The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, January 04, 1840, Image 2
^ have wc reared? what hopes tor the happy
enjoyment of a coming eternity Itavi
we secured? as christians, what progress
n the divine life have we made? hav>
iwo added to our faith virtue, to our
virtue knowledge, and to our knowledge,
temperance: have we been growing
in grace, and in the knowledge oi
God, daily? and have we laid a foundation
for a growing and everlasting super
o?rn<>tiirp in the kinndom of our Go !? Il
- O
so, happy are we. If so, the year has
baeu well spent, we have "redeemed the
time" because we have applied our hearts
unto wisdom. If however these things
should not be so, let us now at the beginning
of the year promptly repent of all
past evil deeds and like the prodigal resolve
at once to " arise ;.n ' go to our fa.
ther." We see dear reader, by the year
that has just left us how rapidly time is
hurrying us to eternity; and we are reminded
by our friends who are constantly
falling into their graves around us, that
our hold upon life is weak and uncertain.
Our frail hold upon every thing earthly,
tells, that our grasp upon none is for eternity.
The lust sigh that we heard upon
?- .1 !.??
the murmuring winusoi mc jmi um una
just left us, whistles in our ears eternity.
The muttering thunders of the one now
commenced is continually re-echoing eternity!?Every
thing upon which the eye
rests, serves but to remind us that we ure
"passing away;" that "we are strangers
and pilgrims upon earth;" and that here
we have "no continuing city." Our instability
is written upon all the f< rms ol
beauty and loveliness that are so fast fading
before us. The fading flower?the withe-ring
leaf?the murmuring stream, and
the cold chills of autumn, speak to us ol
nought but change?and ruin - and decay,
But we are living as though insensible ol
this instability?as though immortal in
our earthly existence.
Our Fathers! where are they? Dear
n ader they lived where we now dwell;
and stood in the same relation to all the
concerns and interests of earth that we
-?. new do. But their day and generation
l - - ? ri,.,.- IHIM ?? nasspil *HHV"
Jlin gv.ic. i \ i I .. j
and *' the places that cnc- knew ihnn will
know ihen n.? more forever " v hv.f
i'.v.;.:,eir .;-sjtt?:v n iSv-i'sik' i* foi a? who
h;*e m " v':.Dare we hope to
escape iofii g-o.nial fate.7 dare wr believe
;ve shall :iv> ? > e?er? let us i^? ? i?npro?"?'
the remaining days allulled us fur mi- enV'VioeM!
.?f ihis earthly existanre, in j-reparing
for that endless duration which <oir
fathers hat e gone to experience. Let our
years no longer pt6s "us a talc that is
oi'i,"biit lei os apply them to wisdom. Certain
is u, that her? tve have no ''abiding
cuy'' we are "passing away" like ''shadows
oyer Ui- 'gain " ''his great truth is
taught us by ail past ez.u rinwe?by all
we know o*" t- present, ami bv all ivc
cat) learn of '.he future. F -r "-"an < is-a'.h
aw a*.. y? -i-m giv? tij uo roe gnosf nno
v he ' Seeing lluoi thii'nl
- b?' better hex ifcui the p'-si-ni
c>r, bare i'i b' Z"i ;r |>rt'jnra to
i j'l.i' corumrri err.cut .if ;S<- .% .?
s ^r: it is crophiaica.lv lb* st-r^.w; i*.:r
go.wi ?.?''? iliocs. L>" li '.s S, tf .
r.;:t>;..r jr .: ^ ?')*- y fe;,'; -rS"r "? ?
L-.-s. ti.?* greet: ?tu-vsi! <
who shait tio ?hi* *frvat itriioui>t *1 ^f
tn :ls?? shortest {j??riy.: ?.-f iinu ; *- u scsl!
]yif ;?i?,st, ?.ju wh.i sfiai! strt'
bo* . Then u p t:3!i look bark upon a hj?
