation
| of this view Of the subject, Governor Barbour, IN
taking his seat the presiding officer of the Conven-
ton, made few remarks as explanatory of the OBJ
lects of the Convention. In the enumeration of the
objects to be accomplished by the Wing party, we
find he is silent upon the subject of the propriety of
incorporating N ltional Bank. Ii this the lead
ing policy of the Wing party, how do you account
| for the omission in Gov. Barbour's address,
1t is we'll established that the question Of charter
| Jug National Bank was not discussed in the Con-
venton. That no interrogatons were propounded to
| Mr. TYLER with the view OF ascertaniDg his views
| upon this perplexed question.
| But we will not stop here. In reviewing the pro-
| ceedipgs of this Convention, we find that member
from Virginia offered to read address, setting forth
| the views and principles of the Convention. The
| Hon. BENJAMIN Watkins Leigh opposed such pro-
ceedine and stated that the principles Of the t,co cand
dates rere tceH knorn and understood by the people Of
| the United States. His adrice pursued Thus
leaving each candidate to enjoy their respective OPT
Mons regards the powers of the Constitutions and
their views of the policy TO be preserved by the Gov
| eminent.
| Now, whilst upon the doctrine OF mplica-
ton let push il to its ultimate consequences. If
| the inference deduced by the address be admiss-
BILE that Mr.. Tyler, in taking his seat in the Con-
venon adopted the views of all those who were
| supporters of National Bank is not the inference
equally strong aud legtmatey deducibe from the
facts adduced, that they supported him for the Vice
Presidency, with the full knowledge of his unif run
hostility to such an institution? The conclusion is
| irresistible
| The question now recurs, the Convention ig-
norant Of the political opinions of man they nom-
mated for the second Office in the gift OF the people
Now is il to be supposed that this Convention put
in nomination Mr. TYLER for the Vice Presidency
without possessing some knowledge of his views in
! reference to the measures then in controversy be-
tween the great political parties This cannot be
maintained. The Convention knew full well, that as
the presiding officer of the Senate in certain con-
| tingency he was entitled to a vote; that in many
cases he would be called to sustain or reject mea
| sures which had received the support OF majority
| Of both Houses of Congress. Yet we are & avely
told that in selecting individual to I'LL tins high
station, thus clothed with such power, equal to that
Of Senator they never examined into ms political
principles. His principles were easily ascertaned
| they were spread upon the journals OF Congress
| They were not concealed
| We affirm, that the members OF the Convention
were not ignorant of his opposition to the Bank of
the United States-of his recorded votes in opposl-
ton to it, in lS32-and his opposition to 1t upon
constitutional grounds in 1884. In continuation OF
this we will appeal to two members OF that Conven-
ton-the Hon. Peleg Sprague, of Boston, and Ben
amn Watkins Leigh, of Virginia. Both OF these
distinguished gentlemen were members OF the Senate
| in 1894 when Mr.. Tyler made his speech on the
Shenandoah memorial in that speech ne expressly
stated that he could not vote for chartering Nation
al Bank son high constitutional grounds" Is it to
be supposed that these gentlemen had forgotten these
! remarksi If recoected, then, of which ! have no
doubt is it not reasonable to suppose that, when the
nomination of Mr.. Tyler was made, his views in re-
Ialion to this favorte policy would have been made
known if the establishment of Bank had been one
| Of the prominent measures of the Wing party. So
far from Mr. Leigh objectDg to the confirmation of
the nomination, he in his seat and moved that
the nomination of General Harrison for the Presi-
dency, and John Tyler Vice President should be
entered upon the journals Of the Convention being
unanimously adopted. Is it not also reasonable to
suppose thta the Wings of Shenandoah county, Viz
pina, would have made known their views upon the
subject, as Mr.. Tyler had in the Senate expressly