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From the Knickerbocker Magazine for June.
THE VICTIM OF A PROOF READER.
“ Foul murder hath been done—lot here is the
proof."— Old Play.
“Oh, for the good old times of Typo
graphy, when operatives in the art could
render the ancients, —when Caston trans
lated ‘Ye Seyge of Troye,’ from the
language of Greece! Would that in this
latter age, when Champoilion has deci
phered the hieroglyphics of Egypt,—
when the spirit of inquiry is every where
abroad, —some one might be found, who
could continue to shelter trom typical ag
gression a writer for the press.
I am the victim of a proof reader. The
blunders of others and not my own, have
placed me in a state of feeling akin lo pur
gatory. Ever since 1 began to shave for
a beard, I have been more or less afflicted
with the cacoethes scribendi, —-and 1 flat
ter myself that I have not always been un
successful in my writings. But my print
ed efforts have neither been honorable to
my genius, nor grateful to my vanity—
‘on the contrary, they have been quite the
reverse.’ I have had the sweetest poems
turned into thrice-sodden stupidity; sen
tences in prose, on which I doated in man
uscript, have been perused in a deep pe
spiration, and with positive loathing in
print. All this has arisen from a conspi
racy which seems to have been framed
against me by all the typographical gen
tlemen of the country. It is true, I write
what Mrs. Malaprop might call an illegi
ble hand; for to the pitiful minutiae of
crossing t's and dotting i’s, I never could
descend. I have often given directions to
publishers, that if a word was otherwise
‘past finding out,’ they should count the
marks, —but the plan failed, as have in
deed all my plans for correct habits of
thought before the public. If this narra
tive shall prove to be correctly printed, it
will be the first article from my pen that
has ever met with such an honour, and 1
shall be proportionably pleased.
“Like all other mortals, I am penetra
ble to the arrows of Cupid. My heart is
not encased with the epidermis of a Rhi
noceros, or the bull hides of Ajax, conse
quently I am what they call in romances,
a susceptible person. When I was nine
teen, I fell in love and as I found prose too
tame a medium, too staid a drapery for my
thoughts, what could I do, but express to
my fair one my passion in song? She
was a beautiful creature, —a delicious ar
rangement of flesh and blood,’ —a country
parson’s daughter, with excellent tastes
and accomplishments. She was fond of
poetry, and so was I. This circumstance
sent my fancy a wool gathering, for tropes,
figures, and emblems. Young ladies
have a passionate admiration for genius,
and I determined to show that 1 was not
deficient in that particular : that I belong
ed of right to those who merited the say
ing, *poetanascitur,nonjit.' During the
spring of 18—, I was attacked with a per
fect incontinence of rhyme. My lady
love was always my theme. But of all
my compositions none satisfied me save
the following which 1 produced with
great limre labor, and studious care. I
think poorly enough of it now. Mr.
Neal would call it twatlie, and so do 1.
“TO EMILY B .”
“Dear Girl! an angel sure thou art,—
The muse of every spell
Which brings one transport to my heart,
And bids my bosom swell.
“And oh, carnation on thy cheek
Its richest lustre lends,
And thy blue eyes forever speak
A welcome to thy friends.
“Alas! if fate should bid us part,
Life would be nought with me,
A load would rest upon my heart,
Without a smile from thee.
“Where shall I meet a leaf so fair
In Nature’s open page ?
With thee the beauteous dower compare,
And e’en iny grief assuage?
“Forgive, my love, this hasty lay,
And let its numbers be
Sweet monitors, that day by day,
Shall bid thee think of me
“This production I sent to the village
newspaper. I waited a long week, to see
it appear. Finally, the important Wed
nesday arrived. I hastened to the office,
but the affair was not published. 1 glanc
ed with a hurried eye over the damp sheet,
and found a notice at last, commencing
with three stars, turned up and down. It
read thus:
“The tribute to Emily, by ‘J. S.’ is un
avoidably postponed until our next, by a
press of advertisements for which we are
thankful—since we do that kind of busi
ness, as likewise all sorts of job work, on
the most reasonable terms, —blanks, cards,
handbills, and other legal documents, be
ing executed by us at the shortest notice.
