Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1830-05-12


ngs Of human nature the argument that other sec
tioils needed the benefit much M that which hap
pens to be presented TO the House. Adopt il. Must
we, therefore, refuse all! Because we can't do
every thing at once, must, therefore, do nothing'
Because we cannot benefit all the districts in the
United States pari passu, Is this any argument
why we should not begin to benefit any' This ar
gument would have prevented all that we have ev-
done. In the plan submitted to Congress for the
Notifications Of our sea board designed for the Un-
ion, were all reported as works to be commenced
at once! No; they were reported in classes and
numbered from one to five. Some would require
more time TO finish them than Others. Might not
this argument have been used in the casea Miylt
not gentlemen have cOntended then, as now, that
all these objects needed? that one part Of the
country had as good right to be defended as all
other; and we could not go on with all, we
ought not to begin either! 1t comes to the same
thing, because we cannot do every thing we must
do nothing. Let me now advert more particularly
to the constitutional argument.
! 1t is said this road is not needed, either as mil
itary, a commercial, mail road-that the in
terest Of the money will cost us s. 30, 900 year,
and that sum will consequently be the expense Of
transporting the mail from Buffalo to New Orleans
this argument goes manifestly on the ground
that the present state Of things to exist forever,
and because there II no commerce inme-
diately on the route contemplated by this road,
that there will continue TO be after the road Is
made. So because there is Mt present, there
fore, the military power Of the Government does
not authorise at this time to engage in the un-
dertaking. Gentlemen might just as well say that
man cannot be soldier unless he is constantly
fighting. The nation is not now at war, and Of
course it has not any munitions Of war to carry;
but does that prove it never will have' Another
gentleman from Virginia, (Mr Coke, } tells US that
roads are only needed where there is a dense pop
ulation; but If part Of the country happens at this
moment to be secluded from public view, il must
always main so, and its population must be al
ways spare for the very reason il il so secluded.
Why, sir, if this country through which, or near
which this road is to run, had already all the bene-
fits it would derive fom the road il il very plain
that it would not want the road. But the great
purpose Of the road il to dispense those very bene-
fits. Must the mail start from Buffalo and 60 all
the way to New-Orleans in one route, in order to
constitute this mail road! Surely not. 1t may be
employed as part Of several routes, and the maxi
ing Of it will be warranted by the powers of the
Government, in respect to the mail. Another ar
gument Of the modern Virginia school, is derived
from the unequal bearing Of appropriations of this
kind.
This argument, if admitted would strike
at once at the root of all the fiscal opera
tions ofthe government. 1t is manifest
impossibility that this government should
distribute its funds with exact mathemat-
ical equality, as ifthe whole surface of
the country was plain, and these distri-
buttons were to fall upon it as one vast
sheet Of water. Such state of things
Is impossible; it is forbidden by locality
and the situation Ofour country 1t can
not be expected unless you raise all the
valleys, and sink all the hills. Nor can
any one appropriation be made by the go
vernmcnt, the benefits of which shall be
equally felt in all parts of the country.
All our appropriations are unequal, and
must be so ofnecessity; and the same in
equality would exist, and does exist, in
appropriations made by the State author
tiles. ! would ask these gentlemen from
Virginia, whether the money appropriated
for the Capitol at Richmond was an equal
distribution of the money ofthc people of,
the State ?-whethcr the moneys granted
for the erection Of court houses in the
several counties are not local appropria-
tons. The money for these objects is
raised by taxation over all Virginia: but
what benefit did the people in the west
ern counties receive from the erection Of
so costly building at Richmond' Sir,
1t Is all idle to talk in this manner. Ine-
quality Is inherent i'm 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
are others equally fit for the place, and
who have equal claims on the government
for the same. II might with equal truth
be maintained that the present distin-
guished occupant of the chair should not
have been chosen Speaker because there
are other members of this House who
would discharge the duties of presiding
officer as well as he does. This is the
amount of the gentlcman's argument.
But in addition to this, we find the old
string has been pulled upon-the pay
ment of the National Debt is to be re-
larded-a bug bear which regularly
makes its passage over the stage when
ever any useful project is moved here
which is to cost little money. But sir,
hat debt is so nearly discharged; and its
payment so entirely within our power, \
hat that argument is entitled to but little
weight. The gentleman from Virginia /,
carried us back so far as to the year 1888, |,
when the public debt of England was but {
'ne million, and now it is more than I
million of millions. Very true, sir, and Z
what then' That debt, however great
S owed to her own citizens; and be il q
great or small, it was not contracted by c
works Of internal improvement. But la
while the gentleman held up one picture ,
% terrify the House, might he not on the e