4 compliments to the workingmen of the north—to their intelligence, and to their integrity. To those sentiments my heart most cordially responded. He represented himself to .be a workingman ; he professed great regard for the interests of workingmen ; he declaimed most energetically in their behalf ; but he uniformly votes against every measure which they advocate. During the present session he has voted for the United States Bank; he has expressed his determination to vote against the bill on your table. But he knows that the workingmen are opposed to the United States Bank; that they are in favor of the divorce bill, so called; and I feel justified in saying, t that ninety-nine out of every hundred workingmen are favorable to this bill. Sir, the relation in which I stand to the laboring classes enables me to judge of their views on this subject. ’ I am in daily correspondence with workingmen in different parts of the Union ; and 1 know that an unanimity of opinion and of sentiments in its favor prevails amongst them. Sir, I cannot conceive how the honorable gentleman can reconcile his professions with his practice. If he knows the feelings and the opinions of the workingmen, as he ought to know them; and if he estimates their intelligence and their integrity as he professes to estimate them ; why then does he go counter to their views and to their will? Sir, the laboring classes have had too many such advocates ! They have been too often flattered and betrayed by politicians 1 Too often deceived by those who caressed and bepraised them ! But, sir; the gentleman from Pennsylvania, not content with eulogizing the laboring men of the north, has made a false issue with the gentleman from South Carolina, (Mr. Pickens,) by misrepresenting hip views. Sir, what was the position taken by the gentleman from South Carolina? I understood him to say that the incorporated monopolies of the north were inimical to the interests and the liberties of the laboring classes ; wvere calculated to abridge their natural and political freedom, and to subject them to a moneyed aristocracy; and, for the expression of these sentiments, the gentleman from Pennsylvania has thought proper to rebuke him. But let me tell the gentleman from Pennsylvania, that the laboring classes of the north are apprehensive of the very evils so ably depicted by the gentleman from South Carolina. Look at their organs ;, consult their papers; and you will find that exclusive legislation—that the grants of chartered monopolies—are regarded by them as hostile to their interests and dangerous to their liberties. And did not the gentleman from Pennsylvania, previous to his election, and during the canvass, did not he intimate his .opposition to these very moneyed monopolies, now dignified by him under the title of institutions ? And how has he answered the expectations which he created by his professions ? By voting for a United States Bank ? By opposing the bill which proposes to disconnect bank and State! In a word, by warring with all the principles and opposing all the wishes of the laboring classes!’ “ If such be thy gods, O 1 Israel 1 wo! wo ! to those who bow before them!” 1 now1, sir, feel constrained to notice, briefly, some remarks which were made yesterday by my honorable and much respected colleague (Mr. Hoffman) while addressing this committee on the bill under consideration. I understood him to say, sir, that the present Chief Magistrate is, in a great degree, indebted to the influence of the banks for his political elevation. Sir, 1 deny the correctness of this assertion. I am satisfied that Martin Van Buren owes his elevation to his own merits, and to the unbought .suffrages of a majority of the American people. But, sir. if my colleague *
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