Not to digress, however, we should say
to ‘J. SJ let him cultivate his talent; he
has tremendous powers, but he writes a
had hand. He should make his penman
ship like his poetry, — perfect.”
“I had the curiosity lo look into the ad
vertising columns to see what envious
thing of traffic had displaced my lines.
There were but-thiee advertisements, —a
sheriff's sale, a stray cow, and a wife
eloped from bed and board. 1 read the
sheriff’s notice with that deep interest
which these documents excite. It dis
coursed of lands, messuages, and tene
ments, designated ‘by a line, beginning at
the north-west corner of Mr. Jenkin’s
cow-house, —ruining thence north 75
chains, 14 links, thence east twenty nine
chains eleven links, to a stake and stones,’
and so on, to the end of the chapter.
“Yet the notice filled me with exceed
ing great delight. I. sent it to Emily: I
told her that ‘j. S.’ was myself, but begged
her not to mention it to'a third person.
She kept her secret as women usually do.
In three days it was all over town, that I
had a piece, ‘that 1 had made out of my
head,’ coming forth in the next week’s
newspapers, addressed to Emily Brinker
hoff.
“Never did seven days roll more slow
ly round than the week’s interval which
followed the foregoing notice, in the pub
lication of the ‘Elucfflator of Freedom,
and Toscin of the People.’ When it did
finally come out, I sent Emily an affec
tionate note, with a copy of the paper,
assuring her that the poem contained my
real sentiments. I determined not to
read it myself until I visited her in the
evening. By great self-denial I kept my
resolvej and when the young moon arose,
bent my steps towards the mansion of
my mistress.
“She received me coldly. I was sur
prised and abashed. ‘What is the matter,
Em.,’l tenderly inquired : did you get
my billet-doux and the verses to-day?’
“ ‘Yes—they came safe.’
“Well, —how did you like them ?
“The note was kind and good, —-but the
verses were foolish, ridiculous nonsense.
“I was thunderstruck. I asked to see
the paper. Emily arose and handed it to
me; and sitting down by the vine-clad
window, patted her little foot angrily on
the floor.
“I opened the Elucidator and Toscin,
and read my poem. Solomon of Jerusa
lem!—what inhuman butchery—what
Idiotcy!—But I willgivethe effusion as
it was printed, ‘and shame the Devil.”
“TO EMILY B .
“Dear Girl! an angel sour thou art, —
The mule of every spell;
That brays o’er trumpets to my heart,
And bids my bosom swell.
“And oh darnation o’er thy cheek
Its rudest blister bends;
And thy blear eyes forever speak
A welcome to thy friends.
“Alas! if fate sho'-Id bind us fast,
Life would be rough with me;
A toad would rush upon my heart,
Without a smile fioin thee.
“Where could I meet a lamp so fair
In Nature’s open passage ?
With (bee the barbarous flower compare
And own my grief a saus.-agc 1
“Forgive, my bore, this nasty lay,
And let its numbers he
Sweet monitors that drily dry,
Shall bid thee think of me ?”
J. S.
“When I had read this diabolical mass
of stuff'over, I flew into an uncontrollable
rage. In the blindness of my chagrin, I
deprecated the judgment of Miss Emily;
I thought every hotly could see the errors,
and detect them as readily as I did ; and I
said to my young friend that she must
have been very stupid or inattentive not to
see how the poem ought to read. This
roused in her bosom, ‘all the blood of all
the Brinkerhoffs.’ She handed me my
hat, and pointed significantly to the door.
I went out at the aperture thus indicated,
and have never darkened it since. Emily
is now the wife of a Connecticut school
master, who blows the pitchpipe and leads
the choir on Sunday, in her father’s
church.
