But the wounds inflicted on the mother State by her separation will never be healed until Virginia is relieved from the odium of having been specially selected from the eleven seceding States for the punishment that struck at once against…

One of her earliest acts of patriotism as an independent State was the cession to the General Government of her superb domain on the north side of the Ohio River, from the sale of which more than one hundred millions of dollars have been…

It was the aggressive disunionism of the two latter States which aided powerfully in dragging Virginia into rebellion.

But for the urgency of the seven original Confederate States, in which Texas and Florida were numbered, Virginia Loyalists would have been able to hold their State firm in her National allegiance.

Since the war Texas has traveled the highway to wealth and power, founded on the ownership of her public lands, of which the National Government could have deprived her with as little difficulty as was found in dividing Virginia.

Florida has likewise enjoyed general prosperity, and secured rapid development from the resources of land which the National Government had generously given her before the war and of which she was not deprived for her acts of rebellion.

True-hearted Americans rejoice in the prosperity of these States which adorn the southern border of the Republic; but they cannot help seeing, and seeing with regret, how differently the ancient Commonwealth of Virginia has fared at the…

But, unfortunately,--or it may be fortunately,--the detriment to her public credit can be stated with substantial precision, and can be traced directly to her despoilment.

We stimulate the ardor of patriotism by the mere display of a flag which has no material force, but which is emblematic of all material force, and typifies the glory of the Nation.

It had only increased the dangers of inflation by the stimulus it imparted and the protection it afforded to the circulation of State bank notes.

The advocates of a uniform and stable system of banking to cure the manifold evils then prevailing, admitted that the prerogative of the States could not be questioned, but urged that the exercise of it had invariably increased and often…

If the States would not surrender their prerogative, the National Government would be compelled to exercise its larger prerogative embodied in the power to tax.

No provision of law could have operated so powerfully for a system of National banks.

Under the influences thus at work, the friends of the State banks plainly saw that the National system was growing in favor, and they began to admit that its creation might facilitate the financial operations of the country.

The government would thus be largely benefitted, and its cause would be strengthened by the silent influence of self-interest which would certainly be developed by the general distribution of its bonds as the basis of a national currency.

If the government goes down, there is not a considerable bank in America that does not go down with it.

If we permit these banks to flood the channels of circulation, we destroy ourselves.

Experience has justified the authors and promoters of the national banking system.

The advantages of uniform circulation on a basis of undoubted strength and availability have won almost universal favor among business men and prudent thinkers.

The restoration of the multiform State system, with notes of varying value and banks of doubtful solvency, would receive no support among the people.

The Bank of the United States, as twice established, incurred the hostility of the Democratic party,--their two greatest leaders, Jefferson and Jackson, regarding the creation of such an institution as not warranted by the Constitution.

The most important financial institution established in the United States before the adoption of the Constitution was the Bank of North America, still doing business in Philadelphia, with unbroken career through all the mutations of the…

Indeed the methods of banking--it might be proper to say its secrets--were jealously guarded by the capitalists who monopolized it in the financial centres of Europe.

The trade policy of the United States at the foundation of the government had features of enlightened liberality which were unknown in any other country of the world.

The new government was indeed as far in advance of European nations in the proper conception of liberal commerce as it was on questions relating to the character of the African slave-trade.