From this moment he became most bitterly and personally
opposed to me, and so has ever continued. I do not recollect that I
ever had any particular conversation with General Samuel Smith on this
subject. Very possibly I had, however, as the general subject and
all its parts were the constant themes of conversation in the private
tete-a-tetes with our friends. But certain I am, that neither he nor
any other republican ever uttered the most distant hint to me about
submitting to any conditions, or giving any assurances to any body;
and still more certainly, was neither he nor any other person ever
authorized by me to say what I would or would not do.
*****
*****
[The following official opinion, though inadvertently omitted in its
proper place, is deemed of sufficient importance to be inserted here.]
The bill for establishing a National Bank, undertakes, among other
things,
1. To form the subscribers into a corporation.
2. To enable them, in their corporate capacities, to receive grants of
land; and so far, is against the laws of _Mortmain_.*
* Though the constitution controls the laws of Mortmain, so
far as to permit Congress itself to hold lands for certain
purposes, yet not so far as to permit them to communicate a
similar right to other corporate bodies.
3. To make alien subscribers capable of holding lands; and so far, is
against the laws of Alienage.
Pages:
854
855
856
857
858
859
860
861
862
863
864
865
866
867
868
869
870
871
872
873
874
875
876
877
878