"This’ was my first passion, and my last,
except that into which I have been roused
every time I have sent a piece to be pub
lished. Yet I still love to console my
dreary bachelorship, by writing, and see
ing my thoughts in print,—but I despair
of ever seeing them rightly uttered. Fate,
in that regard, is against me, and probably
always will'be.
“JOHN SMITH.”
After a tragedy, the curtain falls to
slow and mournful music. Should the
leader of an orchestra on such an occa
sion strike up Yankee Doodle or Paddy
Carey, the contrast would be absurd. I
feel in some thing like such a predica
ment now. I have introduced a tragical
or at least a melodramatical narration, —
and I should be unfeeling indeed to follow
it up with other matters, which probably
would be of a cheerful nature. I leave
the story of my visitor’s sorrow and re
verses, as a provocative to solemn reflec
tion in the reader, upon the abuses in
printing, and the mutability of types.
Ollapod.
The Forefathers' Rock Enclosed.— lt
affords the highest satisfaction to announce
that the long desired protection of the
Forefathers’ Rock is at length completed,
and it may be pronounced a noble struc
ture worthy of the purpose intended.—
Ihe fabric is a perfect elipse 41 feet in
circumference, consisting of wrought iron
bars five feet in hight resting on a base of
hammered granite. The heads of the
perpendicular bars are harpoons and boat
hooks alternately. The whole is umbel
lished with emblematic figures of cast
iron. The base of the railing is studded
with emblems of marine shells, placed al
ternately reversed, having a striking effects ■
The upper part of the railing is encir
cled with a wreath of iron casting in
imitation of heraldry curtains, with fes
toons; of those there are 41 bearing the
names in bas relief of the 31 puritan fath
ers who signed the memorable compact
while in the cabin of the May-flower at
Cape Cod in 1620. This noble acquisi
tion reflects honor on all who have taken
an interest in the undertaking. In the
original design by Gteorge W. Brimmer, i
Esq. ingeniousness and a fine taste is ,
displayed •; and in all its parts the work is '
executed with much judgment and skill. I
The castings are executed in the most im- i
proved style of the art. This superb me
morialist will last for ages, and the names
and story of the great founders of our em
pire will be made familiar to the latest
generation.— Old Colony Memorial.
Extract from Fanny Kemble’s Jour-
nal.
Not taken From, the Fliiladelphia Edition.
Weathersfield, (Conn.) Nov.—.
Well. I have passed a thanksgivingday
in the land of steady habits—l have been
to Connecticut to eat pumpkin pies. But
1 must not anticipate. I went at the invi
tation of dear Mr. and Mrs.
whose parents live at Weathersfield;
though I had a sneaking desire of my own
to see a real Yankee thanksgiving, We
' had a time of it going through the Sound
as the narrow sea is called between Long
Island and the main land. We were tos
ed and tumbled about from Dan to Beersh
eba. There were sea-sick women, squal
ling brats, and spitting gentlemen, all jost
ling, and kicking, and stumbling against
one another,in the most unparralleled and
ludicrous manner.—For my part, feeling
a little how come-you-so, I laid myself
flat on my back in my berth, and was just
beginning to doze, as well as the squalling
of brats would let me, when the steamer
fetched a lee lurch, and out 1 rolled plump
on the floor. I really thought for some
minutes that I had cracked my cocoa-nut;
but dear, good Mrs. who always car-
ries a bottle of camphor with her, bathed
my upper concern, and in a short time I
became fully persuaded that the contents
of the shell were all safe. As it would
have been useless to attempt to keep my
berth with such a sea going, and as I felt
at the time rather dauldrumisb, I adopted
the opinion ofFalstaff, that the better part
of valor was discretion, and so continued
on the floor, where the sea had tossed rne,
untill we arrived at New-Haven.
*******
Took breakfast at the Tontine Coffee
House The table was so-soish; but I
have one word of advice to give to the
keeper o! that establishment, and that is,
to charge the bugs, and such other ver
min as may frequent it, at the same abom
inable rate as he charged us*for our break
fast, and if they do nut bid adieu to his
house forever and a day, I’rn mistaken.