V<rrt =T^nTn77 uid u lie if nt come to riio.
tve sJ'Jii) know* <io:| for v.-? s; ai; p t?::it
as he iK. TUKuOft.
Great yield of Col ion in E '\zef < }<>.?
V?:c are informed, ;it->ti highly icsruciH
blc authority, that Mr KHerons**, a c<mmo
planter, resi'Jingm thi- Distr.rt, will average
this year, ten bales to the hand \\ e
rail this excellent crcppir+n, tti any section
of countrv, hut ue consider ii evra ordinary
for Edgefield, even in her pain.jest
days. Let none who nil land re? nib'ing
that of !vuct*m.\ ihi.s.t emigraiiiig.
?:!g-tjif.ld 1 avert iscr.
The New V irk Eepress says?" Wi'liin
the last three week? over a iioiiiun and
a half of W ..ih n goods have been reshipped
hack to England. These shipments
have to ?!i made for two reasons.?
First, they would n<'t pay a profit, and
next, the parties were fearful that tin* Collector
would seize thorn as he had seized
?: large portion of Woollens that have
been before imported. The difference to
the revenue will be very great.
The New York correspondent of the
National Intelligencer, under date of the
I7th inst. says?Twenty-five thousand barrels
of flour came down from Albany this
morning in our tow boats, with, also, ai
abundance of produce VVc shall no
starte this winter, though there is gr-a
suffering among the laboring classes foi
the ivaut of employ.
Z^Trmammmmtmrnrnmrn??W?MW?MB
I THE JOUflNAL.
UA.TlBSStf:
SATURDAY MORNING, JANUARY 1, IS 10.
j Wo tmler our iha11ks to our Ilcprespu.j
talive in Congress, the lion. Thomas D.
j.*UMTKR, for a copy of the President's
I- . . ..
i Message, and several inner pamjuueis.
CONGRESS.
Since our last notice of the proceedings
in this body, they hare been making considerable
progress considering the disposi
lion manifested by the opposition during
the first fifteen or twenty days of the session
to throw all the difficulties in their
power in the way of the organization of
' the House. These difficulties, however,
have been surmounted, and the organization
of the House is complete. The officers
have all been elected except the Prinj
ter. The New Jersey question has been
j settled, at least for the present, by the rri
j< ciion of a resolution offered by Mr. Evi'ans,
of Maine, "that the members of the
! '
'. 20lh Congress, here present, do advise and
: request the Speaker to administer the oath
1 i of qualification to those members'from N.
! Jersey, who have the regular certificates,
'and have presented themselves to be
sworn." This resolution was lost?yeas
: 112, nays 110 Mr. (Iuqh A. Garland
1 has been elected Clerk, Roderick Dor1
6ey Sergeant at Anns, Mr. Follonsbke
Door Keeper, and C<d. Hunter Assistant*
These elections took place on the 21 st and
23d ult. and the Message of the President
! was sent in on the 24th?since which, we
i f
j suppose, the members have been taking
' holiday, after their arduous labours.
r:
. Hon. John C. Calhoun.?We noticed
a rumour in our last, in relation to this
gentleman, who it was said, had given his
sanction to the nomination of Gen. Harrison
for the Presidency, and would hoarti;
ly give him the weight of his great influence.
We take pleasure in stating thai
this rutnor has been contradicted in the
most positive manner. The Richmond
Enquirer denies, in the most unqualified
terms, that Mr. Calhoun and his friends
in Congress, are about to espouse the
clause i if Go it. H arkison. The Enquirer
remark*, that it is authorised to sav that
Mr. Calhovn " refuses all ci operation
hi the II arri.-burg nominations."
TH:*. PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
We r?*??r?-t that our liaiils will not permit
ns to lav the whole of this valuable
document before our readers. We however
give the leading portions of the Message,
without the argument* by which
they are enforced. We had marked such
part of it as we intended to publish,
but before it went to the hands of the
j printer, we received the "Baltimore Clipwr,"
wi'h the 3tr.tctc an 1 connections,
we ;td-0 UMVl. vYV iCColitnieUt!
