Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1830-03-23

Pr0Ulded, That the faith OF the United
States is hereby pledged, that no money
shall ever be expended for Roads or Canals,
except it shall be among the several States,
and in the same proportion as direct taxes
are laid and assessed by the provisions Of
the Constitution"
The honorable member voted against
this proviso, also, and it failed.
The bill was then put on its passage, and
the honorable member voted for 1t, and 1t
passed and became law.
Now, it strikes me, sir, that there is no
maintaining these votes, but upon the power
of internal improvement, in its broadcast
sense. In truth, these bills for surveys and
estimates have always been considered as
test questions. They show who is for, and
who against internal improvement. This
law itselfwent the whole length, and assum-
ed the full and complete power. The gen.
tleman's votes sustained that power in every
form in which the various propositions to
amend presentedit. He went for the entire
and unrestrained authority without consult
ing the States. and without agreeing to any
proportionate distribution. And now, suffer
me to remind you, Mr.. President, that it is
this very same power, thus sanctioned, in
every form, by the gentleman's own opinion,
that is so plain and manifest a usurpation,
that the State of South Carolina is suppos-
ed to be justified in refusing submission to
any laws carrying the power into effect.
Truly, sir, is not this a little too hard /? May
we not crave some mercy, under favour and
protection of the gentleman's own authority?
Admitting that road or canal must be
written down fiat usurpation as ever was
committed, may we find no mitigation in our
respect for his place, and his vote as one
that knows the law?
The Tariff, which South Carolina had an
efficient hand in establishing in 1916, and
this asserted power of internal improvement
advanced by her in the same year, and as
we have now seen approved and sanctioned
by her Representatives in 1924, these two
measures are the great grounds on which
she is now thought to be justified in breaking
up the Union, if she sees fit to break it up
l may now safely say, think, that we
have had the authority of leading and distin-
guished gentlemen from South Carolina in
support of the doctrine of Internal Improve
ment. Irepeat, that up to 1924, |, for one,
followed South Carolina but when that
star, in its accession, veered off in an unex-
pected direction, | relied on its light no
longer. Here the Vice President said
does the Chair understand the gentleman
from Massachusetts, to say, that the person
now occupying the Chair of the Senate, has
changed his opinion on the subject of Inter-
nal Improvements 2 From nothing ever
said to me, sir, have had reason to know
ofany change in the opinions Of the person
filling the Chair of the Senate. If such
change has taken place, regret it | speak
generally of the State of South Carolina.
Individuals we know there are, who hold
opinions favourable to the power. An APP
plication for its exercise, in behalf of pub
lick work in South Carolina itself. is now
pending, believe. in the other House, pre-
scented by members from that State.
have thus sir, perhaps not without some
tediousness of detail, shown, that if am in
errour, on the subject of internal improve
ments, how, and in what company fell into
that errour. If l am wrong, it is apparent
who misled me.
| 90 to other remarks of the honorable
rnember-and have to complain of an en-
tire misapprehension of what said, on the
subject of the national debt-though can
hardly perceive how any one could misun-
derstand me. What | said was, not that
wished to put off the payment Of the debt,
but, on the contrary, that had always vot-
ed for every measure for its reduction, as
uniformly as the gentleman himself He
seems to claim the exclusive merit of dis
position to reduce the pubck charge; do
not allow it to him. AS a debt, was, am
for paying it; because it is charge on our
finances, an1on the industry of the country.
But, observed, that thought perceived
morbid fervor on that subject; an excess
i've anxiety to pay off the debt not so much
because it is debt simply, as because,
while it lasts, it furnishes one objection to
disunion. 1t is tie of common interest
while it lasts. did not impute such motive
to the hononrable member himself; but that
there is such feeling in existence, have
not particle of doubt. The most said,
was that if one effect of the debt was to
strengthen our Union, that effect itself, was
not regretted by me, however much others
might regret it. The gentleman has not
seen how to reply to this otherwise than by
supposing me to have advanced the doc
trine, that national debt is national
blessing. Others, must hope, will find
less difficulty in understanding me. dis
tinctly and pointedly cautioned the honour
able member not to understand me as ex-
pressing an opinion favourable to the con-
tinuance of the debt. repeated this eau
ton, and repeated it more than once-but it
was thrown away.
On yet another point, was still more un-
accountably misunderstood. The gentle
man had harangued against consolidation"
I told him, in reply, that there was one
| kind of consolidation to which was attach
ed, and that was, the CONSOLIDATION OF
OUR UNION; and that this was precisely
that consolidation to which feared others
were not attached. That such consolida-
ton was the very end of the constitution
the leading object as they had informed Us
themselves, which its trainers had kept in
view. / turned to their communication, and
read their very words-"the consolidation
of the Union"-and expressed my devotion
to this sort of consolidation. | said, in
terms, chat wished not in the slightest de-
gree, to augment the powers of this Govern
ment; that my object was to preserve, not