Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1817-03-25
From the Albany Daily Advertiser

From the Albany Daily Advertiser
We are not able to discern What
views the late president Of the United
States has heretofore entertained on
1.-The subject Of canals. roads and
bridges. 1t has been brought before
1.-The nation 80 often, and recommend
led to the public attention j so earnest
a manner, that We believe doubts
have not been generally entertained
lof its constitufionalify. Ii seems
lheweyer, that when these reconmen
ldations were in fair way to be car
lried int effect, by bill which bad
passed both houses, during the late
session, the whole plan was arrested
lby the presidential reto,sD the ground
that the CONSTITUTION contained nc
provision authorisius congress 10 10
tgislsts on the subject. Without a.
tempting to discuss the correctness OF
Iincorrectness ofthis decision, We can,
not but regret. since it must DO made.
that the srst step towards it had NOT
|he2s 10 suggest the expectancy oil
Ss ssding the constitution for the
|pusSose hwould have saved good
Idea Of time. as we'll IS disaPpoiot,
|ment in the public expectation, par
|tieularly in this state, where the at
|teB:.on ofso large . proportion of the
community il turned towards the
great object dfs canal from lake Erie
Ito the Hudson.
We hardly know what to look al
upon his subject of constitutional
lpowers. II would seem as If there
need never be any doubt about their
nature OF extent. And yet we nnd
different principles prevailing at diff
|fsrent times; and different decisions
have heen made even on the same
subject. This was strikingly thefacl
with regard to the National Bank
Whatever views We may ourselves en-
terrain relative 10 the powers Of con
Igress, relative to that institution, we
|eannot see why the reasoning adopted
|by the late president in refusing biz
appreciation to the bill concerning
canals, 60 does not 60 the whole
length Of declaring the bank to b.
|unconstitutional,-'1 am aware
says be, "of the great importance o.
roads and canals, and the improved
navigation Of water-courses. and thai
a power in the national legislature tt
provide for them. might be exercised
with signal advantage to the genera
prosperity But, seeing that such {
tpower is not expressly given by the
Ieonstituiion. and believing that it can
not be deduoed from any part Of it
without an admissible latitude of con
struetion, and q reliance on ins uflieien
Ipreeedents; believing. also. that tho
permanent success Of the constitution
depends on a definite partition oil
powers between the general and state
governments, and that no adequate
land marks wsuld be left by the con.
struetive extension Of the powers oil
Congress, as proposed in the bill, l
have no option but TO withheld my
signature from it." There is no ex.
press power in the constitution to es-
ltablish bank.
Without undertaking to give an
opinion on the soundness of this rea.
soning, as applicable to the oonside.
ration, we do not hesitate,on the gene.
raj principles, to give it our unquali.
fed appreciation, and We hope most
sincerely It may be brought into
practical use, not only in questions
of small Importance as it respects the
sovereignty of the states. such as the
present, and one that occurred some
years since, relative to the incorpora.
ton ola Baptist Congregation in the
District Of Columbia, but in those Of
the highest moment to our freedom
and iHdependence. Let this princi.
lple of construction be fully adopted,
and We shall have no future attempts
to establish transcription, or to place
the unlimited ooutroul of the militia
or the states. 10 the hands Of the ma
tional executive. Let this principle
of construction be fully and faithfully
pursued, and there will hereafter he
no necessary clashing between the
United States government. and the in
|dividu.l states. Each moving in their
own circuits, they will proveia mu'
III