Took the stage coach for the land of on
ions. The road was smooth and level
enough: but eoachy took pains I’ll be
sworn, to go out of his way on every pos
sible and impossible occasion, to run over
a log, a stump, or a stone. Never was
; there such jolting since the day of Nim
rod the mighty hunter. I was once
i thrown up with such force, that my head
: stuck out above, like that of a person in a
! pillory. “Hullo, Miss, are you coming
I out here?’said the driver I took the hint,
; and as soon as I could extricate my head
i which I did with the assistance of Mr.
j , pulling at my legs—l got upon the
driver'sseat. Mr. and Mrs. tried
todissuade me from it; but I have a wav
of my own, and will do as 1 will do. i
like to display myself; and then such a
glorious sight as 1 saw—such piles, and
stacks, and pyramids of yellow pumpkins!
I really believe some of them was as high
as the dome of St. Paul's. God forgive
me, if I have stretched the truth—and I
dare say he will, for I have often stretch
ed it worse than this, and on less occasions
too. * * * • * *
As we rode on, I asked coachy why he
took so much pains to run upon every ev
ry obstacle within sight. ‘I don’t try to
run on to’em,’ he said, ‘I only wish to see
how near I can drive to ’em, and not touch
’em.’ ‘You miss the mark then mightily,’
said I, and 1 laughed like a hiama, partly
at his answer, aud partly at my own re
pl As we advanced, a pungent odour
saluted my nostrils, and made me prick
up my cars as if I had been in Wales,
i the dear country of my forefathers, on the
i Kemble side. I thought of the garlicks,
(and tears came into my eyes. I cried
} enough; and after I had done, rm taking
I my handkerchief from my eyes, I saw it
: was only a heap of onions that had corne
between the wind and my nobility. *
* # * # * * •
We had now arrived at Weatherfield.
As the stage drove up to the house of Mr.
twenty eyes peered through the window,
as if they had never seen an actress before
‘lt’s because you’re perched upon the box,’
said the driver. ‘Take that, you impu
dent varlvt you!’ said I, giving him a box
on the ear,’till his cocoa-nut rang again.
* * * * * # ♦
We were all received by Mr. and
Mrs. , the latter of w horn called me
the actor woman, and said she hoped I
would’nt go where all wicked people do,
if I did speak pieces. I assured the dear,
good woman I was very pious, and took
the sacrament regularly at New York.
She was very glad to hear it, and I fared
forty per cent better, I’ll dare swear, in
consequence of it. I can play the hypo
crite upon occasion, though I must say, it
goes most intolerably against iny gizzard.
Went to church with Mr. and Mrs.
Heard a sermon on the duty of eating
roast turkies, plum puddings, and pump
kin pies; and then came home and put it
in practice. My voyage through the■
Sound, and my ride, bumping and jolting I
in the stage, had given me an appetite like '
the Danaides’ tub, which had no bottom i
not that I am quite destitute in that partic
ular. But I did eat—oh, how I did eat, I
—before I was aware of it, I became as j
plump as a Connecticut pumpkin. •
****** ♦ ■
After supper, danced and romped with the
lads and lasses of the village; and I must
say it is a villainousslander about the girls
feet being calloused, for they were ns lirn-
i her as my longue in the part of Beatrice—
, besides, 1 was assured by Mr. , who
I is fully acquainted with these things, that
j it was alia sheer falsehood. 1 am also con
i vinced of the falsehood of another report
respecting a certain custom in this State,
which is mentioned by Washington Ir
ving and otherwriters —I allude to bund
ling—an amusement which though I ex
pected it, I was not asked to join in once.
