Mr. Crawford and Mr. Calhoun, as well as
Mr. Adams, were members of that Cabinet, and were all, in some degree,
committed to this policy; for Mr. Crawford, as a Senator from Georgia,
during the Administration of Mr. Madison, had sustained the doctrine of
the constitutionality and the policy of a national bank, in one of the
very ablest speeches ever made upon the subject, saying everything
which could or can be said in favor of such a government financial
agent, and refuting every objection of its opponents. From this speech
is derived every argument and every idea of both the reports of Calhoun
and McDuffie, which were heralded to the nation as greater even than
that of Mr. Dallas, who, with Robert Morris, may be said to be the
fathers of this institution. Mr. Clay had, in one of his ablest
speeches, opposed the bank at a former time, and his change of opinion
was now well known.
It was very well understood that the coming men were Clay, Jackson, and
Calhoun. Clarke and his friends were ardent supporters of Calhoun, and
it was thought they had won the favor of the Administration.
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