Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-03-26

rd by the miserable delusion giving them poced
I'm, le of lie pubic lands and assuming their debtswoud be
literally more terrible Amy with banners do mol be
ieve public liberty would long survive such c"Ih'aon
[.lfr. .MfjaTe's Letter, Feb, leii.
The writer in the Richmond Wing, who attempts 10
correct the every general misrepresentation" which
he saws has prevailed to the party character of The
Rank of the u S has ttaken task far yond his
abilities Ills position conrndicedby the whole theory
IF nares as well as by the whole stream of history
Far any man TO attempt at this time Of day show
Tina, National Bank IS Republican measure, and
that the Wings are the true Republicans, 49, indeed,
,a.k bsyond all the labors of Hercules. As Junius
saws "There is something in IL which canno. be con
ceiyed. without a confusion Of ideas, expressed
without a soiicsm OF language. For, who ls Fe-
deyaliste And who IS a Republican,
John Taylor, of Caroline ard john Marshall, both
sgree in one POSITION that the struggle for les.
power in the Federal head began the Federal Com
yenton II soon developed itself IN the organ zlon
Of the measures of The Government, and in the con-
sructon of the Constitution. Mr.. Eppes, IN his
sueech in 1911 on the bl to The charter Of the
Bank, traces this division of parties 4 name! ha
supersedes the necessity OF mere elaborate research
into their origin. lie that '',is charter, the off,
spring of ompromise, considered III the Conven-
ton by one party too weak 10 accomplish its objects,
by the other as suiiicehtiy strong to encanger the
liberty of the citizen These two principles soon
manifested in the administrators Of the present Federal
Constitution Those VIVA thought 1t TOO st:oaQ gave
10 the Constitution gid construction, aud opposed
constructive powers. These termed an.i-FeCe-
ral.s,s, Tor Repubcans) Those w.a thought It too
weak disposed 10 engrdit yigor by construc.
ton and coniended or constructive powers. TRcs"
were termed Fedcraiists The eclat which attended
the adoption OF the Constitution, threw The Govern
nent exclusively for years into The hands u the Fede
ra!is,s.
ala 1891. the charter Of the Bank was granted On
this great the two parties were for the first time
arrayed against each other II at that time consi-
uues lion / yer
principles which the parties divided VIZ: ''dclega'ed
powers and constructive" powers. The creation Of =
moneyed interest connected with the Government, was
a favorc measure of those who " were willing 10 en-
graft energy on the Constitution, and was warmly op.
posed BY the party unwilling TO add by construction,
the exrancous weight of moncycd capital 10 a char
ter considered fair construction, sufficiently ener-
gct:c The theory Of the origin OF the two par
ties i stated By Mr.. Barry, in the course OF tie same de-
bate in The House Of Representatives. He says that
" Soon after the Government went into operation under
IT, these parties again displayed themselves in the fuieS
they adopted for cXpoundng the Constitutions the one
concndng for that kind OF Interpretation which would
possess Congress with the NEST ample powers sufficient
- DO whatever political eXpcdicncc might dictate III
pro yidng for the defence and general welfare
the other, adopting much rigid construction
In the wear 1871, when the Bank charter was granted,
we find the most distinguished politicians OF that day
who were on the Republican side, opposing il. 1t was
upon that OCCASION that Mr. Madison made that perspi
crous aud luminous argument which has been so justly
celebrated defining and marking out the proper limits
OF power assigned TO tie General Government
II tbs be the d.tatoa Of the two parties, does
il not appear absurd and lmpudent, TO say, that
the Bank was Federal measure. 1t IS admitted 40
al hands tha. . rot among the specified powers IN
the Coas.tutor--n that 1, - The creature OF Goa
s.ructon The E-sl1. cans contend, that IT "a not
Legitimate con<..Gc; 9: the instrument. The very
fact therefore o; ne Bank being placed upon at'-
irdinous construction shows ils true origin. it os-
longs to the Federal and not the Republican school
The great stream Of historical facts supports lhis con-
cusion. 1t was proposed by MIR. Hamilton, the BEAD
of the Federn party, because he The great lotu
dnous cons,ructionst. II was opposed IN The same
cabinet By Mr.. jefferson, who was The leader OF ne
strict States Rights party. II rG. down in ISL
by the Republican party. Another Bank was estab-
sled in lsl6, at period Of great pressure and panic,
which prompted some of lis former opponents to relax
thei, principles and abandon their opposition /, was
again put down by the Republican party with the Sc
toes of General Jackson at their head. SubSrqne nj
efforts we're made by Mr. Clay and other Fede'als's,
to establish new Bank --bu, they have bsea defeated
by he great exe7.'ons OF the Republican party.
