Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1844-07-20
TO COL. THOS. H. BENTON.
(No. Il.)

ORR opposed tne currency DIS, not De-
cause they were yours, but because deemed the
rejection Of them necessary to save the party
from disgrace and defeat, and the people from
oppression. Had those bills become laws, open
and successful resistance to their operation would
certainly have followed and the Democratic
party would as certainly have been overthrown in
Missouri. You have assailed me for attempting
TO serve the party by whom you have been SO
long upheld. Is it thus you requite your friends
for favors?
But, why have your currency bills been pub.
lished in no shape or place, save in the columns
Of the Reporter! Did you know, when you
made your thanks to the Legislature, that that
body did not even degn to give your bills sec.
ond reading, or to order them to be printed! Was
not this giving you 'the cold shoulder in man.
ner sufficiently unequivoca to enable you to dis.
cover that your penal panaceaS were despised by
the Representatives Of the people, and your at.
tempts at dictaon spurned? The truth is, sir,
that your best friends were ashamed Of your bills,
and unwilling to hazard their regulations by SEEM
ing to favor the passage Of them. They were
snothered in the Committee Of the Currency, be.
ing deemed too odous to be published with the
ordinary bills presented to the House-and yet
your instruments did not hesitate TO denounce me
as traitor for opposing them. Yes, sir, treason
has been charged against me for acting with the
great body Of the Democrats, in and out Of the
Legislature, against your currency bills, which
proposed to annul charters without the action OF
the judiciary; to alter or repeal charters without
the consent Of the corporators, in violation of
the charter themselves; TO turn out State, County,
City and Town officers, and the officers OF NUM-
cpal, literary, scientific or trading corporations;
to fine and imprson, and disqualiiy such officers
for office; 10 annul contracts and popular cleo.
tons; to make payments void, and thus encour.
age fraud and swindling; to require test oaths OF
State, County, Town and Corporation officers;
to withhold licenses from all men of business
who would not, or could not take the test oath
required OF them; and, in effect, TO forbid them
| from doing business in the State. And what
was to constitute the offence, on the commission
of which such enormous penalties were to be
incurred? The receiring or passing of the
notes of specie paying banks of other States OF
ANY ORGANISATION! This was TO constitute the
offence sir 1t is true, that your bills only seemed
10 aim openly at the suppression OF the circula.
ton OF ali bank notes under the denomination OF
ten dollars-but your real object was, 10 keep out
of Missouri the notes of TIE banks Of other States
of all denominations; and this design was but
haIfconcealed by your bungng and ungramati-
cal phraseology. You intended TO prohibit the
circulation OF all notes mot equivalent TO gold
or "silver coin, and convertible into such coin
upon the spot, at the will of the holder, and
''withouL loss or delay" Thus you would have
prohibited the use of the notes Of the best banks
OF other States in Missouri, Of all denominations
such notes not being fully equivalent to specie
here, nor convertible into specie on the spot,
without loss or delay. Under pretence Of striking
at shinplasters or small notes, you intended to
prohibit the circulation OF all bank paper in this
State, except that issued by the Bank OF Mis-.
souri,, and to prevent the use OF the notes of thai
institution, except at some three or four points il
the State, at which they are redeemable son the
spot"-and thus the usefulness OF the bank
would have been nearly destroyed, Was it com
mendable to undertake, in this way, to trick the
Legislature into war upon all the notes Of the
banks OF the sister States, as well as upon the
business, the lights aud liberties Of our citizen.