Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1831-07-14

THURSDAY, JULY IA, 1881.

Mr. EvANs:-I have read with much sa-
tisfacton an address 10 the Voters of this
District, in your last paper, under the sigma
ture of Aratus 1t is lust such an address as
the occasion requires; and it deserves the
serious perusal Of every Voter, who may
J have an opportunity of reading 1T.
Aratus truly states, that none OF the fra
Ypers of the Federal Constitution or OF their
contemporaries, questioned the power OF the
General Government to make internal lm-
provements. On the contrary, the most d.
rect expression Of their opinions, that the
Congress had such right, and that it was
their duty, to exercise it, for the General
Welfare, can easily be shewn 1t has been
shewn over and over again The report Of
the Committee on Internal Improvement in
the last session OF Congress, al the head of
which was Judge Hemphill Of Pennsylvania,
gives undeniable proof of the opinions of the
most eminent OF our Statesmen, who aided
in drawing up the Constitution and wh0 af
forwards administered it. Among them, it
may now suffice to mention, Madison and
Jefferson. My purpose, Mr.. Evans, is not
to reterate the unanswerable arguments of
the Report Just mentioned, nor to repeat the
instructive history it gives of the exercise Of
the salutary power which Col Lucas and a
few politicians about Richmond, (the authori-
tn of aoh0se names is worth no more than their
s#g,aments,) deny to the National Govern
ment | would only state more at large than
Mr. Hemphi has done. a fact in relation to
RIr Jefferson's opinion on this subject. 1t is
stated in his report that Mr.. Jefferson erigi-
mated the scheme of Road from B,.faloe to
.Nelu Orleans, (Which was revived and dis
cussed two sessions ago in Congress) to be
made by the Federal Government. In the
speech of Mr.. Mercer of Loudoun in support
Of the recommendation Of the Committee of
Roads and Canals, that such Road should
be made by the Government Of the u. States,
that gentleman gave history of MIR Jefler-
sons agency and opinion on the subject of
the road then under consideration. He read
copies of the documents now in the archives
at Washington, which had never been pub
lished, and had not been recoected in any
previous discussion. 1t is much to be re-
GREETED, that that gentleman did not prepare
his speech in full for the press.--It has never
been surpassed by any discussion on this SUBJ
ject. IN ability of argument, and never E.
qualled, In its extensive accumulation of his.
torical facts Amongst the many facts tend
ing TO shew the opinions of our great and
standard statesmen as to the power of the
Federal Government to make internal I'M
proyements, he real copy Of a letter from
Mr.. Jefferson while President, to the Com
mittee of Ways and Means, requesting them
to insert an item in the Appropriation Bill to
pay two persons achom he had employed TO pieeo
and report to him, the route Of Road from
Bu6atoe to Neac Orleans In this letter Mr..
Jefferson speaks of bis conviction of the i'm
portance Of such road, whichwas so strong,
that he had in the previous summer, en-
ployed the persons henames, to view aroute
between those points, and had adpanced, cut
Of his oscn purse, money for their expenses.
1t was to cover this sum and Gf | recOllect
arighD to provide means to prosecute the
survey, which he intended to recommend to
the consideration Of Congress that he asked
an appropriation. Ia this letter, he never
hints doubt of the power Of Congress to
make the road, or to appropriate the nation
al funds, in aid of it. The whole tenor of
his communication and of what he had done
in the subject evinced his undoubtipg and
settled convictions.
PHILO-ARATUS.