The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-01-14
Comm unteattou.
MIR. MARSHALL AND MIR. WEBSTER.

When a man like Mr.. Garret Davis sits down
TO compile, uLder the name OF Report, series
of garbled extracts from Mr. Webster's former
speeches, accompanied by false and strained IN
ferenees-indeed, insinuations rather than IN
ferenees--we look upon him one 50 com
pletcly under the influence of the demon of
party as to be inaccessible TO truth-and saved
by that consideration from stigma similar TO
that which would fall upon the fabrcaior of
testimony 10 be laid before court or jury
But The ease is different when man stand
ing high in Iublic estimation, both on the score
of talent and of high and generous qualities,
comes out boldly with sweeping accusation,
which has at least The merit OF being iree from
craft and nuendo, though II has moi particle
Of testimony TO sustain IL.
We might call upon Mr.. Marshall for the
testimony. but MIR. Davis has spared us The
trouble Of seeking for all that an eager and I'M
scrupulous enemy could find, upon which to
base charge of inconsistency and tergversa-
ton. We may recur therefore TO his Report,
which the author himself could hardly have ex-
pected would ever have been called from OBJ
livion.
The first extract which Mr.. Davis makes from
a speech Of Mr.. Webster is one bearing on a
| constitutional. question, which is relevant TO our
present purpose, only as il was perhaps referred
to by Mr. Marshall in his expression Of ga
Gorernment Bank, NTH a State right feature
in IT," Ii is as follows
"For my own part, look upon the two parts Of
the amendment Is substantially of the charac-
ter. Each, in my opinion, confers power upon the
States to expel the bank at their pleasure in other
words, entirely to defeat the operations, and destroy
the capacity for usefulness of the whole bank
The Constitution gives to Congress the gh to lay
duties and imposts, and it prohibits the exercise of
any such power by the States" But will any man
| say that Congress could authorize the States to
lay and collect imposts, under any restrictions or
Limitations whatever' No will pretend it, That
would be to make partition of power between
| tins Government and the State Governments. MIR.
Madison has very correct observed that the consent of
the States cannot confer ne,o po,cer upon Congress,
except Ia those cases specially provided IN the Con-
st,ion. This is very true and it is equally true
mat the States cannot obtain p0tcer by the consent
Of Congress" "These reasons, sir, lead me to think
that IT, for purposes connected with the benefcen ad
| minstration Of the Government, we deem il neces-
sary to continue this corporation, not at liber
ty to repeal any protection or any immunity with
which the Constitution surrounds it, We cannot gipe
la,o Of the United States less than its constitutional ct
feet The Constitution says that every such law pass
ed in pursuance of the Constitution shall be para-
mount 10 any STATE lar We cannot enact that il shall
not be so; for that would be TO repeal SO far, the
Constitution"
| Now, will any man who has read even cur
sorily, the proposed plan of an Exchequer, ven
ture to assert, directly, that it contains any
provision which "confers a power upon the
States 10 expel the Bank Exchequer1 at their
| pleaSure2' Is ii not notorious that one Of the
main arguments in favor of it is its complete
| and perfect con,tilulionaity- being some
thing which the General Government has an
| Indubitable hight to establish If established,
it would exist, and be in efficient operation in
every State in the Union, whether that State
as,ented 10 lis establishment or not.
IL Is true that IL contains provision requiring
the assent of The States 10 enable the branches
Of the Exchequer to deal in private deposites
and bills Of exchange. But this feature the
Exchequer, however useful it might be, and
however necessary TO its full and complete
efficiency, is still not essential TO its ex-
istencc. IL can exist without that feature
and without the assent of the States. Now i,
Mr.. Webster 10 object TO ii, because it has a
p DIVISION enabling II TO do, with the assent of
the States, what Mr. Webster believes that it
could constilutionally do without their assent ?
If he believed that the Government could not
tonstitutonSlly, through any institution estab-
llshed by II, deal in private bills of exchange,
then he might oppose this provision, with at
least, show Of reason. But TO require him to
Al, ,l.r
pose that he belongs 10 the school Of abstraction-
lists, and hair-sphtters, while the great accuse
ton against him is that he is teacher in the
opposite school.
Mr.. Davis has paraded several extracts from
the speeches Of Mr. Webster, in order TO show
that he has heretofore been strongly opposed to
paper money aud he quotes the following, with
graf triumph from Mr.. Wcbser's speech in
1897, against the issue of Treasury notes:
But now, sir, wha, sort Of notes does the Secre-
tary propose TO ISSUE lie proposes sir, TO issue
Treasury notes, of small denominations down even
as low as twenty dollars, bearing interest and
deemable at no fixed period they are TO be received
IN payment of debts due to the Government, bu, are
not 10 be otherwise paid until, at indefinite time
here shall be certain surplus in the Treasury be-
You'd what the Secretary may think 1t requires. Now
SIT, inns IS pam authentic, statuabie paper money
II Is exactly issue of old continental II the
Genius of the old Confederation were now TO rise TN
In the midst Of u.s. he could not furnish Us from the
abundant stores of his recollection with a more per.
feet model of paper money Ii carries no interest
IT has liked no time Of payment; II is circu ate as
currency, and it IS to circulate the credit of the
Government, with no fixed period of redemption 1
II tins be not paper money, sir, pray what Is it And,
sir, who exp, cted this ~
"Ah, sir," repeats Mr. Davis, "uho erpecf- |
ed his ~ The Treasury notes to be issued BY
The Exchoquer Bank "a on their face will be re-
deemable on demand but this Iromi will be