The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-16

a out and repair what government bunglng has done
Indeed will we be working IN circle il this is TO b
always the Il Is classical too for we are toll
classic lore that il took the rust Of Achilles spea
to cure the wound il had made And need we won
der al such results, when, as we have just hear
from the gentleman from Ohio, MIR Roor that ma
} ture has not made a single harbor on the southern
coast Of Lake Erie, and nearly all these harbor
provided for OH that coast are artificial He say
That several are worse now than before dollar wa
spent upon them by the general government Thu
must be expected when you war against nature
The winds and the waves claim Il their domin
loni and IN contest with them you must expect tC
be eeaselessy engaged, II you expect success. Il
u on this account that these harbors have cost SC
enormously over their origins estimate. Congress
never once dreamed 10 entering uDoa their erection
that they could 90 much beyond their estimate
experiments though they were deemed to be by the
gentleman from Ohio II seems that every year OF
50 as large sum 40 the original estimate Of ths
whole cost is required to keep them 10 good repair
Have we any guarantee that this drain Of expendi.
ture will cease None. IL viii last, IL the system
is to be perpetuated, as long as the angry winds
and lsshing waves rage on that coast. ..
i Now sir, H. as is commended, Coagress has power
under the clause 10 regulate commerce coextensive
with commerce, which do not deny, (con6ning
that power to mere regulation, or prescribing
rules for is course, and defending il against hostile
1
its progress by Improvement of harboF, Congress
| certainly has the power TO build these Erie har-
bors is asked every Is or 20 miles, for the pro-
lection OF the lake commerce; and yet, while claim
ed by friend Of this BILL 1t is roundly denied by
Others and they not tbs eest sbls and intelligent Of
its advocates. To such unlimited extent ID one
driven when he launches on the boundless sea Of
| implication and construction.
| Gen. Jackson laid down law upon this subject,
which, u honestly pursued and applied, might not
be considered as an lmproper che; considered
with reference To the great extent 10 which the
| system is now pushed. IL was, that rivers
might be considered proper objects for such
appropriations az far up as ports Of entry.
Now, sir, this never was designed TO mean that to
get such appropriations through, ports Of entry
should be made where only aat-boat could float
The true meaning was, ports where foreign COM
merce dIsembarksd ITSELF where sea vessels could
safely come, where duties were paid. Into such
places your vessels Of war generally have to 20.
III understood the gentleman from Tennessee, he
endeayored To prove that Gen. Jackson favored the
positions he saw At TO take in favor Of internal i'm
provement. ! regretted, sir, TO hear a Tennessee
Jackson democrat advance such opinions and en-
deavor 10 give such construction 10 Gen Jack SON
views. That great man has not left those views so
doubtful Of meaning that they should be subjects
OF legitimate controversy 10 their true intent now
In the celebrated veto OF the Maysyille road BILL he
discussed at length the constitutional point, and
deciding against the possession Of the power by
Congress, gave TO the system a blow which para
lyZed even its mighty and combined powers, and
caused II to shrink and TO decay to such degree
that in 1888 and 1889 hardly the skeleton remained
TO shock the view.
Under the general dependency and despair
which the Waterloo defeat of our party in 1910
brought on-a defeat mainly attributable to its large
expenditures, and which should teach lesson TO
us, Who now by such seek TO increase them
the system seemed again to be galvanized into life
IL was resurrectcd with features rendered by means
less hideous by lis long and eravc-ke repose in the
DUST and but temporarily FRUSTRATED by the exercise
OF that leaven Of Jacksonism which Mr.. TYLER
showed he possessed in ne uncomfortable degree
and which added another ray OF honor and glory to
the halo which encircled the closing days Of his
administration. -.. Fl .... ... ~
Not dismayed its friends have again put it upon
its lcss-its last legu i husband, from remark
made early in the debate as to President Folks
opinions hope, doubtless that if successful in the
halls of legislation, it may receive the Executive
sanction. | sincerely believe, sir. that these gentle
men have counted without their host. The Presi-
dent has not improperly or unwsely been called
'Young Hickory" IL is known that am not one
who has habitually fswned upon power, or, as a
matter OF course, approved of all that power does,
recommends. But will say here that have as
have ever had great confidence in the unblenching
moral courage, and unyelding integrity of the Pre-.
sident Upon all the old issues which have divided
parties, l believe him TO be az sound az the
soundest. During the election, invariably referred
to his past career-hs solemuly declared opinions
and recorded votes more reliable sources Of in
formation to what his administrative career would
be, than to those innocent Dephic mysticisms
drawn out by cacheciss, in n closely contested can.
vass.
His course thus far has not deceived me- 1t is
true, on the Oregon question, my judgment could
not go with him as TO the propriety Of so speedily
terminating the joint convention between England
and ourselves. On the great question of our rights
and of the undoubted proproty of defending those
rights when assailed, well upon the course he
had pursued to bring the matter to successful close
by negotiation, I am and was with him. Between
the President and myself exists but one difference
on this pont--that merely one Of finle-as to the
trhen we should take possession of Oregon, without
regard to the claims of any other power On the
tariff, he has nobly redeemed his fame and his
pledges. No President has done as much
for free trade as he has. And in conjunction with
his able Secretary of the Treasury, on that doc.
trine-that great and favorite doctrine, for which
our party has been struggling for many long
years--a struggle which shook to its foundation
the temple in which it has been held--so fierce
and bitter were the feelings elected by the OPP
preston the South suffered, he is about to tri-
umph unless this system nterferes with its gorgon
head to turn lively and victorious activity to the
mmobility of stone. On this, too, without knowing
other than what his of-recorded opinions shadow
fofth, nave every commence lhat the PRESIDENT IL,
as he was, its unshrinking opponent. / will quote
but passage Of his past opinions and that deliv-
cred, in the great crisis in the history of this sys-
tenn, on the consideration of the Maysve veto.
Mr. Polk said: - ..... ,. 49, ... .. ..
He had planted himself upon the rampars of the
stuon and had taken the high responsibility upon him
self to check the downward march, in which the
which this bill Is part, was fast Fastening u.s. "The
perncious the evil tendencies say moth
ing Of the corrupng influences of the exercise power
internal improvements by the federal government
were not fully developed until within very few years
past" The President 'coud not shut his eyes the con-
slant collisions the heatburnngs the combinations and
the certain corruption to which its continued exercise
would tend both in and out Of Congres e hoped that
the result of the vote about give in the solemn
discharge Of high duty which had been devolved upon
upon this precise in the first year n new
administration might resusctae the almost forgotten prn
cpies OF the constitution and put end system which
end in good and lead to the unous con
sequences"
Such are the views Of the President. II would be
unbecomng in me to hold up these views here for
the purpose Of swaying the vote of single men,
Der. do it for no such purpose / trust that each
will vote upon the various propositions contained in
this bill, on their merits, governed by con-
acia desira in his d,,tty I