The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-04-12

Injustice u Al HAld thus DC Oucfcu W cAttLrn NAV
| relied the faith Of the GovtS0nent, aud V sssa
worthy but much ncglecte class OF ind.sld0als co.
xngcd Ia the coUsoAeres 80 Dssiystoa VI The West
GIN waters the Pro1ident made w suhyect oil
1 special messsgu 10 Congress recommsndmK al ade,
| q,ate appropriation, The result was, bill passed
both houses, making The requisite appropriation, and
| received the Executive sanction. Thus was secured
not only justice, long withheld from one oil my CON
stituents, but what Of far more importance To
my district, II liked beyond the chance oil change,
the future erection OF asylum IA our immediate
aeghboshood, Zoe the unfortunate navigator oil Our
| western waters
| so, too, the works connected with the Improvement
Of the navigation Of the Ohio aud other Western r.
yers had been suspended for years, we're permitted
To 20 W waste, and the boats and other machinery
and implements necessary tor the service either sold
or suffered TO decay. The President, impressed with
the importance Of the improvement OF those great
national highways and with the loss Of life and pro-
perry ocess,oned by distractions in their navigation
made il the subject OF earnest recommendation M ms
Message to Congress. The result was, that to the
credit of those there Is now an outstanding APP
preparation Of quarter Of million Of doliars.--
The work will go 90, and who can doubt It's general
utility, or lis particular importance TO this striotf
AT the fissi session Of the 9th Congress, appro-
priation OF money placed at the disposal oil The
President for the purchase or construction Of steam
| vessels OF war for the Lake service. Upon my re-
presentation of facts the President directed such all
Investigation by the Navy Department resulted 10
| the selection Of iron the material, and Pittsburg
as the place for the construction OF steam Frgate
| for that service.
For the first time, too, in thirty years, contracts
were given Piitsburg establishments for the manufac-
ture of Naval Ordnance, and II is now in cOntempla-
ton by the Treasury Department 10 construct at this
| place seamcuttcrs for the service for
4 Lakes Erie and Ontario
l look upon these gentlemen, as but the commence
ment OF series Of operations by the Federal Govern
ment, destined TO developc the Of this dis
rict, and to give scope and employment to the labor
| skill, and enterprise of its worthy mechanics.
| Gentlemen, in all these matters, found the Prcs-
dent fast friend of my district, and Of this Common
wealth. and concurring as did most cordially IN the
policy generally Of the measures Of his Admnista a.
| ton, soIemnly believe would have been utterly
falhess, in the discharge of my duty to you, had
| united Ia opposition to his Administration.
| Upon occasion did the President attempt by d.
rect or indirect means to influence vote upon any
question pending before Congress; my support was
one yielded from sincere conviction OF its propriety
and from sense of duty which ow to those who
had selected me their representative
l have thus, gentlemen, without, hope, in any
| respect, trespassng your indulgence, given you
brief history Of my congressional career and OF the
principles and rule Of action by which ! have been
governed.
Before parting from you however, gentlemen, l
cannot forbear reference TO some matters involving
| your future interests.
The appropriations for the improvement Of the
navigation of western waters have not been OBJ
tanned, hitherto, without struggle; but
think can now congratulate you on the certain pros
Pect OF continued annual appropriations hereafter
until the desired object shall be fully accomplished.
| In the next Congress- and for the next ten years,
whilst the number of representatives in Congress
will be diminished, whilst there will be falling OF
both in the north and south, the western States will
come in with much increased relative strength of
| representation. The west will be enabled, hereaf-
ter to command justice, and all you have got to do
Is TO lend your vigorous and timely cooperation 10
your brethren from that vast region.
The same remarks will apply to the securing the
early erection OF suitable asylums for the sick and
afflicted navigator Of these rivers. This is demanded
BY the voice of justice and human y, and it OBJ
ject which this community should never for one
ment lose sight Of Send your memorials then, to
Congress at the very commencement OF the next
sion, and ask adequate appropriations for the
struciion OF suitable hospitals the sites already
purchased for that purpose. Your western brethren
will back you, and will not permit myself TO doubt
| OF your success.
| But, gentlemen, there is another matter TO which
the chairman has adverted and which above all 9th
ers consider of the most pressing and vital import
ance TO this community refer to the necessity, the
| indispensable necessity, Of immediate con
ncxion with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
| That connexion, TO be svaillble, must in my iudg
J ment be by railway. The road was opened from
| Harper's Ferry TO Cumberland last fall. Most of
| the trade and travel from Philadelphia Baltimore
and Washington westward, have taken that d.
rectlon You are daily and hourly losing both.
will give you illustration of this startling fact On
reaching Baltimore few days since counted the
number of arrivals registered that day at single
! hotel Mr.. Barnum's They were lis, principally
travellers to or from the west
left Baltimore the next morning at half past T.
and reached Cuuberland before SIX the same even
| ing, having stopped for breakfast aud dinner. Thus
was surmou6ted distance of I75 miles in about ten
hours, by steam power, the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad. | left Cumberland in company with I'll
others, and ON arriving at Brownsville, although an
excellent boat was waiting for us, and the river in
1 E... L..tl = IL. l.s.
and 10 Plt,sburg-of that number two lived
herethe pursued the by the national road
TO Wheeling. And that, gentlemen, is about the pro-
portion of the travel you are daily losing, nd the
TRACE IS falling off in like proportion. confess al
! though IL panied and gncved me TO find the few !
names registered at your fine hotels, and TO see the
tenantless houses and omInous "io-iei' on so many
doors, was prepared for the worst.
! Gentlemen, you must not permit Pittsburg pos |
sessed she Is Of so many natural advantages To
lose her rank a commercial aud manufscturine |
city without jealous effort to prevent the sacrifice
You have II In your power 10 regain al you have \
lost, and TO acquire far than you have ever pos
sessed You should command, and YOU can COM |
msnd, the trade of the Mississippi valley Of north |
western ohio, of Michigan, Of a. per Indiana nd IT. |
LIMOS and Of those fertile territories of Iowa andWis
TO which hardy and adventul Gus population
are now rushing. In a word you can make Pit,sburg
what she ought to be, wha, her position entities her
to be, the greatest and the richest inland town of the
Union
| My friends If you wish TO accomplish this great
object II will be IN vain TO call Hercules for aid
You must put your shoulders to the wheel You
have got TO make fifty miles OF railway beginning
here, and proceeding by the eligible route to,
wards Cumberland II is believed it will cost half
million ofdollars; but suppose II costs more your pros
perity depends upon the execution the speedy exc
cuton, OF the work. You all think so. Every bod,
thinks so and the sooner we get at it the better
But the objection Is urged thai times are hard and
money IS scarce, and we are all embarrassed Tbs,
is true--too true, but gentlemen when times arc
hard and money is scarce, those are the very times
for such an enterprise this for then labor is low.