Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1844-07-20
No. 40.


or prudent to make such an effort, when the PEG.
| pie, in consequence Of the scarcity Of money.
| were camorng for Telief-(or stop and valuation
laws-and when twothrds Of the currency then
in use consisted OF Kentucky, Virginia and In
diana bank notes! Was it because you mingled
not with the people and were ignorant Of their
wants, that you ventured to press such harsh and
monstrous measures upon their Representatives
in the Legislature? Or, were you reckless Of
the popular feeling and the general distress, end
impressed with the comfortable belief that the
adoption Of such bills, under your dictation
would add to your fame abroad, and that the
weight Of your name and the apprehension OF
your dspleasure would silence all oppositionl
As public servant you are invited to answer
these inquiries as you bes! can.
think, sir, by the way, you have heavy
account to settle with the members OF the Gen.
eral Assembly. Your obtrusve interference with
their appropriate duties was quite ndelicae, and
whilst preparing bills for their adoption, voatve
Of the Constitution they had sworn to support,
you should have made the discovery that you were
about to invoke them 10 disgrace themselves.
The Constitution Of Missouri specifics the high
and infamous crimes which shall operate as dis
qualifications for office, and that specification is
limitation Of legislative power, according 10 the
|
alike applicable TO written constitutions and con.
tracts. Your bills proposed that the passing OF
fifty or hundred dollar Kentucky bank note,
previously an innocent and lawful act, should be
made not only an offence, but crime as infamous
as bribery or per ury-that the crime thus manu-.
| featured for the occasion, should be made dis
qualification for office, which the members Of the
| Legislature could have accomplished only By
committing perjury themselves. | do not say you
intended that the legislators of Missouri should
have so debased themselves. No, sir. ICharita.
bly, ascribe the gross error you have committed
on this point, as do most Of the shocking pro.
visions Of your bills Of pains and penalties, to
misfortune extensively appreciated-the fact
that you seem to be seized with such memoranda
the moment your thoughts are turned to the sub.
ect of the currency, that you becom blind 10
every obstacle 10 be overcome, to the interests
10 be effected, and the sacred rights TO be trampled
on, by resorting TO the means proposed for the
accomplishment of the object in view. agree
with you that there can be no correct standard Of
value but gold and silver, and that an rredeema.
Bile paper circulation is an unmitgated curse
but approve, almost entirely, the sentiments
Of one Of your warm friends, as published in
your late organ the Missouri Standard, who said
Those bills in their original FORM were seriously
'.but the means proposed were extreme and IN.
"warrantable. The test oath was as abhorrcnt
"to the spirit it was foreign to the practice of
''our government. The penalties were enor.
'mous-if indeed, such measure can be IA.
'tionalIy enforced by penalties at all. These
remedies would have proved worse than the
''disease." "On no principle can a
"citizen be forbidden to exchange his commodi.
''ties for chips and whet stones, if he pleases.
X "The celebrated fifteen gallon law Of
massachusetts was very much like these cur
''rency bills" In the opinions thus expressed
by an intelligent hard money man, you may
read the sentence already pronounced by the
great body Of the Democracy OF Missouri on
your bills Of pains and penalties; and, you may
talk OF insidious warfare, charge disaffecton, OF
thunder anathemas against those you deem trait
ors, but all will be in vain-the Just sentence
of condemnation will never be reversed. Sell
sufficient as you are, you seem to have become
partly sensible Of this truth, and have therefore
made an effort TO change your position. Ad
dressing the Clay County Committee, you say
1.-The old remedy By Indictment prosecution, dc.
1cW not do" The scourging your bills have re
ceived, has convinced you that fines and incarcer
alton will not be submitted to. The lash Of the
PRESS has nearly extirpated those relics of bar
OdllouI, anu ~ 10 81 dtIIy1HS ~ peICSNc Hul yO(
are beginning to feel the potency Of that engine
Indeed, the hope might have been cherished tina
you would soon abandon measures so abhorren
10 public sentiment and subversve Of sacrel
rights, if you had not announced your determine
ton to re.chrsten your bantlngs, aud urge the
party TO adopt them as its own. You say;
"Smal notes. and all deprecated paper mon.
ey, should be kept out; and to do that, we shoult
have efficient laws-Self executing lars, TO oper
ate upon lincenSes, contracts, Offices and corpora
tiOns," "Selferecuiing larcS, opera
ting directly upon The trading and money dealin!
classes, are alone sufficient, and wherever thest
are adopted, the people will be protected from
the depredations Of imported paper, and not be
fore"
Hitherto the panaceds have been called bill
to "preserve the standard OF value in all con
tract" and to compel corporations, corporal
bodies and bodies polite, to observe their charters
and the statutes which create them, and TO ODE,
the laUS and constitution of the State" | hay
been simple enough to believe the Federal Cor
stitution, the supreme law Of the land, fixed III
standard Of value as completely as it can be estat
shed by law, by declaring that nothing but col
and silver shall be made a tender in paymer
: OF debts, and that no State law could impair c
add TO the force Of that instrument; but it wUul
seem you entertain different opinion In refe
ence 10 the "standard Of value" there has bee
1 rather too much bamJoozliRg--or TOO many enror
q to bamJoozle the people. BamJoozle is II
4 word which fully expresses my meaning or III
? point; and having established its cassicalilv