.,..r rrs 'y >.-,; nrily |(l peruse thai portion
f .W- Oije 'fr-ieh ye publish, hut to
?' : if Nrh-'h:, if hi v hare not already
s .- ! - \ it*.?ino H thoroughly; they
- sit find i a* :Si?- an : as dr^nilie:! a state
{ per ? any I'!xe??utivf M: s-agethey have
- is :>iat>? y?ars a-i:i ti win repay,
?. . ifi?- ' tliiy t>e>tow upon it.
T-..- P-i*. scheme, the Ind
i"-n ''m'hs'.u*; <*<>n:ii)ands !>y far the
I.;rtT'*si o! h's i*triiiiiMi, an-.! is,-.*:'!
Co'trw ( nj?aui Cf'if I v . to
Tiic of Congress. Tl:? ar-j
yumem ? ? iif j'.-rli of die subject is'
fi;!i an.' aii!!', six! n it does not convince
> ?!:<* ! pj?<?r?nts ?f this measure, we think
j. xv;?i ... { pii/zl:* them to find materinis
7? it v. hi-h successfully to combat
them.
I'he 5V->ident roinmenre.s with a regret
that :t<- ?v.n*?oi rnmrraiHlnip the peoph?
1T1 riavi i? J i;SIoyi < 1 prosperit V during
tin' last V' ar? sji'Mr,ot L,:c rara^es of
fire, t < ruins e.-.ih ii rasmiit oK in trade; hut
ntdWithall this, he very ehreririgti
Htl'.ni's to ilie many blessings so
Iv'ti!iiif:ill .*ed upon us by the an.
thor of a 1 gt?..d
j V- itlt foreign countries we are toM our
(relations exhibit the same friendly asiect
i iliey hid at the delivery of the last annual
t
message.
For the settlement of the North C istern
Boundary, he states that the proposition
promised bv Great B< i'uin lor a commission
of explotation and survey, has been
received, and a counter project, including
ja provision for the final adjustment of the
limits in dispute, is before the British Go'
vermnent for its consideration. He thinks
t that Government is desirous of an arnicai
hie settlement of this question,
r "To avoid another controversy in which
a Slate Goremment mig'ht rightfully claim
ilo have her wishes consulted, previously
to the conclusion of conventional arrangements
concerning her rights of jurisdiction
or territory, I have thought it necessary to
call the attention of the British Government
to another portion of our countcrminous
dominion, of which the division still
remains to be adjusted. I refer to the line
from the entrance of Lake Superior to
the most northwestern point of the lake of
the Woods, stipulations for the settlement
of which are to be found in the treaty ol
Ghent. The commissioners appointed
under that article by the. two Governments
having differed in their opinions, made
separate reports, according to its stipulations.
upon the points of disagreement,
and these differences are now to he sub
muted to me arbitration ol some lnenmy
sovereign or state. The disputed points
should be settled, and the li ie designated,
before the territorial government, of which
it is a boundary, lakes its place in the U>
nion as a State; and I rely upon the cordial
co-operation of the British Government
to "fleet that object."
With the Provinces themselves, we are
informed that tranquility is restored. Wre
are als" advised, that while we yet sympathise
with the inhabitants of the Colonies,
1 we must be mindful and not violate our
constitutional faith towards other nations.
" From all the information I receive, he
adds, confirmed to some extent by personal
observation, I am satisfied no one can
now hope to engage in such enterprise^
without encountering public indignali ?n,
in addition to the severest penalties of the
law."
In relation to the following countries,
we are thus informed:
41 Nothing ivis occurred to disturb the
harmony of our intercourse with Austria,
Belgium. Denmark, Naples, Portugal,
Prussia, Russia, or Sweden. The internal
state of Spain has sensibly improved,
and a well grounded hope exists thai the
return of peace will restore to the people
of that country their former prosperity,
and enable the Government to fulfil all its
obligations at hoine^nd abroad The
Government of Portugal. I have the satisfaction
to state, lias paid in full the eleventh
and hist instalment due to our citizens
for the claiois embraced in the settlement
made with it on the third of March,
\&7.