We played blind man’s buff, hunt the slip
per, throw the stocking, and forfeits. I
mightily affect the latter. It is a delight
ful amusement especially with the New
England lads—they have such elegant
fresh lips, and give such a cracking buss
in redeeming their forfeits. They had
one play—l don’t know what the y called
it—but I was requested to go and stand
j by the latch of a door and say —
i “Here I stand by the latch—
Twenty kisses make a n.atch;
j Here I stand as stiff’as a stake,
Corne and kiss me for conscience sake.”
j Twenty young men,l verily believe,sprang
| at the word, and I thought 1 should have
i been smothered with kisses, like a beef
steak in a heap of onions. Oh, cricky! if
I I did’t have delightful times, it is no mat
ter. Give me a Yankeethanksgiving.a
bove all things in this world, for down
right robusteous, heart felt, palate-felt, lip
felt enjoyment’ * * *
Kept it up till a very late hour: and
then retired to my room to write journal
■and weep, like Alexander, because I had
i no more room lostow away another pump
kin pie, and no more forfeits to be redeem
ed in the dear, delightful Connecticut fash
iortt
■ PRESENTATION OF CHECKS.
A case was tried in the Superior Court
’ of New York on Wednesday' involving a
j question of great interest to banks and
i merchants. The facts upon which the
I action was brought were as follows:
I On the 3rd of February. 1834, the Cash
| ier of the Suffolk Bank at Boston, drew a
' check on the Phoenix Bank of New York
I in favor of Messrs J. Baker and Son, for
I SSOOO. Bakerand Son endorsed this check
in blank, and from them it passed into the
hands of the Atlantic Bank al Boston,
who endorsed it specially to Morgan
Ketchum Co. of this city, and transmit
ted it to them by mail. The check was sto
len either from the Mail or the Post Office
in this city, and on sth of February, two
days after it was mailed at Boston and ex
pected in this city, it was presented for
payment at the Phoenix Bank in New
York, by a licensed porter, named Win.
Walsh, who was paid its amount by the
Teller of the Bank, immediately after
the porter left the bank, he handed the mo
ney to the person who sent him to get the
check paid. And another porter named
Peter D. Cole, who saw Walsh hand the
money to the men who had employed him
suspected from the manner in which they
1 received it, and other circumstances, that
there was something incorrect in the trans
action, and rt quested Walsh to accompa
; ny him back to the Bank and state the
matter to the Teller. The two porters ac
jcordingly done so, and the Teller imme
' diately sent a person to Morgan, Ketchum
] and C<>. with the check, in order lo ascer
i trin if the endorsement on it which purpor
! ted to be theirs, was genuine.—Morgan,
Ketchunwand Co. then resided at 44 Wall
street, 15 or 20 rods from the Bank. The
' person who went to Ketchum and Co.
i was informed that the endorsement of their
■ name was a forgery,and some person from
the Bank immediately went in pursuit of
the men who sent the check for payment
and not being able to discover them, infor
mation of the matter was sent by the Bank
to the Police Office.
On the 2d of April following, Morgan
Ketchurn df Co. made a formal demand
1 of the check from the Phoenix Bank, and
jon the refusal ol the Bank to deliver it,
j commenced an actio., of trover fur its re
covery, or the value in damages. On the
i trial of this action, a verdict was taken for
I the plaintiffs, subject to the opinion ofthe
■ Court, on the question whether the first
i endorsement by Baker Son being open
or in blank, the Phoenix Bank was enti-
■ tied to disregard the subsequent special
endorsement to Morgan, Ketchum & Co.
j and was therefore to be held exonerated
■ from liability on account of not having
paid the amount without their endorse
ment —or, which is the same thing, on an
endorsement purporting to be theirs, but
which proved.to be a forgery. The ques
tion was decided in favor ofthe Bunk, but
the Court nevertheless granted a new tri
al inorder that a jury might determine
whether the Bank had not rendered itself
liable by a want of ordinary prudence in
paying the check, under the cicumstances. 1
The trial on Wednesday, was to determ-I
inc this point and this only.
A great mass of evidence was brought
forward upon the question, and as the wit
nesses were principally experienced mer
chants and officers of banking institutions
a knowledge of their opinion and prac-
I tice must possess some interest for the
mercantile community. The witnesses
for the defence were Mr. Davis, paying
■ teller of the Phoenix Bank at the time ol
the transaction, but no*' cashier of the
Hope and Delaware Bank, Jacob Ambo
ny,atelier U. S. Bank, A, B. Hays,cash
ier of the River Bank, Archibald Craig,
cashier of the Chemical Bank.F. W. Ed
monds, cashier of the Leather Bank, W.
