Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-08-22

Government in general. why not as good for the
Executive in particular I Were not the powers
assumed by President Polk, as to engaging in hos
tilities with Mexico and the subsequent proceed
ings, very questionable, to say the least In such
cases he would have others consult Convention
OF the People, which, by amending the Constitu-
lion, could give the power but he himself does not
deign even to consult Congress, to whom alone it
belongs TO make or bring on war. There was am
pie time; and yet SO little respect had the President
for any method by which that which he desired to
do might be made legal, that he did not even regard
the instruction of Congress already issued to him
in due form OF law, to settle the question Of dis
pnted boundary with Mexico by negotiation
On the doctrines in the following sentences we
have already commented; as, first, in direct contra
dicton OF four Jacksonian acts and, secondly, as
incapable, through the inipossibility Of meeting
case entirely national strictly local. Of ever being
reduced to practice, except by prohibiting all pub
lie works whatever by the General Government,
unless, perhaps, custom-houses and Notifications
Some of the objects Of appropriation contained in this bill
local in their character and lie within the limits Of
gle State and though, in the language of the BILL they
called harbors they with foreign commerce.
they places Of refuge shelter for navy,
mercial marine the lake shores To call the
mouth Of creek, shallow inlet our coast harbor
cannot confer the authority TO expend the public money its
Improvement" tt.st,.f #,
Congress have exercised the power coeva with the con-
stution of establishing lighthouses beacons buoys. and
piers and lake Shores the purpose render
ing navigation safe and easy and of aordng protection and
shelter for and other shipping These safeguards
placed in existing channels Of navigation After the long
quescence Of the Government through all preceding admins
atons not disposed to question disturb the authority
to make appropriations for such purposes" tt5
Now observe, the President plainly intmates
that the building of lighthouses doubtful pow
yet in that he acquesces without his sole legi-
mate resort TO settle the doubt-that is to say, with
out appealing to Convention. But he as plainly
means that Congress has no power for improving
any harbors but such as Nature herself formed.
Else why object to creeks" " shallow inlets,"
and passages which are not existing channels
of navigahon!''
Not to speak of the vast Mississippi and its count
less tributaries, the progress of the art of naviga
tion-of steam-has made accessible to trade and
converted into harbors multitudes of places rot ma
furai passes ports. Are not these, then, as much
WAY ooJCCeo Vi ulO SOVCiuiucnts
over commerce as merely sea and lake harbors for
ships Shadows - Why, there are other things
shallow besides creeks What is shallow How
deep must water be not to be shallow! Deep
enough for the Pennsylvania, or only too shallow
for slooP or light-draught steamboat? And is
that not commerce, however vast its amount, which
ascends to ST. Louis or Cincinnati? Besides, as
we have already remarked, the same clause Of the
Constitution which gives power over foreign COM
nerce gives it, in equal extent over commerce be-
foeen the States and thus brings all riverchannels
Of such trade from State to State as much within
the jurisdiction of the Federal authority any salt
water or lake harbor.
The rest of the argument consists Of so little else
besides repetition, in various forms, of this pro-
found oversight, that need pursue it no further
for we have already exposed nearly every so-called
principle which we find in the document. We
need only add, that see not, for our life, how,
upon the pxioms of this Veto, the Federal Govern
ment can improve any thing, by Land or Lake, or
Sea or River. Were the Presidents scrupes as to
War half nice as those which he cherishes in re-
gard to Peaceful things, he could hardly raise
corporars guard" except of politicians and were
his notions as to the power of doing good half as
expansive as those of havoc, he might open canal
to every pond in the Union.