Lynchburg Virginian

ROBERT CRAIG, ESQ.

This gentleman, who was lately nominated as a candidate for Congress, in the Rockbridge district by the administration party, not satisfied with the address of the Convention which put him in nomination, has issued a Circular to the people of that district. It will be recollected, that the Address ascribed Mr. Craig's vote for the recharter of the U. S. Bank, to his modesty—a ground which Mr. Craig perceives is as untenable as it is ludicrous—and he therefore assigns quite another reason for it.

He says—he voted to recharter the Bank because at that time I thought it necessary proper to support the fiscal operations of the general government and deeming it necessary proper to do this thought it constitutional be cause the constitution gives to Congress expressly all the powers necessary and proper to carry into effect the powers which it had previously passed by specific grant."

Well; this is all unobjectionable so far as it goes: but how did Mr. Craig find out that it was unconstitutional? He shall again speak for himself: "I now think it unconstitutional, because its malversations, in my judgment have demonstrated its utter incompatibility with popular government ; and because a state of things maintained recently against the most vigorous exertions of the Bank to produce a contrary effect! justifies the opinion, that a National Bank is not indispensable to the preservation of the national credit and a sound currency." The first reason is evidently illogical: for, what has the misconduct of a corporation to do with the constitutional power of the government to give it a previous existence? Mr. Craig might as well say we had no right to put a General at the head of the Northwestern army, during the last war, because, after his appointment, he treacherously surrendered his post into the hands of the enemy. And the second reason, so far from having been demonstrated to be true, is yet in the course of "experiment," which will take years satisfactorily to test. Besides, could not Mr. Craig have adverted, with as much propriety, to the Bank interregnum, from 1811 to 1816 in order to show that such an institution, if not indispensable, which is not the language of the constitution, is, in the words of that instrument, both "necessary and proper"?—necessary, in order save the public treasury from those casualties and losses incident to a multiplication of public agencies; and proper, to secure a uniform and safe currency, throughout the Union ?