The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-31

Tar from their prHctce a. P'eSS" :" ~ ' ' ''''"'
of the wing party 10 ind theu oHlcers.
Mr. n having concluded his remarks,
M WICK addressed the committee as follows;
had no expectation Of obtaining the moor upon the
discnssion OF this bill; and have net now obtained
,hs, Grand desideratum, ESQ often sought here in
vain with a view to infct upon the committee an
\ hours speech. | should have been silent I,
n not that my honorable colleague Mr.. SarH,l who
has lust addressed the committee, has by his refer
ences TO public opinion in Indiana, as he supposes
IL TO be- made IL appropriate that some explanation
should be given by democrat from that State.
MY colleague has said, in substance, that neither in
the year le44, in the presidential campaign, nor in
l545, in the congressional canvass, did we of the
/ democratic party make mention Of the design TO
pass this any other bill in the nature of the in
dependent treasury bill of the year lS4O. My col
league speaks no doubt, according TO his lnforma-
ton. cannot presume TO be positive in set
ting him right about public opinion in any
part of Indiana except my own district. In refer
enee to that district my colleague has been greatly
| misnformed. IL In true that this was not topic
for exciting discussion on those occasions. Those
| who voted with the democratic party IN lS40, re-
NAMED in l644 aud ls45 attached to the principles
Of this bill. Those democrats who IN lS4O voted
! with the wing party, had had a sober second
thought" they had reconsldered batch OF
questions and ihemes--the extravaganza ofexpen-
d,ture charged against the democratic party
the Florida wu---the standing army Of men, and
the Standing army Of dogs--the gold-sPoon budget
Of hes-and the independent tressury-and had
changed their minds upon each OF those topics, and
like wise, honest-heared patriots, were anxious TO
signalizs their change Of opinion by successfully
giving their suffrages to the and the measures
they had formerly contributed to defeat. Sir, this
Was noble. Good men change their course upon
\ onyiction. Wise men are open 10 cOnvlc-
ton. Bad men, when convinced, adhere Ia their
| course from motives OF pride and vanity. Fools
never change their minds from conviction. II they
| Ill 4, IA. iunr nla 4
be asked how | come to be well informed to
these matters. | answer, that in 1874, my demo-
cratic friends placed my name upon their ticket Of
electors for our State Consequently spent that
summer among the people, addressing them on an
! average about twice per day from the LIST Of May
themes for discussion. But yet, whenever il oc-
CURED to me, took care in my addresses TO say
| that II the democratic party should be trusted by
| the people, the treasury would be made and kept
| independent OF the banks. When II did not occur,
| nv opponent, or some Of the legion of orators
always ready, and it seemed to me, ever present
| 10 oppose and respond TO me, would catechse me as
| TO our intentions in reference 10 the independent
| treasury; and am man can be found to say
that on any occasion lodged the question; and, sir,
IL those gentlemen overlooked the catechislng, there
| were those who did not. | cannot pretend TO re-
member the number Of occasions on which some
good democratic phig-l mean one who was wing
| in l640 never before and never since, and who
| most likely will never be such agaln-would take
me out side to tell me that the wings had lied
so outrageously about everything else, he was in
clined suppose they had also lied about the sub
treasury. He had been told that il a scheme to
give favorites a chance to run away with the public
money but he had ascertaned afterwards, on inves-
tgation that it plan for the keeping Of the
public money, and to keep 1t out Of the hands Of the
bankers. And, sir, my democratic tchig would want
to know whether, if we succeeded in electing Polk
and Dallas we would establish the independent
treasury. In every instance did frankly respond
| in the affirmative.
| Again. in IS45 my friends made me the candidate
of the democratic party for the place in this hail.
which regret bring less ability than my excellent
constituency would we'll deserve should be enlisted
in their service. As matter of course, was again
lin the fsidn all last till the first of August
and during that time, | had the most conclusive
evidence of the change of opinion on this sub
ject Sir, was frequently catechised--both by the
old democrats, who had stood firm in 1910, and by
democrats, who had been democratic tchiEs" in
| lS40-as to my vote on this MEASURE, and always
promptly gave the expected pledge to give il my
support. In public addresses ] rarely neglected to
allude to this measure one which we would pass,
"of COURSE"
| MY excellent colleague [Mr. SarrHl has, in Ian
guage of friendly defiance, called upon those or
who represent democratic districts in Indiana, to
say whether prepared to stand up to the
| doctrine of exclusively metallic currency. |
cannot answer for any but myself; and for myself
| | say, believe the democracy of Indiana is pre-
pared to defy the world. the flesh, the devil, and
the banks, and that if it were not that there are
wing States-ultra whig-in our immediate vicinity,
which charter banks, with what they call liberia,
and what we call corrupt charters whose rotten cir
culation of shinplasters would he flooded in upon
us in the absence of paper circulation of our
| say were not this the case, believe the Indiana
| people would sponge out their banks the first op-
| portunty. They know that if there were no banks
| 10 oha I'll Gold md in liam
dollar now in their pockets, they would have an
odish looking Spaniard, or Mexican, or two brig ut
American half dollars; and for every five dollar BILL
they would have a bright, glorious looking half
eagle, and for larger notes, noble "sonse" golden
eagles with their country's arms inscribed thereon
There is a kind of bank which probably our
| people would tolerate | mean bank restricted
| from issuing small notes. and with what is com
| monty called the "individuai liability clause" in
serted in its charter. They would desire, perhaps
through such banks, to furnish the merchants
with exchange, without materially debauching their
currency.
But, sir, while our wing neighbors in adjacent
States charter swndliag ragocracies, we in Indiana
to keep their corrupt currency from among US, must
devise means, through some kind of continuance, TO
supply our own shinplasters. We prefer our own
monopoly to those of other States, because we can
watch and govern them and keep them under. Cir
cumstances alter cases; and when cannot control
the circumstances, we try to make to suit the
circumstances as well We make our
| own shinpasers in self-defence On the same prin-
cple, were cold water man to be compelled to
| transact business for hours in liquor shop, where
every ones breath smelt of liquor, would hold it
| no violation Of his pledge were he to take small
dram in self-defence; the same principle an ex.
qusite might eat garlic without impeachment to his
gentility.
So strong, sir, is the feeling of our people in lndi-
ana on this subject, that when make democratic
| bank director to wach the doings of the batch
of banks composing our State bank, or when dem
ocrat is chosen director Of of our branches it
has seldom failed, to some good extent to shake the
confidence Of the democracy in him, and to bring
him into questionable poson--often, no doubt,
unjusty
| Mr. Chairman, I shall not discuss this bill. its
principles and details have been before those who
are your masters and mine since 1897. They were
disapproved Of at first; but after a reconsideration,
have been adopted by the American people. They
have sent us here to pass tho san,o into law, and
| 4" 9 f~-' a~ys -hall do so. To the gendeu,on
on the other side of the House | desire TO say that
| make nothing nv n discusaion IF THE hill