The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-10-23

i
responding and we may add, confidential committee,
from this source you will look pom this reply and
il the policy observed BY the committee should not
meet with your entire approbation you will attribute
the error rather to ourselves and his immediate adyi
sers than Gen. Harrison. That policy is. That Cen
sra Harrison make further declaration n principles
for M public eye Qhis occupying his present osiioa
"Such course has been recommended and adopted
not for purposes Of conceanent to avoid all propeg
responsibility; but under the impression that Tic
Generals views with regard to all the mportant aud
exciting questions of the day have heretofore been
given to the public, fully and explicitly and that
these views whether connected with constitutional
questions "a those Of other general interest have ans
desgone neiihey change nor modification.
The committee are strengthened in regard 10 the
property Of this policy from the consideration that
tie Aiiofal Convention deemed il poAtic at he present
CRISIS 10 publish general declaration Of e piescs Of Me
GREAT OPPOSITION PARTY and al the same tlfne were
entirely satisfied at the close Of their abors that the
nomination should be unanlmous.'
The italics n.lhe above quotation are my own, ex-
cept the words Hneilhel change modification
which are underscored in the manuscript letter be-
fore me-
Now from the above letter. which was Of course
QleiaI, the authors being the confidential conmtee''
of General Harrison, II appears that the General,
acting on The advice Of his committee and immediate
friends, made further declaration Of principles
for the public eye because his views on all the
important and exciting questions Of the day had
hitherto been fully given 10 the public And we
nected with constitutional quesisns these Of other
general interest, had undergone neither change nor
modification
Let us take, in connexion with these declarations,
the following letter written by General Harrison TO
the citizens Of Cincinnati published in the lnqusitor
Of that city in the fall of 1922, and II will bescen,
\ that he could not have signed bill for Bank OF
the United States, without being gulyof an act Of
Inconsistency to which his whole life would have
given the lie, and the possibility of which have
right to impute to him:
TO The Editor Of the hquisitor:
SIR: In your last paper you recommend to the
candidates at the ensuing election to publish their po-
litica creeds, that the electors may have fair OPP
portunty of choosing those whose sentiments best
accord with their | have believed that
every elector has right TO make this call upon those
who offer their services to the people, and that the
candidates are bound TO it. might it is
true, avail myself of the kind of exception which you
make in favor of those who have had opportunity
of showing their political opinions by their conduct
But, as have reason to dread the most minute in
vestgation of my opinions, and that my fellow-c iti
zens may be enabled TO compare my actions with my
| political creed-which you may publish if you think
it worthy of place in your paper. This measure IS
necessary at this time, some of my new friends
have very kindly in various handbills and otter
ymous papers, undertaken to make one for me
which (f have correct knowledge of what my
| self beeve) is not very exact likeness of that
which profess
| deem myself Republican of what is called the
old Jefferson school, and believe in the correctness of
that Interpretation of the Constitution which has been
given by the writings of that enlightened statesman
who was at the head Of the plrly and others belong
ing to it, particularly the celebrated resolutions of
| The Virginia Legislature during the Presidency of
Mr.. Adams.
deny, therefore, to the General Government, the
exercise OF any power that not eXprts sy given to
it by the Constitutions or what is essentially necessa-
ny to carry the powers expressly given TO it into eff
feet
believe that the charter given to the Bank Of the
United States was unconstitutional, il being not
of those measures necessary to carry any of the ex
pressy granted powers into effect and whilst my
votes in Congress will show that will take any
stuonal means to revoke the charter, my votes IN
the State Legislature will equally show that am OPP
posed to those which unconstitutional and Violent
and which will bring US into unnecessary collision
with the General Government.
We may, therefore, safely assert that Gen. Harri-
son was nominated by the Harrisburg Convention,
because, other things being equal, he was known to be
opposed to the charter OF United States Bank.
For the same reasons, MIR. Tyler was chosen by
the Convention, the opposition candidate for
the Vice Presidency, the ticket with General
Harrison. 1t was necessary 10 select a Southern
man for the Vice Presidency-the candidate for the
Presidency being of the North. OF Southern men,
not attached to the then administration, Mr.. Tyler
chosen, on account Of his distinct and repeated
declarations Of opinions against Bank Of the United
States.
If Mr.. Tyler's speech, in the House Of Represen-
tatiyes in 1879 on the motion made by Mr. j. Spen-
Ger, TO issue Scire dcias against the Bank wherein
he declared that he believed the creation OF that
poratlon ncOnStitdiOndL-if his in the Senate
1881, against the recharer-if his reference TO that
speech, and that vote, in his letter the Henrico
committee in 1910, wherein he the senti-
mentsif these facts be insufficient TO show MIR. Ty
ers steady and consistent opposition TO Bank, hear
| the testimony of enemy, in his favor.
| In his speech of Sept 10TH l84l, as published in
the IntHgeneer, Mr. Bolts declares that he admit
ted in its broadcast that from Mr.. Tyler's first
entrance into public life up to the date of his APP
pointment TO the Harrisburg Convention every sent
ment OF his mind had been hostile to a Bank Of the
/ United States"
! II is common and sensible remark, that although
majority of the party nominate, it requires the
whole OF the party to eiect To have made open
declarations against the constitutonality policy Of
Bank, at the Harrisburg invention, would have
been unnecessary, and only tended 10 ALLEVIATE that
segment of the great opposition party, known as the
Wing party proper. Hence the policy which dicta-
| ted the Convention in declining any g general deca-
ration Of views y and hence the reluctance OF Gen
Harrison and friends TO " make any further deca-
ton Of principles for the public eye" while occupy
ing the position Of candidate of the great opposition
party for the Presidency Of the United States. (See
| letter OF the committee above quoted
On this policy the election Of 1910 conducted
-an election memorable Of the most remark
able in TIE history Of our country-a peaceful revolu
lion, ehecting results the magnitude and suddenness
OF Whlch Woulo nave ueiuBeu any country III EUROPE
in blood.
In republishing Gen. Harrson's letter TO the citi
zens Of Cincinnati, quoted above, the NadisoniGn Of
Nov. B. 1912, makes the following remarks
"a paper, containing this letter, was forwarded by
General Harrison to a distinguished member of Con-
gress, 10 l840 and by him transmitted to a friend in
Virginia. in time for, and 10 operate upon, the cleo
ton of Governor by the Legislature II was used
conclusive evidence of General Harrsons opposition
to Bank and our readers, on reference TO the de.
bates which took place in the Virginia House of As
was attached TO it, 1hos. w Gimer was elected
| Governor by anti-Bank men, and advocates at the
same time Of General Harrison's election, the
ground that he opposed, strenuously and on
vction to incorporation Of a Bank. And General
Harrison thus gave, in 1910, by this act, a
dorsement TO the principles avowed m 1922. We be-
lieve no real friend 10 the memory of that dsiIngnish