Shal! be tcd then, at this - OF day, that gere-
raj misapprehenson prevails upon the subject Saall
we be tod that because some few gentlemen who were
subsequently though most decidedly, with the Re-
publican pnrty Mr. Gerry, for example, advocated
the establishment of the first Bankor because some
Others, period of desoa,lng war, or Of heavy
public debt, and Of viiiaed currency imme dist after
the peace thought fit 10 relax their scrupes and voted
for the second Bank. tina, Mereore the Bank is no,
Federal, bu! Republican measure THIS Argument
would indeed BE to change the very definition OF words,
and to contradict all the theory OF part and the gene
raj current history. II would be far more just 10 say,
that these gentlemen who vcted for in ~ and IN 1910,
had so far co-operaed with the views OF the Federal
par:y-than ,ha, the measure itself Republican.
II is not swallow that makes summer. Nor Go
the votes of few politicians change the true character
Of parties.
The writer in the Wing attempts to make out that
the Bank of 1871 twas not FeierGl measure, pass
ed By Fedfral ro,ts He will not deny, Of course
tina, il was founded idtitudnOus construction, and
Tint tins is the very of the Federal school
He will not deny. that Mr. Hamilton was the father
of The Bank and Mr.. Jefferson its warmest opponent
He cannot deny either of these propositions. He w'
not d.ny that i, was resisted in The House of Repre-
sen,atives, and opposed in The Cabinet (by Messrs
Jefferson and Randolph) upon the ground otI's uncon
stitu.ionali,y. Nor can he deny that their views
we're resisted both in the House and in the Cabinet
by Alexander Hamilton How then does he attempt
to evade the force of these propostons Let us turn
to the argument which he employs 1st. He quotes
the authority Of Mr.. McDuiie, On his Report OF
1890 that there was "no 0rgdat-at,0n Of po'n'cdt
parties' at the time the frs, Bank was established,
and therefore IL could be called Federal measure.
Blu, Mr.. McDufie could not have meant 10 say, that
though the two parties were not fu-hio@n and or
ganized at that time, linz germ OF them was not
there But We admit even that Acssrs. Eppes, Barry,
John Taylor and Others might have gone htle too
far in tracing the origin Of parties che sep beyont
1901, does il follov, ina. tie establishment Of the
Bank did no, essentially contribute II mark on, he
principles and draw the iGes Of the two p1tes' This
fact IS unques,ionahle
Judge Marshall traces "the progress Il Pat;ies -
shows how the general theories upon the Government
had pre- pared the way for the dvsioa-and tlen shows
how the establishment of the Bank Of 81 assisted IN
their development He says, further, "this measure
made deep impression on many members of the Le-
eislaturc and contributed not Incons'deraby to the
pte organization Of Moss distinct and rtsb'e part'es,
which in their long and dubious conflict for power,
have since shaken the u. States 10 their centre =
Life Of Washington, 9th vol page 2oo) We place
also upon the sand politician who is now OF the
highest authority The Federal School 1t is true, he
was once an opponent Of the Bank on constitutional
prounds-and since that period, he has thrown souer-
set on the subject but change OF his opinions can
change the facts which he dsvelopes Call Mr. Henry
Clay into Court.
the Bank IN ISL, that II was ",rue this law was not
the effect bu, 1t not less true, that was one oil
the causss of the political divisions in this eountry
Did you not add ,ha. "if during the agitation OF the
mol ha,o acidp haa