Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-03-22

than fourteen millions. To pay the interest on
the debts that Congress will be bound to assume,
contracted By oficious State improvements, Will
require three millions; and the prosecution OF
National improvements will consume. annually,
not less than five or more millions. The consul
tutiona Injunction on the Government OF the
United States, to guarantee a republican form Oh
government to the States. means that the people
of the States shall have all the blessings OF Tree
men: which they can never have, if the States
shall be oppressed by Onerous debts, compelling
the people to bear the suffering of unusual welghty
introducing among them general discon-
tent, inviting dislike to their State institutions,
and exciting a partiaIity to the General Govern
ment. the prelude to a consolidation. Then 1t
will be Consolidation and Libery-not Union
and Liberty. The people are so decisively favo-
rable to National Improvements, that Congress
cannot hesitate to prosecute them with unwaver-
ING industry. The greater the expenditure on
them, the better. 1t will not only be active pro-
ductive currency, but it will also give useful en-
ployment to MANY thousands, who are always SO
unfortunate as to be dependent on some superior
for occupation, and, when they are not provided
with it. become 50 destitute as to be either pau
pers, sustained BY aims. Or criminal tenants OF
penitentiaries. Few of them would not prefer to
earn their bread by daily labor, than to be thus
degraded. Benevolence advocates that National
improvements should be increasingly carried OH,
and at the expense and by the authority of Con-
gress: Charity urges and iustifes what is so be-
nefcent. How much more pleasing will good
roads and useful canals he. made by the labor OF
poor, free and moral citizens, compensated by
the munifcence of parental government, than
the disgusting sight of hateful penitentiaries!
Every man that shall be so fortunate as to be
employed on National improvements, will, by
regular labor, be able to resist the temptation of
vice: being honest he will be contented, and have
the satisfaction of knowing he is useful citizen
These sentiments may be illustrated by refer
ence to the policy of ancient Egypt. Reflection
will not admit that the Pyramids of that more
than glorious country-the miracles of human la
bor-the intruders into the clouds-were erected
to crafty the pride of kinsy vanity and ostcnta-
ton. They were designed to be eternal monu-
ments of the charity and wisdom of the sage states
men of that extraordinary nation. They are now,
after the bullets of more than two thousand years
of revengeful Time, the images of sublime bene-
violence. They were the devices of charity, to
give employment to numerous race, that were
fated to all the sorrows of want, whose destiny
presented them no hope but to depend Oh some
other who would feed them for their labor. or to
be mendicants, asking bread from the charity of
the proud, or, what is worse. be daring enough
to surrender character and life to the dominion of
crime. Had ancient Egypt wanted roads and
canal navigation, the sages who administered the
welfare of that extraordinary country would not
have erected pyramids, but would have employed
the labor of necessitous myriads on roads and
canals, which are so much wanted in this couu-
try, and so anxiously asked for by its inhabit-
ants. Had the United States sages done this,
they would, like the wise men of Egypt, never
have had motive to make hell of their country,
by filling it with penitentiaries-the symbols of
demoniac ignorance and vengeance. Were our
Statesmen other than capricious dandiprats, they
would cease to resist National improvements;-
they would take from the States the chance of
getting into debt, by making internal imp ove-
ment, and, by doing it, relieve the good and con-
fding People of the States from an ever-durable
system of taxes. which will, in short time, de-
stroy the Union and their liberty.
SULPITIUS.