Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-01-20
Mn. CLAY's SPEECH.
On the appropriation Of Slso,ooo for the
nontimuafion ofthe Cumberland Road.

On the appropriGti0n Of 3 50, 600 J0f. me
combinations ofthe Cumberland Road.
Mr.. CLAY (speaker,) rose. and observed,
that, from his attachment to that system OF IN
ternal policy, of which the measure now be-
fore the committee formed part, nc had en-
tertained wish to offer to their consideration
some views in relation to It which had forci-
bly impressed his own mind but, had ne anu,
c;pated the state of expectation which 1t would
be needless for him to affect not to perceive
or that debilitated state in which he now aP-
peared before the committee, he should nave
contented himself with giving his silent vote
in favor of the bill.
The object proposed, he said, involved
question which had often been debated IN
tha, House. and the general views OF which
,,,sra ,lready so familiar to the minds OF those
whom he addressed, that he desp@rea Oh aI-
ding any thing to that knowledge OF 1t winch
thev already possessed. Indeed, ne consider
ed the views of policy which ne held on TINS
subject as having been INDICATED and nam
tanned by the votes of the House at the last
session. Yet he would say thus much: that
he considered the question, as to the existence
and the exercise of a powerin thegenerai go
vernment to carry into effect systemof IN
tcrnal improvements, as amounting 10 the ques |,
t;on whether the union of these states shoui'l
he preserved or not-a question which inVolv-
ed the dearest hopes and the brightest pros
meets of our country. AS to the opinion, that
the carving on of these improvements belong
cd % tbe states in their individual and sepa.
rate character, it might as well be expected
that the states should perform any other duty
which appertained to the general government
You have no more right, observed Mr Z. 10
ask the individual states to make INTERNAL I'M
movements for the general ,reIfare than you
have to ask them to make war for the general
welfare. orto build Notifications tor the gene
raj defence: because some of them may hap
men to have a peculiar local interest IN either:
Tbev are no more bound to do any one OF
the duties which pertain to the general go
yernment, than to do any other one CT the du-
ties which pertain oft. Sir, it is our province,
not theirs. It is, indeed, true that the inter-
ests of the whole and Of one OF the parts may
be coincident, and sometimes to very remark
able degree-nay, to such degree as may III
duce a State Government to undertake a
duty which more properly belongs to Con-
press But such cases are rare, and SUCH an
eject has seldom happened. One instance
indeed NAV be pointed out-that of the great
canal in New York. When that state applied
to this House for aid in her great and spirited
undertaking, it was my opinion that she ought
to receive it-and it is now my OPINION that,
for what she has advanced in the completion OF
that noble enterprise, she has at this hour Just
claim upon the general government. But cas-
es of this kind always will be rare-Itls VAN TO
expect that any state will feel sufficient IN
terest in any object of Improvement (unless
such as are purely local in their character) as
TO induce her to make an appropriation OF her
individual resources for its accomplishment,
With these preliminary observations on the
great policy of measures of the kind OF that
now nroposed, he would go on to inquire IN
the first place, is the object in the present
bill of sufficient magnitude to authorse an ap,
nl;cat;on to il of the resources OF the nation
TO answer this inquiry, the object must be con-
s;deTed. not as standing isolated and alone
hut as constituting one link in the great chain
of Internal Improvement of the Union. What,
said he, is the actual state OF the facts mere
now exists from the city Of Baltimore to Wheel.
ing, in the State of Virginia, an uninterrupted
line ofturnpike road, extending to total dis.
lance of two hundred and seventy miles; and
there also exists a like Inc ofroad from this
citv to the same place, With the exception of
one small gap between Montgomery Court
House and Fredericktowp. Taking its origin
AZ the foot of the Allegheny Mountains, the
Cumberland Road extends to the Eastern
honk ofthe Ohio, a distance of one hundred
md th;;rfu.fre miles. Of this distance eighty
Eve miles lie in Pennsylvania, thirty or thirty
FIVE in MARYLAND, and the residue in Virginia
tbe entire work, from one end to the other,
and through its whole extent, lying exclusive
Jv in the States East of the Ohio river. The
nronosition now presented to the committee
IS to extend this road from the Vest bank OF
that river to GAINESVILLE, in the State OF ONO a
distance of eighty miles If the proposition
shall meet with the favor of Congress, the
whole length of road from Baltimore to Zanes-
vile will be $50 miles.
Mr.. G.. then remarked on the character OF
the country through which the contemplated
road is TO pass, which he described as contain
;np a succession of hills, some of which might
perbaps have been called mountains, but for
the als;tude of the neighboring Alleganies-
and W, oh continue as far west as the Mus
k;np,u. liver, on the bank ofwhich GAINESVILLE
IS situated. There, or little west of it, COM
mences a level plain of an alluvial character,
extending from the Muskingum to the Missis-
sippi, distance of four hundred and twenty
miles. -,
The present proposition, Mr.. c. said, was
to be considered in reference, first, to what
had been done, and second, to what renamed
to be done. The proposed part of the road
must be viewed, first, in respect to one termi-
nation of the entire line which is al Cumber-
land, and then in respect to the other terml-
nation of IT, which he trusted would one day
be on the Missouri. 1t must also be viewed
in reference to that branch Of it, which, he
hoped, at no distant day, would pass through
Kentucky and Tennessee, to Natchez and N
Orleans, interesting the great road now pro-
posed from the latter place to this city. 1t
must be remembered, said he, that it is part
of road which is to traverse nine states and
two territories; so that whether we look to the
right or to the left, we find the interests OF
nine entire states and two territories all con-
centrated in the present design.
Here Mr.. c.. wished to be permitted to state
one fact with which, perhaps, but few mem:
bers of the committee were acquainted. :!
,;.x;,,c,,;,hx, al ,oemher of the other house had