Thirty Years' View (Vol. 2 of 2): or, A History of the Working of the American Government for Thirty Years, from 1820 to 1850 — John Shaqi
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
We wanted specie, and we have got it. Five years ago--at the veto
session of 1832--there were but twenty millions in the country.
So said the senator from Massachusetts who has just resumed his
seat [Mr. WEBSTER]. We have now, or will have in a few weeks, one
hundred millions. This is the salvation of the country. It compels
resumption, and has defeated all the attempts to scourge the country
into a submission to a national bank. While that one hundred
millions remains, the country can place at defiance the machinations
of the Bank of the United States, and its confederate politicians,
to perpetuate the suspension, and to continue the reign of rags and
shin-plasters. Their first object is to get rid of these hundred
millions, and all schemes yet tried have failed to counteract the
Jacksonian policy. Ridicule was tried first; deportation of specie
was tried next; a forced suspension has been continued for a year;
the State governments and the people were vanquished, still the
specie came in, because the federal government created a demand
for it. This firm demand has frustrated all the schemes to drive
off specie, and to deliver up the country to the dominion of the
paper-money party. This demand has been the stumbling block of that
party; and this resolution now comes to remove that stumbling block.
It is the most revolting proposition ever made in this Congress! It
is a flagrant violation of the constitution, by making paper money
a tender both to and from the government. It is fraught with ruin
and destruction to the public property, the public Treasury, and the
public creditors. The notes of nine hundred banks are to be received
into the Treasury, and disbursed from the Treasury. They are to be
paid out as well as paid in. The ridiculous proviso of willingness
to receive them on the part of the public creditor is an insult to
him; for there is no choice--it is that or nothing. The disbursing
officer does not offer hard money with one hand, and paper with the
other, and tell the creditor to take his choice. No! he offers paper
or nothing! To talk of willingness, when there is no choice, is
insult, mockery and outrage. Great is the loss of popularity which
this administration has sustained from paying out depreciated paper;
great the deception which has been practised upon the government
in representing this paper as being willingly received. Necessity,
and not good will, ruled the creditor; indignation, resentment, and
execrations on the administration, were the thanks with which he
received it. This has disgraced and injured the administration more
than all other causes put together; it has lost it tens of thousands
of true friends. It is now getting into a condition to pay hard
money; and this resolution comes to prevent such payment, and to
continue and to perpetuate the ruinous paper-money payments. Defeat
the resolution, and the government will quickly pay all demands upon
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