Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1858-10-01

the public interest as will secure the liquidation
of the Bank Of Tennessee at the expiration Of its
charter.
s. A. SMITH,
ANDREW JOHNSON,
A. o. P. NICHOLSON,
Edwin A. KEEBLE,
john X. HowARD,
Committee.
Well, you have read the mandate, now
look at the lurking fraud concealed be-
meath its guarded language, and follow us
to the conclusion of the game of which
this is the first move. 1t is unwise, this
self-constituted committee tell us, to SIRE
charter any of the existing Banks" Now
how many words would it have taken to
have added-"or to charter any new ones2"
But no-that woulden't do. There are
many bank democrats in the State who
might be thrown off by the latter clause,
and it may be profitable to be able to
whisper in the ears of all such-"We are
not against all banks, but want to wind
up the rotten old concerns, and charter a
new set on purely democratic principles"
This is beautiful dodge, and will secure
many votes that might have been lost by
any addition to the first paragraph of this
decree gotten up in secret conclave.
But there is another string to this bow.
The Union and Planters Banks, if not
re-chartered by the next Legislature, must
wind up, and the withdrawal of their
paper from circulation will do what p
Greatly diminish the circulating medium,
and so far embarrass trade as to create a
real, or supposed, necessity for mixed
currency on a scale sufficiently large to
relieve the pressing demands of commerce;
and as this necessity will fully develope
itself before $685." the democrats, if then
in power, will plead that necessity, in
justification, and re-charter the State Bank
with largely increased capital, and with
that institution, as a corrupting fund-a
great party engine-bid defiance to every
effort to wrest the State from the grasp of
corruption. AT the last session of the
Legislature, with large majority, the de-
mocrats, instead of taking the initiatory
steps towards winding up all "the existing
Banks" labored hard to add million and
half to the capital of the State Bank
The spirit that moved the leaders of the
party then, moves them still, and the
sinister design, then attempted to be car
ried out, is foreshadowed in the document
copied above.
This is no forced Interpretation of the
loosely concealed intentions of that party,
but is the legitimate and necessary deduc-
ton from its givings-fouth in word and
deed, for years past Claiming to be an
anti-bank party, look at its action in the
last Legislature, and read upon the record,
the proof of its hypocricy. Divided, in
truth, between mixed currency and one
purely metallic, look at the first paragraph
of the foregoing decree, and mark the
duplicity apparent upon its face Look
at the second, and say, if you can, what
are the "reforms" to be made "during the
existence of the present Banks" that will
give us currency convertible at all times
into gold and silverW Have the com.
mittee told you what those reforms are? p
Have the democratic masses any control
over the vested rights of the Banks? II
so, why don't they begin the work of re
form, at once by making the State Bank
resume? The truth is, all this twaddlt
about reforming the currency is just Sc
much gas, and the Committee have no
the remotest idea of dispensing with al
Banks aud inaugurating an era of golC
aud silver.
But they stand pledged to wind up thu
State Bank too. Well, If there were n,
violated pledges recorded against the party
Us night repose some faith in that pledge
But mark you, in making this pledge, the.
get up a sePerate paragraph-distinguish
ing the State Bank from other Banks
elise why repeat the first paragraph will
qualifications, when it covered all existing
BauksY They tell you that steps shoul'
@ ~ r.. tbc Eouadafion of the Stat,