The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-03-20
COM MU MIC ATION N.
For the Wing STANDARD.
VAN BUREN, AND INTERNAL IMPROVE
MENT-No l.


MENT.-No. /.
II is curious to witness the clamor which is
occasionally excited concerning the exercise of
constructive powers, when Congress is never in
session without acting upon them. recur-
renee to past events will satisfy the most sceP-
tic, that the exercise of constructive powers by
the Federal Government has been conceded by
large portion of the wisest and best men OF
the country and has been sustained by the uni
form practice OF every administration, from the
first TO the Termination of the last How else can
the appropriations made for the purchase of
Louisiana and Florida be accounted for !-for
the repeated acquisitions of Indian territory-for
amelorating the condition Of the savages-the
law regulating the carrying of the mail-light-
houses, and trading-houses among the Indians
laws for the suppression Of the slave trade
above ALL for the late act Of grateful muni6cence
to the venerable Lafayette?* These are all the
creatures OF constructive power So are the
laws relating to revenue cutters, the navy hos
pitals, pensions, and gratuitous grants Of money.
Do Congress enjoy their library, maps, &C., by
virtue Of any express power9 None of them
can be brought within the enumerated powers
of the Government. They are all, however,
conducive, either directly or indirectly, to "the
common Defence" or general welfare, and thus
become necessary and proper" This alone
designated them as fit and proper objects to be
accomplished. The principal acts Of legislation,
since the existence of the Government have
been founded on constructive powers.
It is a historical fact that Mr.. McDuffie as
sumed the doctrine of "the common defence and
general welfare as one Of the grounds Of justf
cation for appropriations to internal improvements
and it was the only consideration by which Mr..
Monroe could be induced to sign bill for the
necessary means for repairing the Cumberland
road. Mr.. Calhount has maintained that posi-
ton on more than one occasion and | am very
much mistaken if Mr. Lowndes and Mr.. Cheves,
Mr.. Tucker, Of Mr.. Virginia, and Mr. Grundy,
will not be found to have been among its most
eloquent and powerful advocates on the floor of
Congress-. Upon what other grounds than the
common defence and general welfare" can Mr..
Van Buren's friends justify his support Of the bill
to establish tOll-gates on the Cumberland road,
than those assumed by MIR. Calhoun!
Now, let us examine the action of the Fderal
Government, and see how far the doctrine OF
constructive powers" has been recognized. In
doing SO, shall purposely abstain from all re.
ference to the administrations of Washington
and the elder Adams. Theirs were days OF Fed.
er0l Predominance, and we must of course pre-
sumo on latitudinarian construction. And al
though it has since been discovered that " there
were more things in Heaven and earth than were
dreamed of in their philosophy yet l would
not tempt the Indignation Of some politicians
by appealing to authority, in connection with
which they have been taught, perhaps, to lisp
the odious epithet of Federalism. | prefer to
confine myself to an authority which cannot be
contested-to those golden days of the Republic
when the question is said to have been, not how
much was necessary to administer the Govern
ment ,cell but with how little it could be admin
istered at all and if I should show that even in
those days appropriations were occasionally made
which, if not justified on the ground that they
were required by "the common defence and the
general welfare" must be either wholly without
authority, or must rest for their justification on
rule Of construction infinitely more extended and
more alarming than any that has hitherto been
suggested If / can show this, trust | shall
place Mr.. Clay's constitutional doctrines as re-
CARDS the prosecution Of system of internal inn
provements with the revenues of the Govern
ment on as firm basis as those entertained by
the fathers of the Republican party. The laws
of antecedent Republican Congresses, approved
of by successive Executive Magistrates, and the
acts of Executive Magistrates themselves, will
be referred to, as an evidence of the Legislation
on the subject.
By the act of March 81, 1903, Congress con-
cluded compact with the State of Ohio, by which
three per cent of all the moneys derived from the
sale of public lands within the State of Ohio,
were reserved for the construction of roads with
in that State. The consideration was, that the
Colonel R. NJ johnson and Mr.. Van Buren,
voted for the bill making an appropriation of
money to Mrs. Decatur. See Senate Journal,
Feb. s, 1923.
Colonel R. M. Johnson and Sias Wright voted
for the bill for the relief Of Mrs. Brown. See
Journals Of the Senate and House of Represent
atives, in 1923.
In support of this assertion refer to his great
speech in 1877 in favor of pledging the bank bonds
for a permanent system of Internal improvement.
In that speech he declares: |" Let us bind the Re-
public together with perfect system of roads and
canals Let us conquer space" As TO the objec-
tions to his splendid scheme, he says:
1t was mainly urged that Congress could only APP
ply the public money in execution of the enumerated
powers. He advocate for refined arguments
on the Constitution. The instrument not intend
ed for the ogican to exercise his ingenuity on. It
ought to be construed with plain good sense, and
what can be more express than the Constitution on
rx,infa THAT is the noMer To make roads