Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1837-1839, 1838-05-26

: CUMBERLAND ROAD DEBATE.
MR. SOUTHG ATE, who i. the repres.n,a,iv. OF 1t
Congregational district in Kentucky, Immediately oppo
Cincnnat delivered the following very able and ind.pel
den. speech the House of Representatives tim
since, when the appropriation bill for National Roa
was under discussion.
From the National In,,iis.ncsr.
Mr.. SoUruGATE, Of Kentucky, rose and said
Mr.. Speaker-It was not my intention 70 hav'
spoken for the first time on this question:; nor d.
] nov intend to elaborate an argument in supper
Of the bill. But, sir, the extraordinary propOs:
ton Of my colleague, Mr.. Underwood,) and hi
yet moro extraordinary argument, compel me I,
come 10 the rescue Of my own principles, and Il
sustain, in opposition 10 his acknowledged pow el
primary principles which Kentuckv, far rs
am advised, never has, and never intends to
render. We may be compelled for a time to abon.
don them; but, sir, Kentucky never will desPsi'
in her efforts to restore TO our once prosperous
hut now afflicted country, those great questions
Of power and policy which have fallen in the din
Of party strife and now lie in ruins before US. a
melancholy spectacle Of tho folly Of the times.
| 1t was but yesterday. sir. when Kentucky was
unit in opinion, in relation to the great qucs-
ton involved in this bill To-day l find myself
N a minority.
Here one Of the Kentucky delegation remark
ed, You are mistaken, majority Of US have vo-
ted for the bill
rejoice to hear that il is So l feel a proud
satisfaction that Kentucky has not yet covered
under the Influences that we know exerfing
here to defeat this bill. The principle, yes, sir,
the vital principle is indivisible, and hence ! re-
gard the proposition and argument ofmy colleague
as founded in a sefshmess Of purpose not charac-
tcristic Of himself, Of the State from which he
comes. lie proposes to abandon this road, and sur
render it to the Jurisdictions OF the States. IN ITS
present unfinished condition, and upon what prin-
ciplc? Not because we have not the money and
cannot get it.; but because arc released from
the moral and political obligation to extend this
road to the Mississippi; not because the advan-
tages Of this road to the commerce and social in
tercourse Of the East and West are not apparent;
not because we have not the constitutional power;
not because the road Is not national; but, sir,
strange to tell, because Green rire- and Big Bar
rem rirer arc not embraced, and have not received
the kind and fostering care Of tho General Gov
ri nmenf, presented and pressed as they have been
in past time, tn the favorable consideration OF
with all his zeal and energy! Sir, will
not stop TO inquire whether Kentucky has had her
;,ll share Of the public money. ] know she has
not; but is that an argument why we shall with
lold from other parts OF our 0Ua West that which
o Justice und right belongs to them? The Peo-
'lc of the West have paid into the public Treas
Try, since the year 1916, upwards Of eighty mil
hare in the consumption Of those articles Of for
ign production upon which the tariff operated.
they have submitted TO the erection OF cordons
f forts, light houses, beacOns, and other North
I'm and Eastern impro: ements on the ssncoast
nd elsewhere. for the protection Of the People $
nj the security Of commerce. Yielding to the I
Drcc OF circumstances they could not CONTROL they
ave been truly the s'hewcrs of wood and draw c
rs Of water tor other favored parts of the
ountry: and now, sir. when they demand from q
C,!4sf Of
our contract, the performance of that for &
'hich you have long since received a valuable
nsideratIOn. thew are told, not by the man Of :
&c North, but by one Of her own sons, 81 am de- "
,rmined 10 abandon you, because Green river :
nd Big Barren river have not long since received "
,cir share Of the public money" And, sir, the
outh is invoked to help Kentucky in her zeal to ~
nd system founded in compact, and carried out
us far in good faith; and they como with con- q
.atuations that this abominable syst is about IN
be surrendered and sacrificed on the of pub :,
opinion; bat they come not with an argument -
.ainst the policy; not with reasoning and dcduc o'
IN drawn from the Constitution, that commerce g
cans a traffic. confined to the and not to the ~
nd; not that this road is sectional and that only =
me six more States are interested and to be VI
ncftted by its construction: not that the Gov :"
nmcnt itself might not in winter autumn use &c
is road for the purpose OF transmitting supplies -
d munitions OF for the protection Of our ~
,nticr, when rivers closed with ice, or Gu
Q supply Of water insufficient; nor protesting !,
ut the South itself had not always opposed this Ia
I'd upoo high constitutional ground, and resisted -"
because it partial, sectional, and selfish; W
, sir, with no such arguments as these, but with
,eats that "diggine mines srhich ,rili pro- ~
&c an crplosion that may shake Osr political ~ ~
bricr' IL
. fro
And are these the arguments We ara called M,
On to answerl Are VIC to be threatened aud "a
ced to abandon this road, surrender our long CO.
ershcd opinions and policy. and, above all, r.;
plghted faith, because, by possibility, the tar h,
may hereafter be increased, and, as a couse- do
once, the fear Of SoSGsers Earthquake? -.
Tho gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Holsey) tn.
.vely reminded US the other day that If we tn,
sisted in this measure he would not be an sio
cradle for consequences; that something SER ga
$ might follow dissolution seemed to be squin-
nj. Well, sir, confess that l am tired Of it
&c continued sectional denunciations. thrown rec
in ferrorcm to act upon in the discharge Of din
high and responsible trust / tell the pull
,tleman from Georgia he mistakes the charac- Of
Of the People Of the West, If he supposes Pre-
v are to be driven from their purposes by 25
eats as to consequences; no. sir. Give us an be.
umcnt, we will listen to you. II we have of
,nred YOU. tell us how, when, Of what Won rem