The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-03-10


already referred, IN this'debate, had come into
Congress during MY absence from it, from
South Carolina, and had brought with him a
high reputation for ability. He came from a
school with which we had been acquainted, ct
ntscilur a sacsiS. I hold in my hand, sir, a
printed speech Of this distinguished gentleman,
{Mr. McDUFFIE) on internal IMPROVE
MESrs," delivered about The period to which
now refer, and printed with few introductory
remarks upon consolidation: in which, sir, l
think he quite consolidated the arguments of
his opponents, the Radicals. if to crush be to
consolidate give you short but substantive
quotation from these remarks 'Heis speaking
of pamphlet, then recently published, entitled
q Consolidation y and having alluded to the
question of rechartering the former Bank of the
United States, he says 3" Moreover, in the ear
ly history OF parties, ard when Mr.. Crawford
advocated the renewal of the old charter, it was
considered federal measure, which Internal
improvements neeer aodS, as this author erro.
neously states. This latter measure originated
in the administration of Mr.. Jefferson, with the
appropriation fer the Cumberland Road: and
was first proposed, as a system, by Mr.. Calhoun
and carried through the House of Representa-.
tives by i large majority of the republicans, in
clndng almost every one of the leading men
who carried US through the late war"
So, then, Internal Improvement is not one OF
the Federal heresies.
One paragraph more, si;-
"The author in question, not content with
denouncing as Federalists, General jackson
Mr.. Adams, Mr.. Calhoun, and the majority Of
the South Carolina delegation in Congress
modestly extends the denunciation to Mr.. Mon.
roe and the whole Republican party" Here
are his words, During the administration Of
Mr.. Monroe, much has passed which the repub-
rfu he 0lo fo II
could But the principal feature, and that
which has chiefly elected these observations, is
the renewal of the SYSTEM OF INTERNAL IN
PRovEMENrs Now, this measure was adopted
by a vote Of lis to &c, of republican Con-
gress, and sanctioned by republican President
Who, then, is the author, who assumes the high
prerogative of denouncing, in the name of :he
republican party, the republican administration
of the country denunciation including with
in its sweep, Calhoun, Lowndes and Cheves +;
men who viii be regarded as the brightest or
naments of South Carolina, and the strongest
pillars Of the republican party, as long as the
late war shall be remembered, and talents and
patriotism shall be regarded as the proper OBJ
jects of the admiration and gratitude Of free
people %
Such are the opinions, sir, which were main.
tanned by South Carolina gentlemen in the
House of Representatives, on the subject of In
ternal Improvements, when took my seat there
as member from Massachusetts,, in 1923. But
this is not all we had bill before US, and
passed It in that House, entitled An act to
procure the necessary surveys, plans, and es-
Inmates, upon the subject of roads and canals"
1t authorized the President to cause surveys
and estimates to be made of the routes of such
roads and canals as he might deem of national
importance, in commercial or military point
of view, or for the transportation Of the mail ;
and appropriated thirty thousand dollars, out of
the treasury, to pay the expense. This act,
though preliminary in its nature, covered the
whole ground. 1t took for granted the COM
plete power Of internal Improvement, as far as
any of its advocates had ever contended for it.
HaYing passed the other house, the bill came
mp TO the Senate, and was here considered and
debated in April, 1924. The honorable mem
Dor from South Carolina was a member of the
Senate at that time. While the bill was under
consideration here, a motion was made to add
the following proviso:
provided, That nothing herein contained
shall be construed to affirm or admit power in
Congress, on their own authority, TO make roads
or canals, within any of the states of the union"
The yeas and nays were taken on this proviso,
and the honorable member voted in the mega
tive. The proviso failed.
A motion was then made to add this proviso,
viz:
" Provided, 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 as
sessed 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 ii, and it passed
and became law.
Now, il strikes me, sir, that there is no main
tanning these votes, but upon the power of in
ternal 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 i'm
proVement. This law itself went the whole
length, and assumed the full and complete pow
er. The gentieman's votes sustained that pow
er, in every form, in which the various propo-
sitions to amend presented it. He went for the
entire and unrestrained authority, without con-
sultlng the states, and without agreeing to any
proportioaatc distribution. And now, suffer me
to remind you, Mr.. President, that it is this
very same power, thus sanctioned, in every
form, by the gcntleman's opinion, that is SO
plain and manifest a usurpation, that the state
Of South Carolina is supposed to be justified in
refusing submission to any laws carrying the
power into effect Truly, sir, is not this little
too hard May we not crave some mercy, I'M
der favor and protection of the genteman's own
authority Admitting that road or canal
must be written down fat 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 eff
cient hand in establishing, in 1916, and this as
serted power ofinternal Improvement, advanced
by her in the same year, and as we have now
seen approved and sanctioned by her representa-
tives in 1924, these two measures are the great
grounds on which she is now thought to be JUS
titled in breaking up the union, if she see fit to
break it up!
| may now safely say, think, that we have
had the authority of leading and distinguished
gentlemen from South Carolina in support of
the doctrine of internal improvement Irepeat,