Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-02-01

When we zee nil this difficulty, Mr. Speaker, m te IN
roducton and operation of the bankrupt system ~
ENGLAND where il is infinitely better sui.eu 10 tie
genius and occupations OF the people 'han - ~
n for centuries TO come, be, in this country
vhen we see the candid and the mos; enlightened
statesmen o. Great Britain denouncing tEe Poicy %
rs oririna introduction there, founded IN kno"eose
Gifts operation and effects when We have done eet VIII
ant io. i,uic than fifty years call upon gentlemen,
IN consideration OF the vast and fearful Importance o'
The subect-in solemn apprehension OF cntans upon
this happy country the long catalogue oil evIs WHICH
has marked lis progress elsewhere-!n The name %
rcosou and in sp,t Of broieriy t0re and Pdtf9i'sm,
lmplore Them them, In cxpe from their posoH's
every consideration OF pe fseiing, party advantages,
and meet this question as patriots aud statesmen
Afler The observations have made against the e1
,ed,ency of The law, MIR. Speaker but little remains
Tor me TO add upon the third branch OF my enquiry,
viz: in reference to the immortality Of ITS operation
Suffice il 10 say It temp,s men, first to contract debts,
and then to discharge them without payment i; tends
To encourage breach of confidence; it strs up hrst
sp,ri, OF picon, and then oil iend between man ana
man. il destroys the obligations of contracts presents
lure TO the commission of perjury, and finally, II IN
| rades and BY legislative power annus the rights oil
creditors 1t is them in my view Of it, law both Of
temptation and of evil and comes emphatcaly within
The very terms of that best of all christian prayers adj
by the Saviour 10 the throne of grace "Lcdd as
no, into temptatioa Jut derer from eri and IN the
|
nitely postponed at ought not to have been passed,
and ought 10 be repealed
| But MIR. Speaker, | opposed 10 this Bankrupt
law upon another ground. It's like It's kindred mea
sures Of Donation, Distribution, and Banh, the OIL
sprpr Of al extraordinary combination oil the most DIS
codaut political clements and of the fierce party IA
ualicisn which ragged throughout the length and
breadth OF this whole Coniederacy the year l-i0-a
year long 10 hc remembered III Inns country with cha
I,rin and modification. For the first time, ia the his
f.
ia the American people, candidate for the highest
Office in Their Gift witiou; proclaing any set Of prln-
| cip!es Whatever.
Mr.. DANirE Docs the gentleman mean to say, the
| Wing party had no principles:
4 Mr.. IlurKINs. ! mean 10 say, Mr. Speaker, that
VIXEN they met in Convention at Harrisburg, and noml
mated General Harrison for the Presidency they did
not present 10 the American people an address pro-
claiming any set of political principles upon which tie
nomination made or ty which 1t was 10 be urged
on the favorable consideration Of the people. And my
complaint is not that they had principles, but that
they had many At that Convention general sys-
TEN Of party organization was doubtless adopted; Inc
members dispersed the country proclaimlng the
most undonh,ing Of the success Of the noun
nation Tie Wing members Of Congress, catching the
enthusiasm made The graves charges and the most IN
hammatcry speeches against the administration OF MIR
Van Buren,, which speedily borne, through the
medium Of the press, 10 the remolest corners OF the
Il Union \ Central Committee was appointed al
the city of Washington, and bountliuliy endowed
with funds, 10 Collect to print, and disseminate all
such productions might be deemed most likely 10
engcnder spirit Of discomfort and excitement among
the people, Speeches, pamphlets, documents, news
papers, and pictorial representations, were there manu-
featured printed, and scattered Mieh as NacLber
ries' over the land -"Ippecanoe;C 3bs formed
in almost every county, town, village and hamlet
throughout the Unon--huge roofed pens, resembling,
and called "iog codns were buil. at party expense
and for party purposes all the cities Of the Con
federacy in which all people, Of all GLASSES, characters
