Democratic banner., 1846-01-03
from the M%issourian.
THE LAW AND ORDER PARTY.

There was once a party. which if its own
statements are to be taken as evidence, was
a very select and exclusive pariy, being tie
elite. and embracing sail TIE talents, learn
ing ard d~ecency in the country" That
party must have become extinct, its ezclu-
s~iveness broken up, its virtue dcGled, and
its purity soilcd, b. coming i'll contact with
this sublunary world and its corrupting in
fluenccS, Something has become of it, as it
is many a long year since modesty has SUI
fcred any class to arrOgatc so much to itself,
or claim a monopoly Of the virtues and tkcrs
has sprung up a claw and order party" the
cardinal articles of whose creed, (if they
are to be believed is to support the Cen
stituion AID laws. Their claims to be con-
sidcred such staunch champions Of the Con
stitution and laws, arose cut of some &C.
currcnces which took place in a western c-
tv, where certain banks Rad bought tie la
Dor and produce Of the people with promis-
es to pay. and then took it into their heads
that they would not pay. This did moi com-
port exactly with the ideas of honesty en-
tertaincd BY the masses. who had their pock-
cts well filled with these promises, and who
were supplemented enough to believe the
vaults of the banks contained Tie wherewith
to pay. Under his false impression, they
rushed into the Danks-broke them open
ranSacked them over and ovcr-but found
nothing except bundles Of promises to pay.
These men certainly broke the laws when
thew assaulted the banks, but there were
Others who were fortunate enough to throw
the shield of the Constitution and laws over
the banks, and protected them from the fur
tl.cr violence of the mob. Hence, support
ing the Constitution and laws gave them the
Of the Law and order party"
There are. to be sure "reminiscences
which might detract from their right to bear
this title-Such as threatening to march TO-
900 troops to Capitol Hill. and compelling
General Jackson, at the point Of the bayo-
net. to restore the deposites to the United
States Bank, in 1891; the raising of the
standard of the ten per cent. rebellion. IN
Boston. when a certain Amos Kendall had
issued orders not 10 receive the notes of tie
suspended banks. in 1887, for postage;
these. and others that We could name, are to
be taken as exceptions TO the general rule,
and we must still admit that PAR ExCELLrScr,
this is the law and order party. They not
only got SO lar as TO claim for the courts the
prcrogativcSt To declare what is law, or de-
eide the legality of a Legislative enactment,
but that bank officers have q right to say
that such acts of the legislature arc Illegal
and therefore they shall disregard them.
Witness the conduct of the United States
Bank-wkcn it set itself up to determine
what was and what was not law, and in
which it was sustained by this party-and
the conduct of the Miners Bank at Du-
buquc. The last Legislature of Iowa re-
.pcaled its charter, and appointed trustees,
into whose hands It's assets were to pass. and
be wound up. These trustees have made a
formal demand upon the cashier to and over
the assets of the bank, in conformity o that
act; but they are informed by the cashier
that the directory regarded the proceedings
of the Legislature as Illegal, and therefore,
had instructed him to refuse complying with
the act; and in this the bank is sustained BY
the claw and order party."-This pa-!:J is
actuatcd by the broadcast philanthropy and
bencvolence, and hence its eNpansiv, No.
tons of Constitution and laws, and the: a.
pllcations, having derived its principlesi-cB,
and acted upon the deep philosophy emb-a:.
ed in the ~Stanzas of Hudibras:
-"No rogue e'er felt the halter draw.
With good opinion of the law"