Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1880-01-30

best and ripest fruits of orthodoxy and water
at the same fountain which the patriarchs
Of old drank and grew strong"
The earnest and emphatic manner as well
as the extent to which the Governor had
pushed his observations, caused me to re.
mark
Your views in relation to our future exis-
tence have produced profound impression
May venture to inquire if you are a mem.
Der of any church or professor of any rcli.
gions
IL am unable TO name the day or hour
when | was last in any house of worship
l have my own views upon this important
question, and | do not remember ever t.
have made them public atany time or place
A mans religion is a matter between him
self and his God; and whilst make nc
profession, beg to assure you that am moi
unmindful Of the awful responsibility of SC
living, that when come to die | may MOI
be afraid to appear in the presence of my
Maker. l have an old copy of the New
Testament at my home and am willing t.
risk my salvation upon the truth as taught
in the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John. This is oil have to say in reply
to your inquiry"
Wishing to change the subject-matter Of
our conversation, and TO learn more of his
political life, now that he was again before
the people for the same position that he had
filed in HE early life, and with such dstin.
guished ability. Iasked ifhe was not mem
Der Of Congress during the excited times Of
President Jackson's administrations.
my first appearance rs a member Of Con.
gress was made at the first session Of the
XXI Congress, which commenced the 9th
of December, 1881, and terminated in July
1882 II was the third year of President
Jackson's first administration. | was then
very young man, and being new men,
Der | had but little to say, but watched
closely the march of events, and studied
well the character Of the men who figured
conspicuously at that time in both branches.
They were days when intellectual giants
came in contact. In the Senate can name
Webster, George NJ. Dallas, afterwards Vice.
President) John NJ. Clayton, Mangum, of
North Carolina, Robert Y. Hayne, of South
Carolina, Henry Clay, Thomas Ewing, Of
Ohio, John Tyler, of Virginia, and "Bully
Benton" Andrew Stevenson, of Virginia,
was Speaker Of the House, and prominent
among the members were John Quincy Ad-
ans, Of Massachusetts,, Bsrnweil and Nc
Duffie, Of South Carolina, John Bell and
James X. Polk, Of Tennessee, II. NJ. John
son and Thomas A. Marshall, of Kentucky,
Johnson. Barbour and John Y. Mason, Of
Virginia; among chose from Maryland we're
,Ico CIV aah,aaoi ~, o. Aopsagp-ery csss,,
~; Benjamin Q. Howard and Daniel Jeni-
fer. This session was perhaps one OF the
most memorable in the annals OF our gov
eminent. Both branches Of Congress were
Democratic and were organized favorable to
the administration. The most interesting
feature Of that session, and which brought
about most bitter and excited feeling be-
tween the two parties, was the one in rela-
ton to the renewal Of the charter of the
Bank Of the United States President jack
son was known TO b. most violently opposed
to this nleasure indeed, in bis first annual
message to Congress, no attacked both the
constitutionality and expediency Of the Ma
tional Bank, and declared in the most posi-
tive terms that no was for carrying on the
federal government without the aid Of such
an assistant. 1t was not however, until tho
close Of the XXI Congress, and nearly three
years after, President jackson had expressed
his views in relation To this institution, that
any prominent step was taken in reference
70 the same, and then at too late an hour for
any final action, hence II was renewed al
most in the opening Of the XXI Congress.
The friends in favor Of q re-chartering of the
bank were present in numbers and influence,
and the struggle was marked, as | have said,
with the most bitter animosity Able and
csustic arguments were made for and egains.
the expcdiency Of such measure, such as
have never resounded In these halls since.
There were Webster, Clay and Clayton
among its defenders In the Senate, whilst
Benton, Dickinson, Hayno, Tyler and 9th
ers Of the same body were its opposers. In
tho House il had an equal array Of talent
pro and con. The bill for re-charter finally
passed both houses. ! voted against it,
President Jackson promptly ysloed the bill
and returned tho same with his objections
The appearance Of the veto message before
the House was tbs signal for perfect storm
Of great speeches and violent vituperation
and denunciation the President. Mr. Web
ster led off in tho Senate against the veto
message, whilst thc debate between Clay and
Benton eliminated into personal abuse
The agitation Of this question Of public pol
| Icy did not close with the veto Of President
jackson. but was mos, warmly carried and
tried In the forum Of public opinion from
tho halls OF Congress 10 every township IN
the country this measure was dioussed Ia
every form Of speech and writing. The issue
was fully and squarely met In the nemors
bic presidential election OF 1892, when Gen
Jackson and Mr.. Van Buren, were the can
didates on the one side and Henry Clay and
John Sergeant, Of Pennsylvania, on thu
other. Probably no election, save the one
through which we have just passed, has Gre
aied such anxious solicitude. II was one o
measures which were embodied 10 tho per
sous Of men who stood badly In their rep
resentstion and defence The election 70
suited largely in favor Of General Jackson
his election by such an unanticpatod ma
jority was the righteous endorsement by TN
people Of his course and the death-knell o
the further agitation M bank question e
any extent"
have given but = brief synopsis n tn
Governors opinions, acts snd rccitals Of ihi
interesting period n our political history. -
lie was st that time warm admirer Of Gen
ersl Jackson, an uncompromising psriizsn
lie had stepped upon the political arena a
. STORMY period, and bic first lessons wer
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