Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1844-09-12
II Ell RAID OF THE TIMES.

| lHt tNpiIhllbl Oh MS Term OI OUlCc "
! 1903. l need not say, what everybod,
knows, that Mr. Madison in 1903, 'le
and 'l6 reiterated all these sentiments
\ THIS is The history of the country or
the great question Of Protection. speal
of the fact, and that this ~ historical
truth, proved from the journals of Con
\ gress; the messages of the President
\ the ac,s OF legislation, that, begi0nin.
with the first law and running down b,
II successive administrations, it was hel,
as the updonb,ed right of Congress, anc
no more the right than the duty, by jus
Determination, 10 Protect The Labor o.
. he American Peopie.
i There are other topics which l shal
! pass over at once. /, is now denied tha
Il Congress has power over the currency
| So " ashingt ton did not think. So Madi
/ son did not think. Ii is denied tha
H Congress has any power TO faciIital,
commerce by Internal Improvements
/ This demands single remark. No,
\ know 'ha,, by the Constitution Of the
II United States, all powe; of laying du,ie,
IN Articles imported, was exclusively
Il granted TO Congress. Before the adop
non of the Constitution II belonged tC
every Siair--New York could lay du
Il RHODE Island. BY the adoption of that
4 instrument The States were expressly
\ prohibited from laying these duties
Well, the rivers and bays aud all the
! facilities of commerce which existed
naturally or had then been constructed
/ by the States, were surrendered to the
| general government The general gov
rrrmen, came IN and used all the har-
bois, wharves, piers, and took posses
session of the few !,gEt-houses which
\ had been erected on the coast. and took
possession from that day of all the i'm
posts collected at the custom houses
Wei, al that time It was supposed, o.
the whole commerce OF the country was
referred to Congress, as its regulation
devolved upon Congress, that, as mat
ter OF certainty, whenever the commerce
Of the country required expenditures Ia
facilitate II, Congress, which had all the
money, and not the States, which had no
I p"'' VI "op''
pay The expense Of such facilities.
! have always entertained the opinion
that, 50 far az commercial facilities are
concerned, the power did belong 10
Congress, and that it ought 10 be exer-
clse.d. 1t Is no. local, and may be as
properly exercised on the lakes and riv-
ers of the West and Norih-West as any
where else. ] do remember that, ilteen
yeats ago, while It was admitted that I'M
provements on the Atlantic coast were
constitutional, II was denied that Con
gress could 20 to the Mississippi and
lay out money for similar improvements
there. That is certainly strange doc
tr'ne-a strange Interpretation of the
Constitution. suppose we all stand on
the same ground--we are oil members
Of the sane family. Lailerly the re
verse oI that doctrine seems 10 prevail
We learn that it is constitutional To clear
oct the suags OF the Mississippi and clear
up The harbors on the shores Of the great
lakes bu; not at all constitutional to re-
move bar from Il great r:vrr IN n great
State oi the old thirteen, the State of
New York, though she is more directly !
IA IT than a'y ether State OF
The Union which has occasion TO navigate
her rivers for commercial purposes. -
THIS is a new version ot the constitution,
aud one, | must say, quite unsatisfactory
to me.
happen to know that, as soon as the |
Constitution ot the United States was
adopted, and this power was devo!vcd /
upon The General Government, Gen |
addressed letter To the
poH warjcns of ihe city of New York,
telling them that, Of course, the support
Of the lighthouses, Sc, would dey"lve
upon Congress; bu, az Congress had .
then 40 money, aud no provision had I
been made, he required them not to cy
iIngu-h Ilgh,--to hold up their lanterns
and he pledged himself that he would
see them refunded out of the national (,
treasury. And lie did So. Bu, now 1t
is Suppnscd 10 be n great hercsy 10 call 4
upon the national treasury tos one ecu,
10 clear n harbor, To remove a sand bar,
Jr 10 facilitate the commerce Of the coun-
Try in any respect.
These local ideas m,lcad. Some
years ago, while had the honor of
sea; in Congress, | was found voting .
large appropriation for n harbor AT Mobile:
and constituent ni miue wrote 10 me To-
know how, as "A Massachusetts man, | I
roald make up ray mIbd Go vote SO large .
a sum for local Improvement so far
a., a.
Cali Of Mexico. told bun would mo-, l
answer him on the general principle, bu,
w"N,d give hun a very satisfactory matter
IT fact answer two or three al his I.
'cigbborS had suffered shpwrcck on that
gery bar at Mobile, IN their own vessels
rom Massachusetts i
Gentlemen, | will waste no mCre of
your time by dwelling on the other novel \
les ol lhese times hope that they are
exploded with the generality \
VI American cti2ens, at least the idea
hat the laws of Congress can be set aside 7.
~ individual States. IL allowed 10 pre- II
,ail, we are no longer one people, only, Il
II any rate, so long as all the States Of |
he present Union choose To remain so
I one State goes of, we are two people
{ ten 60 oh, we are ten. IL Is sufficient
q say lhiI If that idea is allowed To pre-
All, the Constitution becomes mere
ope OF sand IT will grow ferbler and
ecbler every day, aud will become ere
ong the object Of all men $ derisIon and
Il all mems contempt. n
Aud now, fellow cilizens. having stated
o you What ! conscirnc,ousIy believe Ia
'e, aud what is proved to be, the real