Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1843-05-27


mr.. VAN BUREN's REPLY TO THE
DEMOCRATIC STATE CONvEN.
TON OF INDIANA.
KrSDERHooK, Feb. Is, ls43.
Gentlemen: have had the honor 10
receive your letter, written 10 behalf OF the
Indiana Democratic State Convention,
and asking my views and opinions IN re.
Ia,ion, LIST, to the chartering Of National
Bank, or any other national institution, by
whatever name it may DO called, authorized
10 issue bills Of credit for banking purPo.
ses or TO regulate exchanges, and Of the
constitutionality and expediency Of such
.an institution /; 10 the Distribution OF the
Proceeds of the Public Lands among tho
several States Of this Union Sd, 10 q
Protective Tariff, 4th, to an Amendmen,
fof The Constitution, still further limiting
the Veto Power; and inquiring in conclu.
sion, whether will abide tho decision of
Na,ions Convention Of the Democratic
tpar,y, in the selection Of candidate tor
the Presidency, and whether will give
my supper, and influence to the election Of
R the nominee Of said convention, il no, my
lself nominated by il.
|, affords me much pleasure 10 comply
with the request Of the Convention +; and
have only to regret that the mum .er ard
Importance IF inc subjects embraced IN
their interroga, ories, and tho necessity OF
some explanaliuns 10 do justice TO the
views entertain in regard to them, will
unavoidably extend my reply to much
greater length than ! could have desi' ed
am opposed to the establishment Of a
National Bank in any form, or under any
disguise, both on constitutional grounds
and grounds Of expedisncy. The power
10 create such an institution has not been
given to Congress by the Constitution,
nellher is it necessary to the exercise OF
any Of the powers which are granted; and
if exercised, would be N it always has
been, highly injurious to the public vel
fare. These opinions, alike adverse u the
eonstitutionall.y and expodiency Of Ma
t;onal Bank, have been frequently and sx.
tcnsively laid before the people, and some.
times on occasions Of deep interest They
were expressed in my letter tho ciiizens
assembled at Shocco Springs, in North
carolina, when my name was before the
public for the Vice Presidency; repeated
in 1886, when in similar relation to the
Office OF President of the United States, in
a letter 10 the Hon. SheYrod Williams,
which was widely disseminated; and re-
i,eraied in my first message 20 Congress,
At the extra session in 1887, whom the at
tention Of the whole country was again
drawn 10 tho subject by the failure Of the
dep osite banks to fulfil their engagements
with the Government. The opinions and
principles avowed on these various occa.
sions, have undergone no other change
than that Of additional conviction Of their
truth, derived from events that have since
occurred.
Knight res, here content with this ex-
plicit avowal, and proceed to reply to your
in,errogatories, we're 1t not that thls ap'
pears to me 4 proper occasion to advert to
the deplorable calamities inflicted on the
people by the conduct and final catastro-
phe Of the late hank, through The psrvef'
sion OF its means and the abuse Of Its pow
CT. Il 10 true that this institution 10 q ~
no more. Ilhss sunk under the weight Of
It's own enormities, and has lett nothing
behind but he wrecks uf its career. But
the interests, pecuniary and political, the
parents who first gave it birth, and the
nurse by whom, il was fostered, still survive
with the same means Of producing another
offspring, and the same disposition 10 en-
Pioy them, whenever favorable opportu'
nifty presents itself The question Of a
National Bank is still before the people and
VIII continue to be, so long as avarice anc
ambition see in it the means Of gratifying
The love Of money and The love Of power
hisone Of the great leading measures Of ;
party which will never be extinct in thiI
Country. It 10 essential TO the acquisition
as we'll az the preservation Of iis power
ana will never be relinquished while their
exists hope Of its attainment. The onl.
security against its revival, is ia the pub