New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-12-30
polk,. oon.i.tency-Nativism and Loco-Foc0'


Continued from our FIST rage.
n. ,Uaa,..d,v Dec 9Th. 1887 the Bank question
hs,e the Convention and the discussion was upon
,.,dr,en, offered tba. no Bank should issue DIS o.
so,o,,;,s,;on than ten dollars NJ. WOODWARD
moved the following amendment;
a.rd the legislature may repeal, charge or mcciiy
The charters of all Banks heretofore incorporated, u
which may hereafter be Incorporated IN ths oOiit1
wealth whether the power TO repeal cnange o, M!
he esered In such charter or NOT but when the Legs
l.,ure shall repeal the charter Of any Bank or !ese
any of its corporate privileges they shall Toyes
and sufficient compensation 10 the 5'ocAno'ue!s u
Bank"
Ths. the first part of the amendment and not the at'er
clause was vha, he wanted carried out is evident from
b;s s,eecb on the occasion He said he would examine
tho question leaving out of view for the present al the
dccs;ons Of the Courts OF that SUBJECT
-no.a ths, the Legislature OF Pennsylvania should
10 nresen, sesson-and Irish ttey 'oostd DO 60
as well on grounds of general state Pocy 70 70 olhg e
t; !, MS nc. Incorporating the L. 5. Bank)
sv tbsI this act Of assembly is law and not con
~ s1d of consequence that IL does not fall within the
meaning spir; OF that provision o. ,ne
Mas any law mparng the obligation OF contracts -
Sure there Constitutional provision winch ior9ss
Legislature 10 repeal law II the charter Of the Penn
svyania L. s Bank is law II IS undoubtedly repedsdoe
And why shall we not say So
"Csn it be presumed that the people mean TO give up
the power repeal any law they might pass Is true
thai the people Of Pennsylvania in asserting 10 the Con
sution of the United States parted with their right 10
repeal law establishing base born back
do not believe it Such is he right construction Of
tie Federal Constitution
Banking in al its principles, operations and results IS
exclusively State system and there is any system
in reference which State Legislation is untrammeec
il is this
of the State take is complete and absolute, and any
construction of tie Federal Constitution which sbridges
Restraints or denies this right must be rcions because II
would be subyersve OF the great ends OF human gov
ernment."
What sir is banking State right, and the regulation
of paper currency State duty and yet the State Is not
TO question the action OF this Bank OF Banks
The only legitimate existence which that Institution
can claim is and be by the assent OF the popular
will directed to the attainment of the popular good, and
if it came thus into existence, then all reason and law
authorize the popular WILL still pursuing the puonc good
10 Put IL out Of existence
He would not repeal the charter unless when the pub
lie interest demanded il unless IN order 10 rtnd'cGte
TiSh but rather than have one OF our high
est rights struck of existence and rather than see
the BILE pile down Chestnut ST. become monument o.
atom Of departed freedom, could zrcse me repeat
ing po,cer al once unhoM iodtting TOR OCCASION.
Let the truth be recorded that the people may alter or re
peal lis charter
what then is this resolution declaring Bank charter
contract but denial OF right which the people oil
PENNSYLVANIA ever possessed and have never gwen up
a light which down To us from the Revolution
which is ours and which wish TO make part OF the IN
hertance Of my children.
There is no place where he could more effectualy
make the breaking of part of the inheritance
of his children than the Bench Of the Supreme Court
Of the United States.
On Taursday Dec, 18th, he spoke again on the same
subject He quoted several decisions of eminent Judges
and in one place (vo g. page 329) he Gays he believed
that the Supreme Court of the United States, would
decide when the question should before H. that 1t
(the Bank) is public institution He had argued be-
FORE that public institution was subject to repeal or
modification OF its charter If then the Bank was
public corporation its charter nigh. be repealed by the
Legislature.
Here then let me say that to my mind there seems
to be nothing in the Federal Constitution TO prevent the
repeal OF the charter in question because the contracts
TO which inv volatility guaranteed by that instrument
do not comprehend this charter.
propose to place in the Constitution tue assertion
that they (ths Representative have the power 90
not propose confer it, for they already possess H. put
only 10 say they possess itso that when necessity de
mands its exercise it may be prudenuy and properly
employed without any dispute about It's existence This
is the whole scope OF my amendment
The above extracts are taken from speech or ra'her
two speeches. delivered by Mr.. Woodward and printed
in an appendix the 9Th Volume of the Debates above
referred to- They submitted to himself and cor
rected by him before they were published. What /
have given in quotation marks is word for word as
there find them What kind Of decisions he would give
in any case vested rights rishmen or people OF
color were interested, were he on the Supreme Bench
leave for your readers determine The foregoing are
not opinions of day. rashy spoken, to be orsaken-
They were matters ofong deiberaton as he says and
of deep conviction He has modified nor orsaken
any of these opinions and it is likely that he will
he gets upon the Bench of the Supreme Court.
So Objectionable were his sentiments these sub
jects that many Of bis party had take open ground
against him.
On his views concerning corporations and vested
rights JAMES NJ. PORTER member of the Convention
OF the same party with Mr.. Woodward, and recently
Secretary of War; scid that the principle contended for
if established may involve in its consequences Z" the
title every tract of and-to every house and Lotto
every charter for turnpike road, canal bridge rail
road church. schoohouse college and academy in the
country
The vote being taken Oh the main question the repor
of the Committee which Mr.. Woodward proposed Il
amend. and which he opposed, was adopted Yeas o.
Nays 81. Mr.. Woodward voting in the negative
See Debates as above vol s. page 80 TO IS and ap
pendix.
have taken up the foregoing subject because thought
it my duty to my country to expose some Of the nonin
atoms which Mr. Polk is making. think it is outrage
ous that having cheated the Naturalzed citizens
their votes he should insult them by appointing Native;
to guard the fountains of public justice.
l do not make any charges against Mr.. WOODWARD
from personal feelings only, in fact give his own
speeches or extracts from them. Had more time
might bring up other opinions entertained by him
after serious delibera,ion. The Philadelphia Spirit
the Times (Loco Foco) charges him with old Federal
ism. hope this nothing against James Buchanan
and C. J. lngersoll.
1t is also said that he is AntTarih, and mig bring
that opinion on the Bench How true these charges
may be will not take it upon 10 say. Nor can de
eide the question about his fitness Some will have il
tina, he is totally unqualified in knowledge OF Mara!ime
and other laws having been known since the con
vention but in back country court But what have
written have chapter and verse for-I take from his
own lips.
OF his Natvism no one can doubt. These notions are
an old study with him. repeat that he is worse Ma
i've than LEWIS C. LEVIN. Levin is but schoolboy in
the great arr of Woodward's Natvism. Mr. LEVI WooD
BURY, when he talked in New Hampshire shor, time
since of Annexing Texas that Papist.y might be
turned snd Professionalism founded its ruins in Mexico
showed Nativism enough. with what is already the
Bench without adding this foreranne- OF the Party