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Panic! Letter to Congressman Elisha Haley, fr

Currency:USD Category:Antiques Start Price:35.00 USD Estimated At:70.00 - 90.00 USD
Panic! Letter to Congressman Elisha Haley, fr
Panic! Letter to Congressman Elisha Haley, from constituent, Sinclairville, N.Y., Sept. 6, 1837, giving opinion on the Panic of that year. 7 3/4 x 1 2 1/2 , 3 pp., integral stampless address-leaf, "Gerry, N.Y." mss. marking. Worried about the influence of financial institutions on government: "...no monetary institutions should be in the power of individuals...It is certain that any moneyed institution that is sufficiently powerful as to exert an influence over this Nation would be dangerous, would eventually lead to civil commotions & bloodshed...." Decries theory of a central bank, feeling it would be able to "dictate all the elections...." Believes that the amount of money in circulation should be fixed, so that "no corporations [had the power] to make money plenty or scarce at their pleasure...," and feels that paper currency should be backed with specie, so "it would be impossible to strike off paper [money] sufficient to answer the chimerical schemes of such persons." The writer offers a highly detailed plan for bringing U.S. monetary policy back onto sound footing. What is prophetically described is similar to the Federal Reserve System of today, but even more conservative. Over 600 banks failed in 1837; workers were sometimes paid in "shinplasters" of dubious value. Very fine.