and conditions, freely met to partake Of the humble be
veragc Of hard cider and 10 listen to the dseptoned
! defamation, the rhetorical ourishes, the enthusiastic
appeals and the whitening denuncianns Of inurIated
WING orators. Their members Of Congress-, and Of
the State Legislatures their "poisicai Missionaries =
their LAWYERS and their politicians, all in motion
They addressed the people all occasions, and from
every forum. They abused denounced traduced, and
vilitcd Mr.. Van Buren, upon every species OF charge
from that Of mighty "standing army Of 100000 men,
down 10 the petty, insignificant "llooc edse"while
they euogized General HARRISON as possessing the
honesty and simplicity OF an ancient patriarch, The
military skill and courage Of u Caesar, and The WIS
dom and craftsmanship Of our own Jefferson. Uni
!, rcrsal excitement prevailed throughout the whole
couniry-tumultuous conventions and professions with
banners and flags streaming the air, with huge balls
rolling about the streets, and "iog cabins drawn on
wagon wheels, mared the harmony OF orr fashionable
towns and cities In ine MIR. Speaker, mighty
was raised; and il ragged with relentless fury the
whole CONFERENCE.-The political elements were put IL
fearful commoon; and for the time sail njmsi0H
lrorsc confou,ded "A cloud purtendnE all The horrors
oil second delugc arose. and cast It's daTk and Gisna
Z shadow the Unon-ihc thundcrs ruaTcd and thC
u nhininns flashed The Democracy utterly and a5
e solutclv pr0Strdted
But, Mr. Speaker, il merely e'cctric Shock
5 from which We speedily recovered The Wings, how
eyer ir:unpipd. Their President was po,npous!y in
stalled INTO oicc-a special session Of Congress i:uc
diaey called, and the high Federal measures Of which
the Bankrupt Law is one, were quickly passed. They
had not made these things known during The canvass
and the people were consequently not prepared TO wit
ness the giant strides Of Federalism which ensucd and
rs the beginning the sroE Del proclaimed 'ict Mcrt
be Hght and Mcrc ,cas tight SO, in this dayk dug o.
our countrys history, The 'ror popui proclaimed thu
: same mandate, and the dismai oioad have de.
scrbed, passed away. The broad disk Of the bright
and glorious Of Democracy reappcarcd casting his
rcsplendeHt rags, and terminating beams, be-
nighicd land. We from our PROSTATE condition
/ with the Constitution of our country in our hand
loudly chanting, in p@an notes O. triumph, the poetic
maxim-
''Trih crushed 10 earth Will r.e again,
The eternal years If God are hers,
In, wounded writlcs in pain,
And dies amid her worshirpcrs :"
!, So it was with the truths OF Democracyso il with
c the Of Whiggcry. The Bankrupt Law, have
said, the result of the political combinations and
party lanaticsm of $40 Indeed | regard The whole
|, Federal Legislation Of The Extraordinary Session oil
u Congress, constituting a snap judgment upon the
pcopleas the work Of mere party p0tcians for par.
ypurposes; rather than pro jono pnbtco" The Bank
rupt Law intended to hitch to the Of some Pre-
s'den,ia aspiran the 100000 bankrups in the United
] States, while The Distribution Law intended to buy
e up whole States. Against the continuance OF these
Laws, II becomes the friends of the Constitution every
!. where, 'io cry aloud aud spare not" They mast
T they ough. TO be repealed.
= The gentleman from Wood (NIr. Jackson) contends
that, the Convention That framed the Federal Consu
ton having conferred upon Congress the power 10 enact
Bankrupt Law, composed as that Cougcnton was, 81
The wsest and greatest statesmen that honored The
councils Of the nationt mus therefore, be prcsume ed
wise and cNPedcnt for Congress 10 exercise that power
Now, Mr.. Speaker, the grant of the power, and
crtse, arc two very different things The power "o
declare war; is also conferred upon Congress- but does
II follow that the power must be exercised all
SONS without regard 10 either or consequence
simply because il has been conferred The gentleman
argument Mr. Speaker, is like two-cdged sword,
cuts both ways The wise men who framed the Federal
constitutions were themselves members Of Congress long
laft. e .