I O’Conner, cashier of the Seventh Ward
Bank, Ralph Peck, teller in the Leather
Bank, Elliot M. Robins, one of the firm
of Hugh Lang &. Co. Joseph L. Brain &
Samuel W illis merchants, and W. Gib
son, a public porter. The substance of i
a testimony given by the Merchants and
the porter was, that it is not unusual to i
send checks to bank by public porteis, but ,
they spoke only of small amounts; from <
SIOO to SIOOO. They thought it not usu- i
al to employ porters for that purpose where t
s > large an amount as SSOOO is in ques- j
tion. The Bank officers above liamed
stated that bhecks were frequently paid
without knowing the signature of the en
dorser, and they generally coincided in
the opinion that unless there were circum
stances or appearances to create suspicion
such a check as the one referred to would
be paid to the porter and without making
any inquiries, if he were a Respectable i
■ looking man. They admitted, however,
that since the transaction out of which this'
action grew, they had adopted a system of
greater caution; and it was proved by the !
plaintfls that the Phoenix Bank itself, had i
since refused to pay a check for sloo,'
presented by a porter because the signa
ture of he endorser was unknown.
On behalf of the plaintiffs were exam
ined Preserved Fish, President of the
Tradesmen’s Bank, Griswold, a
Director of the Bank of of America, Mor- '
; ris Robinson, Cashier of the Branch
’ Brnk. Anthony P. Halsey, Cashier of
the Mechanics’ Bank. They stated, gen
erally, that it was not usual in their
Banks to pay checks for large amounts
unless the signature of the endorser was
' known, and that they woulc n -t be likely
J to pay a check for SSOOO ro a porter with-
j out making inquiries. Mr. Robinson of
the U. S. Bank, said that the practice of
' his Bank was different from that of most
I others, and bethought, wrong: they gen
' erally paid checks to any body who pre
sented them, unless there were suspicious
appearances.
I The jury retired fora few moments and
returned a verdict for the plaintiff for $5,
470 54, being the amount of the check and
interest on it.— New York Commercial
Advertiser.
Great Crossing, Sth June, 1835.
t Gentlemen:—l have had the honor to
( receive your fitter informing rm-that I have
I been nominated by the recent Republican
Convention at Ba'ti nore, as a candidate for
tire office of Vice President.
From this expression ofconfidence from
the Republican party ofthe Union. I have
not language to express my gratitude. For
; j tiie exha ted talents,pure character & sound
' principles of the gentlemen, whose name,
‘ i was brought into comp<titicn with mine
no man can have a high, r resp ct than my
’ i seif; and had he L’cn preferred by the con
vention it wou:d have a Horded me the high
est pleasure to give him my cordial sup
port. To my greater age and longer public
service, and not to superior quallifications,
can lattribute the preference oftheConven
’ tion; and if any injury should occur to the
‘ Republican cause from that preference, no
man will deplore it more than myself. As
‘ however, the Convention were un
' doubted y better qua! lifted to judge on that
i point than one or a few individuals possi-
■ bly can be, I have but to accept the prefer-
I red nomination and resign myself to the
will ofthe people, as it may be expressed
at the pel 's.— The gratification I feel at the
honor done me, is not unm.n.j l< d with re
t grit—a regret, arising not from the pre-
I ferencp of another by a poition ofthe Con
vention, but from the error under which
; they appear to have labored in relation
ito my po'itical principles. Ido not know
i myself, if my principles do not accord with
• those of Thomas Jefferson,the Patriarch of
| Republicanism, and his decipfi s who con
; stitu ed the late cinvent on. During’almost
| the whole period comprised in the Adinm-
J istrations of Jefferson, Madison and Mon
roe, 1 was a 4m mber of Congress and
gave them my cordial support.—From
’ the the earlitst moment, I uniformly
1 acted with the Republican party found-
I ed on the principles asserted by Vir
ginia in 1798, and never withheld my
’ | support on any occasion, from either
of the distinguished men, who, in suc
cession became the representatives ofthese