" I regret to be obliged to inform you
that no convention for the settlement of
the claims of our citizens upon Mexico
has yet been ratified by the Government
of that country. The first, convention
firmed for that purpose was not presented
by the President of Mexico for the appr
>1 nation of its Coiigrses, from a belief
that, the Kmg of Prus-da, the arbitrator
in case of disagreement in the joint com
i I 1* 1 T , I
j mission to ho appoint ny tne unnea
j Htalcs and Mexico, would not consent to
take upon himself the office. Although
(not entirely satisfied with the course pursued
by Mexico, ] foit no hesitation in receiving
in the most conciliatory spirit the
explanation afforded, and also cheerfully
consented to a new convention, in order
to arrange the payments proposed to be
made to our citizens, in a manner which
while equally just to them, was deemed
less onerous and inconvenient te the Mexican
Government. Reiving confidently
!upon the intentions of that Government,
Mr. Ellis was directed to repair to Mexico,
and diplomatic intercourse has been
i resumed between the two countries."
J He recommends to attention once more
; the passage of the Gradua'ion Law. Attenti
?n is also called to the present conditi
>n of our principal seaports and navy
| yard.-.
lie also rails to notice cur condition as
relates to the Florida war, and recommends
that measures be adopted to -bring
ii as speedily as possj]>,V to an issue.
In spp of the Post Office Department,
lie says " it is gratifying to witness
the departments in general perform of their
duties."
The revenue of the Post Office Department
for the year ending w ith the 30th
June last, was four millions four hundred
and s;vcnty-six thoasand six hundred and
i thirty-eight dollars, exhibiting a large increase
over the preceding year. The cash
on hand in this department on the 13th
ultimo, was about $206,701,9.1.
Serious considerations are invited to
i the Post Office Department, in order that
it may be brought into a regular and perfect
state. The suggestions of the Post
Master General, relative to the moderacy
of the legal allowance to witnesses in case
of prosecutions from mail depredations is
also recommended to the serious consider
atitin of Congress.
"I think it proper to call your attention
to the power assumed by Territorial Legislatures
to authorize the issue of bonds
by corporate companies on the guarantee
oi' the Territory."
" The continued agitation of the question
relative to the best mode of keeping
and disbursing the public money, still injuriously
affects the business of the country.
The suspension of specie payments
in 1837, rendered the use of deposite
banks, as prescribed by the act of 1830,
rather of embarrassment than aid, and of
necessity placed the custody of most of
the public money afterwards collected in
charge of the public officers. The new
. - j
securities for its safety, which this requi!
red, were a principal cause of my con|
veiling an extra session of Congress; but
j in consequence of a disagreement between
i the two Houses, neither then nor at any
subsequent period, has there been any
legislation on the subject. The effort made
at the last session to obtaian the authority
. of Congress to punish the use of public
money for private purposes as a crime,
a measure attended under other governments
with signal advantage, was also unsuccessful,
from diversities of opinion in
that body, notwithstanding the anxiety
doubless felt by it to afford every practical
security. The result of this is still to leave
the custody of the public money without
these safeguards which have been for sevAral
vmpj oampctk' <ipsirpH hv tllP F.IP.
