Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1837-05-09

| PERSONAL
spc,t 10 ipdnidusls. he Who,e character and for
tusc hsrc exercised such decisive inHsenc. ON
aur pohtiSs iuf ogid ycsr,s has nov relred from
pushs station. putsne h'm ~mh no personal re.
htciions. 40 tcpfoachcs. Between L,u, and my.
SELF there has sl~sys existed respectful personal
intercourse. Moments have existed. indeed c,,iI.
cal. and dec'si,e uP.sn The genetal success al he
Administration, IA ~a.oh he hss bscn pleased 10 e-
said my sid. &c not shogethef unimporsni.
n"s speak u hiu,. respectfully, asa distinguished
sdisf--ss one, sho.ln that character has done The
slate mnob service ss nan. too, of strong and
decided ebsrsctef al un-ubdued resolution and per
severance, 81 whatever he undertakes In rpesk.
ing of his eis administration speak aithou, cen
sor'onsners or bsrsh impuistion Of motives
wish L'm health aud happiness in his tctiremcn, :
bot must still speak as think, Of his public inca.
snres. and Of their general bos,ine .nd ,.,-,~ucy
no, only on The present interests Of the country
bU, also on the well being and security Of The Co
vernmen, itself
There are, however. some topics Of less urgent
present application and importance. upon which
wish 10 cay few words. before advert TO those
which are more Immediately connected with The
present distressed state of things.
My learned and highly valued friend, Mr. Og-
9tn,) who has addressed me in your behalf has
been kindly pleased 10 speak Of my political career
as being marked by freedom from local interests
and prejudices, and devotion 20 liberal and com.
prehensive views of public policy.
will not say that this compliment is 1eserved.-
will only say that have earnestly cndeavored to
deserve II. Gentlemen, this government, 10 the
extent Of lite power, is national. 1t is not consoll-
dated, it does not embrace all the powers OF Gov
eminent. On the contrary, it is delegated, re-
strained strictly limited.
Bu. wha, powers it does possess it possesses for
the general, not for any partial OF local good. 1t
extends over a vast territory, embracing six
and twenty States, with interests various, but no,
freconcilshle, infinitely diversified, bot capable Of
being blended info political harmony.
He, however, wlo would produce this harmony
must survey the whole iele as if all parts were as
interesting to himself as they to others, and
with iba, generous patriotic feeling, promper and
better than the mere dictates of cool reason winch
leads him to embrace the whole. with afieclionatc
regard as constituting altogether that object which
he is so much bound to respect, TO defend aud to
love- bis Country. We have around us, and
more or less within the influence and protection of
the General Cove rrment. all the great interests Of
Agriculture, Navigation, Commerce, Manufac-
lures, the Fisheries aud the Mechanic Arts. The
duties of the Government, then, certainly extend
all this territory, and embrace all these vast
coast of many thousand miles and while no one
doubts that it is the duty OF Government TO defend
this coast, by suitable military preparations, there
arc those who yet suppose that the powers Of Go.
vcrnment stop at this point and that as TO works
! of peace and works of improvement, they are be
yond constitutional limits. have ever thought
otherwise. Congress has right, no doubt, 10 de-
clare war and to raise armies and Davies and II
has necessarily the right to build Notifications aud
batteries to protect the coast from the effects Of
war. But Congress has authority, also, and II IL
| its duty, to regulate Commerce, and IT has the
whole power Of collecting duties on imports and
tonnage. Z. must have ports and harbors and dock
yards, also, for its navics. Very early in the his.
tory Of the Government, II was decided by Con-
gress, on the report of a highly respectable commit
tee that the transfer by The States TO Congress OF
the power of collecting Tonnage and other duties,
and the grant of the authority TO regulate Com
merce charged Congress, necessarily. with the duty
1 Of main, aiming such piers, and wharyes, aud light
houses, and of making such improvements, as
might have been expected 10 be done by the States,
If they had retained the usual means, by claiming
the power OF collecting duties on imports. The
States, ii was admitted, had parted with this pow
er and the duly Of protecting aud facilitating
| Commerce BY these means, had passed. along with
this power, into other hands. have never bcsIis-
ted therefore, When the state Of the Treasury
would ndii, for reasonable approprla tons,
for brssk-wuters, lighthouses, piers, harbors, and
similar improvements any par, of the whole At
lsnlic cons. or the Gulf Of Mexico. from Maine to
Louisiana.
But how stands tic inland frontier How is il
along the vast Lakes, and nc mighty Rivers Of the
North and West - Do our constitutional rigbt'
aud duties terminate, when tho waters cease 10 be
salt do they exist, in foil ,isor on the shores
90 these inland seas never could doubt about
the; and yet, gentlemen, remember even 10 have
participated 10 warm debate, IN the Senate, soma
yeas ago, upon The constitutional right Of Con
gees 30 make an appropriation for a pier. an the
hofbor OF Bniaio. What make baTbor al Bot
fslo, where nature never made any and ~hers
therefore u never intended any ever should be
made Take money from The people, 10 run ou
piers from the sandy shores of Lake Ere, deep
en- the channels Of her shallow River Where
Vas the constitutional snihoniy for this Where
would such strides VI power stop How long
would The States have any power at sll len. II ihe
Territory might be rnhessly in' AIDED for such uu
bsllo~ed purposes. OF bow long would the people
bsye any money ~ thor pockets. II the GosernmeU