principles at the head of the government,
save only in the in the struggle of 1814, 15 '
■ and 16, for the establishmennt of a Nation
al Bank President Madison then and ma
ny of my Republican associates in Con-
; gross, who concurred with me in prin
i ciple, felt themselves constrained to yield j
jup their objections to what they con- 1
1 sidered the highest law—public necessi- 1
ty. I continued to believe the remedy
worse than the disease. I had voted
i against the recharter of the old Bank
■ of the United States, in 1811, from aconvic-
■ tion of its dangerous tendencies as well as
its unconstitutionally. Upon the same
grounds I felt constrained to vote against
the establishment ofthe present Bank in 18-
16, although advocated by the adminis-l
tration to which I was attached. I voted
against the bill to re-charter this Bank in
1832. In 1834,1 voted for Mr. Polk’s res
olution, declaring, that the Bank of the;
United States ought not to re-chartered, and
1 def< nded the Presidents measure in re-
I gard to the removal ofthe public Deposites
; at every point at which it was assailed,with
a view to sever the connection between the
government & the bank, & to make sure of
a final deliverance from the institution. In
deed I have never wavered in my opinion
against its unconstitutionally ,nd have
never seen the momentwhen 1 won <1 have'
given my vote for any similar Institution.-1
-I cannot conceive how the opinion got a
broad that I was in favor of the Bank or of
any such unconstitutional monopoly, un-
, less it be from the circumstance, that I did
not, with the ardor of younger polliticians,
j pledge myself against every possible sub
stitute for the presentßank.—Gen.'Jackson, ■
in one of his annual messag s, suggested 1 i
the outline of a substitute without Stock
holders or power to make loans, as I en- 1
derssood it; and in his veto message, he de- 1
dared that he could have finished a plan 1
which would not be liable to constitution- t
al objections. Many of his friends beiiev- ■
ed that it would be absolutely necessary, t
to have some suustitute, and suggested a s
variety of schemes. To all these 1 listen-, 1
ed, without giving my assent to any, and
never for a moment did I harbor a thought
of proposing or supporting any one, except I <
in the event of failure in the experiment 1
to use the State Bsnks; arid then only such 1 1
a scheme as should be entirely free from z
constitutional objections, and have the ap
probation of the Administration and the
Repulican party.
The recent developements of the pow
er of doing mischief pcsssessedby a Nation
al Bank, & the uncontrollable tendency to
use this power to direct the politics ofthe
countty, have satisfied me that no such in
stitution should be tolerated, under any
circumstances. The facility and .Success
'with which the public business has re
cently been done through the State. Banks,
> have, in iny opinion, proved that a Nation*
. al Institution is as unnecessary as it is un
-1 safe and unconstitutional.
In relation to the Tariff, my views ap
pear also not to be understood.—At the
close ofthe last war, the general sentiment
. seemed to prevail among our eminent
statesmen, especially those who had sup*
ported the Government in that conflict,that
it was the true policy ofthe Government
I : so to regulate the Tariff, as to promote the
■ establishment of manufactures within ouf
■ borders. In this opinion, many of the
; Statesmen fro n the South united with those
s of the M iddle and Western States. With
out being distinguished as a peculiar advo-
- cate of the course of Legislation which
[’ grew up under these ciscumstances, I gave
f it my support in pursuanceof public opin-
1 ; ion. As soon, however, as I perceived the
dangers likely to grow out of this species
. I of legislation pushed to excess, I became
; an advocate for the reduction ofthe Tariff,
1 and voted for every proposition having that
[ end in view, down to an including the com
, promise, which was made at the session of
I 1832—3. That compromise ought to be
! considered by all good citizens as putting
an end to the question. No prudent and
patriotic man, will, I am sure, ever attempt
a renewal of that sp cics of legislation.