cutive; and as the remedy is only to be
found in the action of the Legislature, il
imposes on me the duty of again submitting
to you the propriety of passing a law
providing for the safe keeping of the public
moneys, and especially to ask that its
use foi private purposes by any officers
1 entrusted with it, may be declared to be
a felony, punishable with penalties proI
portioned to the magnitude of the offence,
" These circumstances, added to known
, defects in the existing laws, and unusual
| derangement in the general operations oi
, trade, have, during the last three years
, much increased the difficulties attendant
, on the collection, keeping, and disbursei
merit of the revenue, and called forth corresponding
exertions from those having
them in charge. Happily these have
been successful beyond expectation. Vast
sums have been collected and disbursec
by the several Departments with unexpected
cheapness and ease; transfers havt
' been readily made to every part of the
Union, however distant; and defalcations
! have been far less than might have been
, anticipated, from the absence of adequate
legal restraints. Since the officers of the
Treasury and Post Office Departments
were charged with the custody of most oi
I the public money received by them, there
j have been collected sixty-six mollions of
dollars, and, excluding the case of the
late collector at New York, the aggregate
amount of losses sustained in the collection
cannot, it is believed, exceed sixty
thousand dollars. The defalcation of the
late collector of that city, of the extent
and circumstances of which Congress has
j been fully informed, ran through all the
modes of keening the public money that
j have been hitherto in use, and was distinguished
by an aggravated disregard of du'
tv, that broke through the restraints ol
every system, and cannot, therefore, be
usefully referred to as a test of the comparative
safety of either. Additional information
will also be furnished by the report
of the Secretary of the Treasury,
in reply to a call made upon that officer
by the House of Representatives at the
last session, requiring detailed information
on the subject of defaults by public offiAH
mititcf rptmn
*^cj a ui aguiu uiiu'.i vovi
from 1789 to 1837. This document will
be submitted to you in a few days. The
general results, (independent of the Posl
Office, which is kept separately, and will
be stated by itself.) so far as they bcai
upon this subject: are, that the lossse
which have been, and are likely to be, sustained
by any class of agents, have been
i ?the greatest by including, as required
in the resolution, their depreciated paper
received for public dues; that the next largest
have been by disbursing officers, and
, the least by collectors and receivers. If
j the losses on duty bonds arc included, they
alone will be threefold those by both collectors
and_rcecixrr&. - .Chn'-wMo-sxpe:
Ticr.cc, therefore, furnishes the strongest
evidence that the desired legislation of
Congress is alone wanting to insure in
those operafious the highest degree of security
and facility. Such also appears to
have Ijcen the experience of other nations.
From the results of inquiries made by the
Secretary of the Treasury in regard to
the practice amongthem, i am enabled to
state that in twenty-two out of twenty-seven
foreign Governments, from which undoubted
information has been obtained,
the public moneys are kept in charge of
public officers. This concurrence of opinion
in favor of that system is perhaps as
| great as exists on any question of internal
| administration.
1 "In the modes of business and official
i restraints on disbursing officers, no legal
j change was produced by the suspension of
specie payments. The report last referred
to will be found to contain also much
useful information in relation to this subject.
" I have heretofore assigned to Congress
my reasons for believing that the establishment
of an Independent National Treasury,
as contemplated by the Constitution,
is necessary to the safe action of the Federal
Government. The suspension of specie
payments in 1837, by the banks having
1 i bn />nofA/Kf rvf lir? nnhlir monov. showed
UlVs V, UOtV* A J VI LOW ^ 7
in so alarming a degree our dependence
on those institutions for the performance
of duties required by law, that I then recommended
the entire dissolution of that
connection. This recommendation has
been subjected, as I desired it should be
to severe scrutiny and animated discussion;
' and I allow myself to believe that, not'
withstanding the natural diversities of
opinion which may be anticipated on all
subjects involving such important consid
r
j ' ...
! oration?, it has secured in its favor as
general a concurrence of public sentiment
: as could be expected on one of such mag~
I nitude.
I "Recent events have also continued to
develope new objections to such a connection.
