Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-01-17

pleading a limitation Of allegiance. ln the
g'rat struggle for Independence the ia
qury was not raised, what generation
shall sustain the expense OF The couf1 C, .
During the period of slmos, sixty years oc
cupicd in paying The debt which was IN
cured, no c,lzen questioned its justice.
The principle Of Internal Improvement de
rives ITS existence from the generous i'm.
pulses Of The Revolutionary nge. II re.
gatd' the future welfare, prosperity, md
happiness OF the people. lis agency il !
everywhere feIt to be sanitary IN cnconr'
aging emigration and the sell element aud
improvement Of new lands. IN augmentrng
national wealth. m promoting agriculture.
commerce, manufactures. and he diffusion
of knowledge, and in strengthening the
bonds oi DOR national union. II is recited
IN the Declaration Of Independence rs one
r % The wrongs committed bv the King Of
England that he had endenvored to pre-
vent the population Of these states, and for
that purpose had ob.trucled the laws for
the luraIiza'ion OF Foreigners, had re-
fused to pass others to encu rage their MI
CRATIC hlther, and had raised the condl.
> t'ons of new appropriations Of lands. The
, Father of his country had none Of the
modern scep'lcism when in his first mes.
sage to congress he recommended fac,l'.
, ,ai,on Of the Intercourse between dis,an,
| parts of the country by due attention to
the pos, office and pos,-roads. The ponu'
Iation Of the United States was confined
for almost two centuries To the Atlantic
. coast, but the mighty mind of Washington
o perceived that a region far more extended,
i, fertile. and salubrious. lay beyond The Dor
ders of the thirteen states: that inasmuch
L as The sovereignty of the Union was dis
g ,ribul ed among The culllva,ors Ofthe earth
!, The political power of the Government
would find centre in that region that 1t
: the natural barriers between that region
Y and the east should remain unchanged.
the west would at no distant period cast
off its union with the maritime States, but
. that if those barriers could be surmounte ed
By roads and pierced BY canals, connecting
5 III inland navigation of lakes and rivers
). with tide water. the wealth and population
of .hc whole country would be vastly in
j. creased. and the States be bound in ar
1t ndl-soluble union of interest and aftclio
n Imbued with these sentiments, he stopped
not in his farewell address to discuss or tC
recommend his favor'tc policy, but bold!
d predicted. as a certain event, that progress
is svc improvement of interior communca
, ton by land and water, the auspiclous re
20 suits OF which ere only Just beginning t
70 be realized. 1t is fact as interesting o
10 i, is instructive. that the sollcltude of ih
70 Father OF hs country knew no rest ate
10 the achievement OF her Independence, bu
ne passed directly from the cares of The grea
struggle to the greater and even NOR
q, glorlnns work Of s,reng, henlng the Unlol
n Of the States, and perpetua'ing their lber
~ lies. 10 1888, Immediately after the clos
no Of the war. he proceeded up the d'tficnl
n, navigation of the Mohawk to Fort S'anwi!
nj, now the site Of the town OF Rome, an
49, crossed to Wood creek which emplies mi,
n Oneida lake and affords an imperfect CON
.. mrnicatlon with Lake Ontario. The NJ
tn bic and patriotic sentiment inspired b
90 his observations were thus expressed
nd Taking contemp'a,ve and ex,enslv
~ view of the vast inland navigation Of tn
of United States, could no: but be slruc
q, with the immense dlffnson aud import nc
: of II, and with the goodness Of that Prov
u, ldence who had dealt his iavorS to us VII
n, 50 prnluse hand. Would to God we ina
10 have the wisdom TO improve them - Tn
70 connection of Lake Ontario with the HUI
od son by perfect canals. instead of the diff
10 cult and obs''uc'ed navigation OF the Mo
~. hawk and Wood Creek. the mnglng
A.. the waters of Lake Erie with those OF III
n. same noble river by means of canal, 1t
,Ie conversion OF Fort Sanw,H into the cent
no Of a cons, citation of cities and villages, wit
nv all the consequent ben6s Of these mprov
hc menls, reflect additional glory upon II
n. fame Of Washington, and prove that II
$50 efforts OF this State in tulfiment OF his n
n,s bic aspiration have been crowned with II
CO blessing OF that Great Beng to whom
nal was addressed His contemporary, Jefla
elf son. one fthe mos, sagacou- of America
10 statesmen, as well as one Of the most q
dr. dent vorarles Of liberty, pronounced road
,p, canals, and rivers to be great foundation
,an of national prosperity aud union. aud re-
md commended to congress the policy Of appl
in ing the surplus revenues arising from II
,si. posts upon Injuries and from the sac
the public lands 10 the great purposes
, public education. the Improvement OF Il
''' navigation of rivers. the construction
NV roads and canals, and such other Ublec
-, k0t public improvement, as 1t might be deei
", "" ed proper to add to the constitutional en-
NC mcrallon Of federal powers operations
"e winch. as he well rema ked, new chaDne
~ Of communication would be opened b
NV tween the States, the lines of their scpnr
e" ton would disappear, their lnteres
~" would be Identified. and their union GENE
w ted by new and ndlssoluble ties.
me 1t is worthy Of remark, that none Of Il
nd distinguished founders Of American lbe
de. " stopped to calculate the question
~ revenue when they recommended this e
Bile lgh'ened policy, des,gned,o increase Il
IN prosperity and cement the union OF u
N States. The distinction between Intern
red improvements and measures Of public d
n fence, upon the ground that the form