Maumee express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1838-05-19

the avowal that If this work can be broken
down, all other works of internal improvement
can be easily postrated; and thereby, it is said,
thev will at once have convinced the People
that they have nothing to expect further, in
time to come, from The GoperNnlenf, to aid in
works Of internal Improvement. Yes, sir, this
road is singled out, and the work is to be pros
trated, in order to teach this sdIufary lesson to
the whole body Of the country which, no
doubt, in the opinion Of gentlemen, would be,
when announced, received with acclamations Of
JOY; but let not gentlemen be mistaken in this,
and let them be aware how they lay ruthless
hands on the established rights and compacts
Of the People of this Union, and how they er-
pertinent on those thirgs which lay nearest the
vital interests Of the community. The People
Of the West are not boisterous People; they
are not loud and clamorous in their demands;
but you had as well try to turn the course OF
the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, or check their
currents or they onward roll, as to expect to be
able to control the West in their sense of JUS
tice and ofright, or to check their native ener-
gy and moral and intellectual influence
and power in the acquisition Of their rights and
the redress Of their wrongs. They have un.
bounded confidence in the exercise of that good
faith which has always marked the steps Of the
General Government; and they rest, in perfect
security, that nothing can ever divert it from
it's even course, while they are fully conscious
that the place they occupy in this Government
will at all times secure to them their rights,
and give them participation IN its affairs
which will be felt, and a voice that will be
heard.
The objection That the embarrassed state OF the
Treasury is such as to prohibit any appreciation
is of no avail. The arrangement of the cur
rency is only temporary, and this is the only
cause of the depressed state Of the Treasury.
Regulate the currency, and the Treasury will
be full. The country is as rich as it ever was,
and would be as prosperous, if it were not pre-
ventedhy the miserable policy pursued in rela-
tion 10 the currency, and other matters. But
it is idle to talk of the insolvency of the coun-
try. With the correction Of the abuses of the
times, and Of the currency especially, every
thing will be righted up again, and business as
sumo its regular course,
But why should the Cumberland road be sin
gled out for opposition? Why should every
other object receive its ordinary appropriation
in this time of pressure ofthe Treasury Why
has the retrenchment been made in the army
bill and navy bill, and in the exploring ex
pedition? And why have other sections of
tIe COuubTy ulfu OtuCt opJCSto iSSo'FCu 'hch
wonted supplies, while this road is to be made
the object of loca! and sectional feeling, of
sectional prejudice and caprice! Retrench-
nent and economy are not thought of till we
come into the West; and there is not single
object for their application till we get to the
Cumberland road.
In addition to the foregoing objections we
have the alarm of national debt and high tariff
sounded from one quarter, and the patronage of
the Government from another, as if the Cum
berland road were really about to work the
overthrow of the nation. Gentlemen see in
this road plainly depicted discord and see the
principles which will ultimately lead to disun
ion. There is one other consideration of much
weight, in relation to the purchasers of the
public lands. They have gone into that coun-
try and have purchased lands with direct refer
ence to the location of this road, and lands
which wanld have been passed over for years.
In this manner not only all along the line OF
the road, but to great extent through the
country investments have been made at high
prices, to the great advantage Of the Govern
ment, which gives to the actual settler strong
claim on the Government for the completion OF
this work.
Sir, will not detain you longer, only to re-
mark that great loss has been sustained, as
well as delay in the work, by the very late Pc
riod in the session At which the appropriations
have been made. The consequence of which
is, that very little progress can be made in the
work for that year, and what is done necessa-
rily has to be done in a season Of the year
very unfavorable to the pcrmanency Of the
work. This shows the necessity of making
the appropriation ut an early period of the ses-
sion; and sir, the present session is now al
ready drawing towards close. hope, slr,
that gentlemen may be sensible Of these consld-
erations. 4 hope that further opposition may
not be made, but that the bill may be permitted
to pase, and the vote taken without further ar-
gameht.