The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1842-02-12

well OF il; that it may have faults, is be-
You'd doubt; that it is exposed. to the dam
ger Of abuse is equally beyol doubt;
but that it. is capable of being made to
effect great good ISL think, unGuesiiona-
Bile. ii. proposes to confer large powers
Il graut you, upon this board Of officers;
but lido not perceive that those pow
.ers aremore dangerous or more liable to
sabuse IN a board of sappointed un-
der the authority Of Congress, subject to
your constant supervision and control,
than the same or similar powers would be
in the hands of an independent corpora
ton, removed beyond your power and
authority for twenty years, or Tor whalev-
,er period Of duration might be fixed by
its charter. have said it was capable of
being abused and perverted to evil pnr-
poses, and so, sir, is all human power:
power in the hands Of man for good is
power for evil. We cannot carry on free
government without reposing trust and
confidence some where. Whatever de.
gree Of power is necessary to procure for
us the blessings and advantages of good
government ought to be, and must be ex-
uercised, and to be exercised we must trust
Il. in human hands, certainly. we should
grant no more power than is essential TO
our necessary purposes, and this we
should guard as far as possible from abuse.
Thereare many Of these guards proposed
by this bill. If other and better guards
can be devised, shall be glad to see them
adopted. That it may be improved, |
doubt not; excrescences may be Topped
off, and salulary provisions added; and
for this purpose ! wish it to 60 TO an i'm
partial and enlightened select committee,
ihat we may have the benefit Of their
careful revision and examination OF it.
said, sir,A thought well of it. it is we
have reason TO believe, the result Of long
and anxious and patriotic deliberalion aud
consultation on the part of the whole Ex-
eculive. Their purposes are undoubtedly
good; have great respect for them, and
am predisposed to receive their sugges-
,iops Iavorably; at all events, will give
to tia candid, fair, and impartial consid-
,erauon, having no other purpose than
shat which | believe acluated its authors
in proposing 1.-THE advancement of the
common good Of our common country.
But, Mr.. President, something must be
done, we must settle this question in
some way at this session ~of Congress.
The People demand aed require this at
our hands; and rel y npon it, sir, they will
hold you and me and all of US to a terri
;ble account if we continue here, each con-
tending for the peculiar excellence Of his
own opinions, his own views, and yield
ing nothing to others; and if, as the result
of all our strife and contention, we adj
journ and 60 home to tell our consltu-
ents we have done nothing, we could DO
nothing, because each and all were too
tenacious of their own opinions, my life
upon it the confidence of the people in
all Of US will be gone forever, and they
will seize the earliest opportunity ofhurl-
ing US from these Halls, and sending 9TH
er men in our places from whom they
will have reason to hope for better things.
For my Fart SO deeply am impressed
with the necessity ola settlement of this
question, that a am willing to yield al
most any thing. | am willing to take
this bill as j. is; TO take it with any addi-
tons or substractions the majority of the
Senate may Judge necessary. | am will
ding TO take any Thing which shall be cal
culated to remedy the evils the country
now suffers, in which the judgments of a
sufficient number Of those clothed with
the law-making power can be brought to
concur to give it efficacy, provided it lis
not plainly in violation of the Constitu-
tion nor morally wrong. The country
Us tired and sick at heart ofthis perpetual
agitation of questions of currency; they
demand that it should now be settled, and
they will have it settled.
There appears to me to be, Mr.. Presi-
dent, another and very cogent reason
urging US to heal this intestine discord,
growing out Of the delicate nature of cur
foret ign relations, especially those with
England. Your Treasury is empty, the
credit of the State gone, your own credit
almost beginning to totter; your whole
country in most defenceIess state; and
your relations with the most formidable
Power upon earth of the most critical
and delicate nature. Who could have
witnessed the intense interest excited in
ahls Senate yesterday, when chord was
slightly touched in connexion with those
relations, and which, by that tovcb, was
made to vlbrate in every heart here, and
which must vlbrae in every true heart in
America; who could have witnessed the
profound attention with which the few
remarks addressed te us OH that occasion
by the very distinguished Senator from
ken.ucky (Mr. Clay were listened to,
and not perceive that more, much M ore,
is felt upon the subject than men dare
trust themselves to express. Who that
knows any thing of England, her ambi-