Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-11-28

IT'001 1"0 - y I.TtFINy TNsEI
Mr.. WEBSTERS NODE OF SETTLING THE BASn
QI'ESTIgT

Mr.. WEBSTER'S NODE OF SETTLING THE BANK
QUESTION.
Mr.. Webster has very SUMMARY wa of putting
The question Of the coast nationality of a National
Bank beyond dispute. Perhaps it may amuse our
readers to look at H. and have therefore de he'd
from the ponderous speech delivered the ether day a.
Andover where II WILL We suppose, hardly be read by
one man in five thousand
"ln order TO discharge lis duty 10 Commerce, Cor
gress must supernend tst Which the great agent Of
Commerce-money. Congress has power 10 regulate
the Currency; and, according ID Mr.. Madsoa's ma
ture judgment, Government must have the power TO
decide wha, shs take the Of paDer money if is
d;sp placed by paper money | shall not 90 al length
the const tut onol qu' stor Suffice 10 say that
coeval with the Constitution, .hat power has been be-
lieved 10 exist. Those who made TIE CGnsi tgon did
not doubt it, General Washington did rot doub.; ard
he established Bank, or established under his
administration, for that very purpose. Madison DID
not doubt II and meBt On hm because Ii, is eminent
among those who have been supposed 10 enteria
doubts Of the consttut ona power. But Mr.. Madison
yielded, even If his private judgment had not been
convinced, he said, as every man Of VIII say
that the thing had been settled by the repeated deci-
sons of the constitutional interpreters its meaning
has been fixed, determined. And The Constitution like
any other INSTRUMENT, is capable Of doubt-but, like
any other, when its meaning he's been fixed by the pre-
per tribunal, it must be taken settled, enduring and
no longer to be doubted Now, We all know, that we
have had Bank for forty years-ye say il is
constitutional Will they say so forty years hence
and will they thusgo on from genertton to generation,
dsputing question already settled think not We
must take the Interpretation Of Courts, Of Stat,s and
Of the people, oil of whom have adopted Bank-we
must tike it es the meaning the actual fixed, definite
meaning of The Constitution, or we shall never have
any meaning for that instrument"
Mr.. Webster arrives at his conclusion by jumping
over at least half of the facts The whole history
Of our two National Banks has been history OF cease
! less controversy. The National Bank chartered in
1901 came into the world like Love in the pastoral,
Desol in tempes's and in thunder born;
it was brought forth amidst mighty contention and
struggle of the great of the time, Hamilton and
his eminent associates Of the Federal party on the one
side, and jefferson and Madison on the other When
the question of renewing ills charter came up in lsli
another struggle took place, in which The friends of
National Bank suffered defeat the charter not
nswed because Congress deemed itself unauthorized by
the Constitution to erect Bank. The Thirteenth
Congress, at lie second session. in 1el4, had before
it, in the House Of Representatives, resolution to
raise committee for reporting plan of a National
Bank, which, after debate, in which it encoun.
tered strenuous opposition, was indefinitely postponed.
From that time 1916, various aborve attempts TO
create National Bank made in Congress; and at
length the charter Of 1876 passed With the bis.
tory Of that Bank, its various attempts TO procure
second charter and their defeat either by vote
Congress, the veto Of The President readers are
familiar. At every stsp the consttutionality of Ma
|ona Bank has been denied by the enemies Of such an