, For myself. I can sincerely say, that I
; should consider any attempt us that sort as
t savouring ofenrm ty to the government, in-
• as much as it is unnecessary as a measure
ofpcJ icy, & would certainly revive a coutro-
( versy more dangerous to our Union than
> any other which has arisen since the adop-
• tion of the Federal Constitution. The
I preS' rvation of the Union, aud the harmo-
I I ny of its members, are incomparably mor«
3 ! important than any system of legislation
,- which regards only the pecuniary inter-
- ertsof a portion of the people.
The same remarks are applicable, in a
•! great degree, to the subject of Internal Im
: provements.—in relation to them, it may
, also be observed, that the success of the
• severe! States, in their prosecution, and
1 the great local interests vested in them, to-
> gether with the consideration that the
5 State manage their concers with more care
- and economy than the General Govern
t meat, are persuasive arguments against
- Federal interference in them hereafter, bc-
- youd such works as are universally con
? ceded io he of a Nationai character.
1 In fine, I c nsider the views of Presi
‘ dent Jacksen, on the Tariff and int« rnal
Itnprovements,as fi unded in true wisdom;
- and, as far as I may hen after be enabled,
-lit will be my earnest endeavor to eave
1 tnem efficacy in the aduunstration ofthe
I ■ Government.
• 1 On the>e leading subjects, I felt it my
1 duty to touch, because it seems t < have
f been erroneously apprehend'd by some,
- that I would be dispose dto use the influ
t cnee ofhieh official static n, to restore an
- j ex; iring Monopoly, and ceitain mischicv-
1 ous systems of policy which experience
1 has exploded. It is mortifying to me, tfext
1 such an impression should have obtaintd
• any credence whatever, since the steady,
- though not boisterous support, which I
- have given to the President in his perse-
■ veringand successful warfare onthose sys
tem. So far from entertaining any such
design ord sire, I look upon myselfas sc-
■ lected by the Convention, for the purpose
, 1 of aiding to make permanent the princi-
■ ' piesand policy in the administration of
■ our Government, which have recently
■ been sanctioned by such dtcided marks of
public approbation, and to which 1 am
pledged alike by inclination and duty.
i On other subjects, a public life ofthirty
■ years’ uninterrupted activity, has, I trust,
! been sufficient to enable my countrymen
to understand my principles and my mo
tives ol action. I believe no man will
charge me with dereliction ofduty towards
my country, or my countrymen. In de
votion to my country, no one will say that
I have been wanting; and I trust, that
mine has not been “a faith without works”
My constituents have never chargid me
with neglect of their interests, collectively
or individually; and, to an American citi
zen, complaining of wrong, and asking
the aid of a friend, wherever residing, or
; however poor, unknown and humble, J
■ nave never turned a deaf ear, or refused to
labor for him, as for a brother. To this
faithfulness, and exertions to be useful,
more than to any extraordinary qualifica
tions in me, do lattribute the honor which
the Conventon have done me; and should
the people respond favorably to the recom-
I mendation oftbat body, my highest polit
ical ambition will be more than satisfied.
It will be a confirmation, by the voice of
my whole country, ofthe repealed proofs
of approbation, givien by the people of my
own State, to the well meant labors of a
life 'devoted to the service of the nation.
But what may be the fate of tue recom
mendation which I have received from the
kind partiality ofthe members of the Con
vention, coming from almost every State
in the Union, as the representatives of the
Democratic Party, with which it has been
my pride to act, thoughout my public ca
reer, I shall ever cherish with most af
fectionate reccollections, a deep sense of
the obligation they have conferred.
You will please, gentlemen, to accept
the assurances of my high respect andcon
sideration, while I remain most respectful
ly, your friend and fellow citizen.
R. M. JOHNSON.
To Messrs Andrew Stevenson, Presi
dent: James Fenner, Edmund Condit,
Upton S. Heath, Robert Strang-, J. B.
Nevitt, Franklin Kennon, Vice Pres
idents.