The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1830-05-13
nigh, jus. ss well say ,ha, man eanno,

might just as well say that man cannot
| be soldier unless he is constantly fighting.
! The nation is not now at war, & OF course
/ II has not any munitions Of war TO carry; but
| does that prove II never will have? An
other gentleman from Virginia, Mr.. Coke
! tells US that roads are only needed where
there is a dense population; but if part OF
The country happens al this moment 10 be
! secluded from public view, it must always
remain so, ~ It's population must be always
spaise, for the very reason /. is so secluded.
Why, Sir, if this country through which. or
near which this road Is to run, had already
all the benefits 1t would derive from the
road, IL is very plain that It would not want
the road. But the great purpose Of the
road IS To dispense those very benefits.
Must the mail start from Buffalo and go all
The way 10 n. Orleans in one route, in order
10 constitute this a mail road? Surely not
II may be employed as a part Of several
routes, and the making of it will be war
ranted by the powers oi the Government, in
respect 10 the mail Another argument Of
the modern Virginia school, is derived from
the unequal bearing Of appropriations OF
this kind
This argument, il admitted, would strike
at once at the root Of all the fiscal opera.
tons OF the government. IL IS a manifest
imposslblhty that this government should
distribute its funds with exact mathemstl
cal equality, as if the whole surface of the
country was plain, and these distributions
were to fall upon il as one vast sheet Of
water. Such a state Of things is impossi
Bile; it ls forbidden by locality aud the stu
al IN nj M ha a mt
ed unless you raise all the valleys, and sink
all The hills. Nor can any one appropria
ton be made by the government, the beDe
fits OF which shall be equally felt in all
parts OF the country. All our approprla
tions are unequal and must be so Of neces
sl,v; and the same inequality would exist,
and does exist, in appropriations made BY
the State authorities. | would ask these
gentlemen from Virginia, whether the mo-
ney appropriated for the Capitol at Rich.
mond was an equal distribution Of the mo
ney of the people Of that Stste?- whether
the moneys grantedior the erection ofcourt
houses mn several counties are not local
appropriations? The money for these oh
jocts is raised by taxation over all Virgin
IA: but what benefit didihe people IN the
western counties receive from the erection
of So costly a building at Richmond? Sir,
II is all idle to talk in this manner. lne-
quality is inherent in the nature of all hu.
man society. The same argument would
prove that one individual must not be ap.
pointed TO a foreign mission because there
arc others equally III for the place, and who
have equal claims on the government for
the same. 1t might with equal truth be
maintained that the present distinguished
occupant Of the chair should not have been
chosen Speaker because there are other
members Of this House who would dis
charge the duties of presiding officer as well
as he does. This is the amount of the gem
tleman's argument.
Bot in addition to this, we find the old
string has been pulled upon--the payment
of the National Debt Is to oc retarded-a
bug bear which regularly makes its pas
sage over the stage whenever any useful
project is moved here which is to cost lii
tie money. But. sir that debt is so nearly
discharged; and is payment SO entirely
within our power, that that argument Is en-
titled 10 but litlle weight The gentleman
from Virginia carried us back 80 far IS 10
the year l6eS, when the public debt OF En-
gland was but one million, and now it is
more than million ofmilions. Very true,
sir, and what them That debt, however
great is owed TO her own citizens: and be
II great or small, 1t was not contracted by
works Of internal Improvement Bot while
the gentleman held up one picture to ter.
riy the. House, might he not on the other
nand have presented to its view another
picture, showing hosv by her works OF IN
ternal improvements. aud her vast system VI
domestic industry, England has been able
10 sustain the pressure OF such debt, and
to remain strong aud prosperous, and To
march with bold and firm step though
pressed by such a burden. The Govern.
mcnt could not have borrowed unless her
citizens were able g. willing to lend. So
The genleman's argument goes only 10
prove that internal industry enable the
! people of that little island TO lend their
| Government million of pounds sterling.
| England knows where her strength les.&
sEe has wisely pursued policy to foster
It. By this she has been enabled 10 mo.
nopoIIze the market for all those resources
Of strength which grow out OF her internal
improvements and active industry. BY
this she has been enabled to subSidize oil
the powers of Europe, and to make herself
party 10 al the battles Of the world Ev.
cry body viii admit that the present dynos
tv of France has no very particular attach
men, to tho memory of Bonaparte, and yet
We sec them, from necessity. pursuing the
course of his policy, and endeavorIng to
augment her internal resources. When
that blood stained conQueror was chained
to a rock in the mids, of the sea, what
was il that furnished consolation to his re
Elections His thousand vlctors his bloody
lanrels? No he himself declares that it
was the remembrance that ne had improv.
ed the condition of France, and tha, his
works Of internal improvement were OF
themselves enough 10 make his name i'm