The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1830-02-11
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Attached; il ID neither moro nor iSal hsa
strengthening the Union ITSELF This 10 the
sense in which the trainers of,he Constiiu.
tion used the word constellation; and 10
which sense adopt and cherish it. They
tell US in the letter submitting the constitd-
tion TO the consideration Of the county,
that I'm nH our deliberations on this subject,
,ce kept steadily in our Iiew that lrhich
oPpe0rs 10 US The greatest interest Of erery
true american, the consolidation Of our
Union, in uhieh Is involved our prosperity.
felicity. safety, perhaps otsr national eris-
tenee. Thus importont confederation serious
iy and deeply impressed on our minds, led
each Stale IN the Convention 10 be less rigid
on points ofi,ttrior magnitude, than Nigh,
hare been otter,rise srpecttd."
This, Sir, is Gen. WsshiDgton's csnsol-
idston. This is the true constitutional CON-
solidation. ] wish to see no new powers
drawn 10 the General Government; but T
confess ] rejoice in whatever tends 10
strengt then the bond that uni,es US, and en-.
courages the hope that our Union may be
perpetual. And, therefore, l cannot but
feel regret at the expression Of such opin-
ions ~ the gentleman has sYowed; because
thiLk their obvious tendency is TO weaken
the bond Of our eonnexion. l know that
there are some parsons in The part Of the
! counify from which the Hon. Member
comes, who habtually speak Of the Union
in terms Of indifference, or even of dis
para cement. The Hon. Member himself
is not, l trust, and can never be, one Of
these they significantly declare. that Il Is
lime 10 calculate the ro!ns Of the Union;
and their aim seems 10 be 10 epumsrnte,
and TO magnify oil the evils, real and i'm.
aginary. which the Government under the
Union producee.
The tendency ofall these ideas and sen.
timen's, is obviouly to bring the Union into
dlacussion, ns q mere question OF PRESENT
and temporary expedency-nothlng moro
than q mere matter Of profit and loss. The
Union 10 be preserved, while it suits local
and temporary purposes 10 preserve iii
and to be sundered whenever it shall bs
found 10 thwart such purposes. Union, Of
ITSELF is considered by the disciples Of
this school, as hardly good. 1t is only
regarded as possible means of good; or,
on the other hand, as 4 possible means OF
evil. They cherish no deep and fixed re-
gard for il, flowing from thorough con-
VI its dVeOiUtc rjtui ueStooty
TO our welfare. Sir, I deprecs,e and de.
plore this tone of thinking and acting. 1
deem far otherwise Of the Union OF the
States; and so did The trainers Of the Con-
stitution themselves. What they said |
believe; fully and sincerely believe, that the
Union Of the States is essential to the
prosperity snd safety Of the States. ] am
Unionist, and in this sense, National
Republican. would strengthen the ties
that hold us together. Far, indeed in my
wishes, very fnr distant be the day, when
our associated and fra,ernal stripes shall be
severed asunder, and when thsy. happy
constellation, under which we havSfsen 10
so much renown, shall be broken up, and
be seen sinking, star after star, inlo Oh.
scuri'y and night! "a
AS have already remarked, sir, it WI
one among the reasons assigned by tho
honorable member for his wish TO be rid Of
he public lands altogether. that the public
disposition Of them, and the revenues dc.
rived from them, tends TO corrupt tho peo-
pie. This, sir. / confess, passes my com.
prehension. These lands are sold at pub
lie auction, or taken Up at fixed prices. to
form farms and freeholds. Whom does
this corrupt? According to the system Of
sales, Fixed proportion ia every where re.
served, as fund for education. Does ed
uca,ion csrrupt7 Is the schoolmostcr q
corrupier Of youth? the spelling book,
does il break down the morals of the ris-
ing generation and the Holy Scriptures,
are they fountains ofcorruption /? OF il, in
the exercise of a provident liberaliiy, in re.
gard to its own property as a great landed
proprietor, and TO high purposes Of Dtiiitt
towards others, the government gives poe-
tions of these lands to the making of ca.
nal, or the opening Of a rood, 10 the coun.
try where The lsnds themselves are stust-
ed, what alarming and overwhe lining cor.
ruption follows from all this9 Can there bs
nothing pure in government, except the ex-
ercise Of mere control I? Can nothing be
done without corruption, but the imposition
Of penalty and restraint. Whatever is po-
sitively benefcent, whatever is nctivo'y
good. whatever spreads abroad benefits and
blessings which all can see, and sll can
feel, whatever opens Intercourse, auEmcnts
population, enhances the value ofproper,y
and diff'uses knowiedge-must oil this be
rejected and reprobated as a dsncersas
and obnoxious policy, hurryiDg us TO the
double ruin Of a government. turned into
dcspotism by tho mere exercise Of acts Of
bencfeene & ola people corrupted beyond
hope Of rescue, by the improvement of
their condition
come now, Mr.. President, 10 that part
If the Ceniemsn's speech which has been
the main occasion Of nv addressing the
Senate. The east the obn9Sious, the re-.
buked, the always reprosched East! We
J have come in. SIR. on this debate, for even
, more than common share Of accusation