Alabama state intelligencer., 1831-01-01


 So understanding public sentiment, and tho roughly satisfied that the best interests of our common country mperiously require that the course which have recommended in this re- gard should be adopted, have, upon the most mature consideration, determined to pursue 1t. .. ltis due to candor, as well as to my own feel ings, that should express the reluctance and anxiety which must at all times experience in exercisingthe undoubted right ofthe Exec utive to withhold his assent from bills on other grounds than their unconstitulionality. That this right should not be exercised on slight oc- : casions all will admit. It is only in matters of deepinterest, when the principe involved may be justly regarded as next in importance to infractions ofthe Constitution self that such step can be expected to meet with the ap- probation of the people. Such an occasi1n do l conscientously believe the presert to, be. In the discharge of this delics.c and highly responsible duty, am sustained by the reflection that the.exercise of this power has been deemed consistent with the obligation of official duty by several of my predecessors; r,.e oy 't. r7rerasion, tcn, that. whatever liberal institutions n,sy i,ave te fs - f.-.. s encroachments of Executive power, which has been every where the cause of so much strife and bloody contention, but little danger is to be apprehended from a precedent by which that authority denies to itself the exer- else of powers that bring in their train in1u- ence and patronage of great extent; and thus excludes the operation of personal interests, every where the bane of official trust. l de- rive, too, no small degree of satisfaction from the reflection, that, if have mistaken the in- terests and wishes of the people, the Constitu- tion affords the means of soon redressing the error, by selecting for the place their favor
 
 ions may accord with their own. I trust, in the mean time, the interests of the nation will be saved from prejudice, by a rigid applica- tion of that portion of the public funds which might otherwise be applied to different ob- jects, to that highest of all our obligations, the payment of the public debt and an opportu- nity be afforded for the adoption of some bet ter rule for the operations of the Government in this matter than any which has hitherto been acted upon.
 Profoundly impressed with the importance of the subject, not merely as it relates to the general prosperity of the country, but to the safety of the federal system, cannot avoid repeating my earnest hope that all good ci- tizens, who take proper interest in the suc- cess and harmony of our admirable political institutions, and who arc incapable of desiring to convert an opposite state of things into means for the qualification of personal ambi- | tion-will, laying aside minor considerations and discardmg local prejudices, unite their honest exertions to establish some fixed ge- neral principle, which shall be calculated to effect the greatest extent of public good ill re- gard to the subject of internal improvement, and afford the least ground for sectional dis content.
 The general ground of my objection to lo- cal appropriations has been heretofore ex- pressed; and shall endeavor to avoid a re- ptition of what has been already urged-the importance of sustaining the State Sovereign. ties, as far as is consistent with the rightful action of the Federal Government, and of pre- serving the greatest attainable harmony be- tween them. l will now only add an expres- sion of my conviction-a conviction which ev cry days experience serves to confrm-that | the political creed which inculcates the pur- suit of those great objects as paramount du- ty, is the true faith, and one to which we are. mainly indebted for the present success of the entire system, and to which we must alone look for it's future stability.
 That there are diversities in the interests of the different States which compose this ex- tensive confederacy, must be admitted These diversities, arising from situation, cli- mate, population, and pursuits, are doubtless, as it snatural they should be, greatly exag- 6erdteu Dy JedlouSleS, ana tndC Sprlt ol TiNdl- ry so inseparable from neighboring commu- mites. These circumstances make it the du- ty of those who are entrusted with the man agement of it's affairs, to neutraiise their ef- fects as far as practicable, by making the be nifcial opc ration of the Federal Government as equal and equitable among the several States as can be done consistently with the great ends ofits institution.
 ltis only necessary to refer to undoubted facts, to see now far the past acts of the Go- vernment upon the subject under considera- tion have fallen short of this object. The ex- penditures heretofore made for internal im- provements, amount to upwards of five mill lions of dollars. and have been distributed in very unequal proportions amongst the States. The estimated expense of works of which surveys have been made, together with that of others projected and partially surveyed, amount to more than nnety-six millions of dollars.
 T That such Improvements, on account of particular circumstances, may be more ad- vantageously and beueficially made in some States than in others, is doubtless true; but that they are of character which should pre- vent an equitable distribution of the funds amongst the several States, is not to be con- ceded The want of this equitable distribu- tion cannot fail to prove prolific source of iri amongst the States.
 | We have it constant y before cur eyes, that professions of superior zeal in the cause of in- ternal improvement, and disposition to law sh the public funds upon objects of that cha racter, are daily and earnestly put forth by aspirants to power, as constituting the highest claims to the confidence of the people. Would it be strange, under such circumstances, and