Seldom is any bank, under the
existing system and practice, able to meet,
on demand, all its liabilities for deposites
and notes in circulation. It maintains specie
payments, and transacts a profitable
business, only by the confidence of the
public in its solvency; and whenever this
is destroyed, the demands of its depositors
and note holders?pressed more rapidly
than it can make collections from its
debtors?force it to stop payment. Tliis
loss of confidence with its consequences
occurred in 1837, and afforded the apology
of the banks for their suspension. The
: public then acquiesced in the validity of
the excuse; and, while the State Legisla,
tures did not exact from them the forfeited
charters, Congress, in accordance with
i thf? recommendation of the Executive, al
lowed them time to pay over the public
money they hold, although compelled to
issue Treasury notes to supply the deficiency
thus created,
i "It now appears that there are other mo- *
I tives than a want of public confidence unf
der which the banks seek to justify them,
selves in a refusal to meet their obligations.
I scarcely were the country and Govern
ment relieved in a degree from the diffi
culties occasioned by the general suspen;
sion of 1837, when a partial one. occur;
ring within thirty months of the former,
t produced new and serious embarrassments
I though it had no palliation in such circum
stances as were alledged in justification of
; that which had previously taken place.?
: There was nothing in the condition of the
country to endanger a well managed bank
: ing institution; commerce was deranged
! by no foreign war; every branch of manu;
facturing industry was crowned with rich
3 rewards, and the more than usual abunf
dance of our harvests, after supplying our
: domestic wants, but left our granaries and
F storehouses filled with a surplus for expor>
tation. It is in the midst of this that an iri
redeemable and depreciated paper cur- *
rency is entailed upon the people by a
' large portion of the banks. They are not
driven to it by the exhibition of the loss of public
confidence, or of a sudden pressure
i from their depositors or note holders, but
' they excuse themselves by alledging that
the current business and exchange with
foreign countries, which draws the precious
metals from their vaults, would require, in
F order to meet it, a larger curtailment of
> their loans to a comparatively small portion
of the community than it would be
convenient for them to bear, or perhajx*
safe for the banks to exact. The plea has
r ceased to be one of necessity. Convenience
and policy are now deemed sufficient
to -warrant these institutions in disregardt
ing their solemn obligations. Such conduct.
is not merely an injury to individual
. creditors, but it is a wrong to the whole
I community, from whose liberality they
hold most valuable privileges,?whose
rights they violate, whose business they deI
range, and the value of whose property
' they render unstable and insecure. It must
be evident that this new ground for bank
suspensions, in reference to which their
action is not only disconnected with, but
wholly independent of, that of the public,
' gives a character to their suspensions more
alarming than any which they exhibited
before, and greatly increases the impropriety
of relying on the banks in the transactions
of the Government.
A large and highly respectable portion
T?f-SV.r-4>g.1 kns are exempted
from all blame on account of fhiVseeoritf
delinquency. New dangers to the banks
are also daily disclosed from the extension
of that system of extravagant credit of
which they are the pillars. Formerly our
foreign commerce was founded on an exchange
of commodities, including the precious
metals, and leaving in its transactions
but little foreign debt. Such is not now
the case.
"Aided by the facilities afforded by the
banks mere credit has become too commonly
the basis of trade. Many of the
banks themselves, not content witH largely < i
stimulating this system among others, have i J
usurped the business, while they impair
the stability of the mercantile community;
' they have become large borrowers instead
of lenders; they establish their agencies
abroad; they deal largely in stock and merchandize:
they encourage the issue of state
securities until the foreign market is glutA
#* J _ ?- .i L iLmmm . mm#-] i i\ n i r. C r> /1 ? V* iU/%
It'u Willi Ult'Ui; rtiiu uiisclusikju nuu titu
legitimate use of their own capital, and
the exercise of their lawful privileges, they
raise by large loans, additional means for
every variety of speculation.
The remarks'of the President, on the
piesent banking system, are, of course, in
accordance with the doctrines of the party
at the head of which he stands. Speaking
of the dependance of one set of banking
insiitionson another, he says?
"But this chain of dependence does not
stop here. It does not terminate at Philadelphia
or New York. It reaches across
the ocean and ends in London, the centre
of the credit system. The same laws of
trade, which give to the banks of our prin-.
cipal cities the power over the whole