Thirty Years' View (Vol. 2 of 2): or, A History of the Working of the American Government for Thirty Years, from 1820 to 1850Benton, Thomas Hart
History
Thirty Years' View (Vol. 2 of 2): or, A History of the Working of the American Government for Thirty Years, from 1820 to 1850
Benton, Thomas Hart
United States -- Politics and government -- 1815-1861
"Let the banks of the Empire State come up from their Elba, and
enjoy their hundred days of resumption! a Waterloo awaits them, and
a Saint Helena is prepared for them."_
The banks of New York were now thrown upon the necessity of acting
without the concurrence of those of Pennsylvania, and in fact under
apprehension of opposition and counteraction from that quarter. They
were publicly pledged to act without her, and besides were under a
legal obligation to do so. The legislature of the State, at the time
of the suspension, only legalized it for one year. The indulgence
would be out on the 15th of May, and forfeiture of charter was the
penalty to be incurred throughout the State for continuing it beyond
that time. The city banks had the control of the movement, and they
invited a convention of delegates from all the banks in the Union to
meet in New York on the 15th of April. One hundred and forty-three
delegates, from the principal banks in a majority of the States,
attended. Only delegates from fifteen States voted--Pennsylvania,
Maryland and South Carolina among the absent; which, as including
the three principal commercial cities on the Atlantic board south of
New York, was a heavy defalcation from the weight of the convention.
Of the fifteen States, thirteen voted for resuming on the 1st day
of January, 1839--a delay of near nine months; two voted against
that day--New York and Mississippi; and (as it often happens in
concurring votes) for reasons directly opposite to each other. The
New York banks so voted because the day was too distant--those of
Mississippi because it was too near. The New York delegates wished
the 15th of May, to avoid the penalty of the State law: those of
Mississippi wished the 1st of January, 1840, to allow them to get in
two more cotton crops before the great pay-day came. The result of
the voting showed the still great power of the Bank of the United
States. The delegates of the banks of ten States, including those
with which she had most business, either refused to attend the
convention, or to vote after having attended. The rest chiefly voted
the late day, "_to favor the views of Philadelphia and Baltimore
rather than those of New York_." So said the delegates, "_frankly
avowing that their interests and sympathies were with the former two
rather than with the latter_." The banks of the State of New York
were then left to act alone--and did so. Simultaneously with the
issue of the convention recommendation to resume on the first day
of January, 1839, they issued another, recommending all the banks
of the State of New York to resume on the 10th day of May, 1838;
that is to say, within twenty-five days of that time. Those of the
city declared their determination to begin on that day, or earlier,
expressing their belief that they had nothing to fear but from the
opposition and "deliberate animosity of others"--meaning the Bank
of the United States. The New York banks all resumed at the day
named.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account