New-York daily tribune., 1844-06-29
George NJ. Dallas.

Dallas" But those who take THIS III hd"u' "oP
,rp TO obtain therefrom any clear idea OF the pub
lie services and political principles Of Mr.. Dallas
will be disappointed They will learn from 1t
that George has been farorte OF tortune-'hat
he is the son of an able and illustrious States
man. Alex. J. Dallas--that he received very
easy lucrative, honorable and desirable post THAT
of Secretary OF Legation to RUSSIA about the
,jmc he came OF agc-came home about the
lose of the War and went into the Treasury
Departmcnt under his father, and Oh the death
.,f his father returned 10 Philadelphia, marr.ed
-ich wife. and betook himself TO the law, which
ne has generally followed since with decided sue
cess. The great services done to the Country
nv his f.,her, in urging upon Congress the meas
ares which ultimately restored order and thfih
,o op- Finances soundness and uniformity TO
our Currency, are not alluded TO, bat they arc
worthy of honorable mention, and we Will sup
,,v the deficiency. On both the Bank and larlfi
questions. Hon. Alex. J. Dallas was most ettlcleni
m The right side, and probably for the creation oi
tho United States Bank and the better features
# the Tariff Of 1916 the Country is as deeply
indebted 10 lin TO any other man. Others
consummated, but he wisely planned and fear
essly commended His sou George was with
nim in the Department through this eventful pc
rod and till the Secrctary's death, and doubtless
participated thoroughly in the patriotic and
s,a,esmanlkc views of his illustrious parent
We infer this not merely from their close relation
and intimacy, but from the known sentiments Of
Mr. Geo. NJ Dallas in after years.
Mr.. Dallas remained at the bar Of Philadel-
down to 1881, doing but moderate business in
politics, inclining first to Calhoun for President
in 1924, but finally going in for Jackson with the
rest Of the Calhoun men. In 1881, he was cho
sen to fill a two years vacancy in the U. S. Se-
nate.
Here commences the really important portion
of Mr.. Dallas's history. He came into Congress
at most eventful season, and he played no in
significant part there. His biographcrs belittIc
him sadly. He was two years in the most emf
nent Legislative body in the country, when
nearly every great measare and interest pass
led in review there. His votes, his speeches.
his propositions, are all of decided conse-
ouencc. He had enjoyed no opportunity
to distinguish himself before; he has en-
Dyed none at all equal to this since. Should VIC
not suppose that his Senatorial carcer-the mea.
sures he supported the important votes ne gave
would be held up in bold reliefin work which is
intended to make him known to the country 2
Yet not one vote he gave is cited, not one propo-
stion he madeis held up to view We are very
ropgily told that he made Pennsylvania speech
on the Tariff, and we are allowed to guess that
he went against Notification. But the facts that he
made an out-and.out Protective speech, and voted
as straipht.out Tariff man would, and that he
was so thoroughly for Protection, or so anxious
TO let slip the dogs Of war on the Nullliers,
hat he voted even against the Compromise Act,
,re kept wholly out of sight Yet this is The
Life Of George NJ. Dallas
Not one ,oord is there here concerning MS
course on the Bank and Distribution questions
,ou could not suppose from the body OF the work
hat such questions were discussed and voted on
while Mr.. Dallas was in the Senate. But on
he most obscure pages Of the cover, we have
,ricf chapter on Geo. NJ. Dallas and the United
States Bank" which says:
Io 1889 and 3 Mr. Dallas represented Pennyvana IN he
Gs CHARTER
he u 8. Bank" :,
The above is all that is said directly to the
,oint. Is this true7 Why not publish these
posi,ive instructions p We have done so, but
he Dallas eulogists dare not do 1t. They will
ot LET their readers see that the positive IN
truc,ions' were Just no instructions at all, but
mere expression of opinion that United States
Sank contributed TO the prosperity OF the Couh-
rv. We are quite confident that this resolution
gas nassed long after Mr.. Dallas went TO Wash
oo,oo with the draft in his pocket and intro
need bill to recharter the U. 5. Bank.
Rut more: Mr. Dallas declared, on presenting
he bill, that he came there pilling as well as
irtually instructed agent of Pennsylvania IN
,rnor,ino this rccharter. He does not intimate
hc least reluctance-qute the contrary. lie
moves Select Committee on his Bank bill Is
t course appointed Chairman; reports back his
III; and takes the lead in defending 1t. lie votes
painst every amendment offered by Benton
Marcy, G.undy s. Co. to cripple and letter Inc
Bank, and the Wings vote with him. MessTs
,lav, Webster, Frelinghuysen, Clayton &C. only
,o,e as he argues they should. Together they
IN anv quantity of insidious but often plausible
men5mentg. They carry the bill through the
senate; it passes the House; (both Jacksonl-
zoos 70 the President and he vetoes It, sultiiying
". Dallass threatening prediction that he dare
,ot 1t is returned to the Senate, and MIR. Dallas
,gain votes to pass it, over the head OF the veto
md in de6anceof Gen. Jackson. AL these are mat
srs OF public record-no man dreams of disputing
bem-bu, they are concealed from the eyes of
he readers of the Siamesc biographies OF Polk
and Dallas. Those readers are expected to be-
ieye that MI Dallas was in all his Bankism
most reluctant victim of 'the Democratic doc
rine of Instruction. But the authors we'll know
better. They know that Mr.. Dallas, If instruct
ID at all, was not instructed to vote against Ben
nm T. Co on every minor proposition and IN IA