Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1846-07-29
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ueul uutHttosPieseat llIHfE WltnousiuteFS
1 ruplion or beHag seriously questioned as to
its constilutionality, either iin or out Of
Congress, during that long perind. and it
may he safely lNsinferred that they have not
erred 10 placing the construction they have
on it. 81 3 !: .s.s;,-''' szt ;.
:" Having now shown that the powe. TO
regulate commerce, fairly construed, EN-.
braces The establishment of lighthouses,
buoys, beaconaa and public piers. for the
increased safety and facility of The com.
merce Of the Atlantic coast, your commit
tee will next psoceed to consider the ques-
rion. shethelsiI Imay not be conslilu,ional
ly applied; 20 increase the safety aud facility
of the colnmcfce Of the Mississippi aud
! its waters. u -. No ;, ..,..
ut is admitted that the trainers Of the
Constitutions; intdeIegaling that power. had
in conlemplation, the Atlantic coast only.
At the lihe.s sllulia very small portion Of
our populatio nshad passed the Allegheny
mountains infDlthe valley of the Missis-
sippi, as has been stated, and none had
reached the sEIs. Lawrence aud lis lakes.
There was diotsa single State situated
whoilyy With t.he valley. Indeed, the
gresler part, Including the whole of its
rig iii bahk; ;sat dailon both sides below the
thirIy.6rst p liallel, belonged to Spain,
who claimed de- exclusive right TO navi.
gate the river t6ssouth of II, and a,righ, in
common with Us to the residue. In such
state of thiiIss,.i; is not probable that
the navigalioat tfa river so full Of obslruc
,ious, and witt a current too rapid for as
cending navig9ion, with the power then
used for props fling vessels on its waters,
ever occurred The trainers Of the Con-
s,tution, whiA kdeliberating on deiegating
the power in5Vhueslion. But. although
their. attention vas directed To parlicu-
lar case, they EeEe loo wise 10 provide a
remedy applicable exclusively 10 it, by
restricting 'itstlEbe coast navigation, or 10
the establishnss1tof lighthouses, buoys.
beacons, antibaBIic piers. They looked
for ihe futufet hld provided one ola more
comp ehensiges character, aud calculated
10 remedy HhaEeyil in whatever form it
might appear S.......,..
lSsSsSG Great chan les have since occurred. We
have acalMsd3 entire valley Of he Mis-
d SisSl sa3i IlaEeIhe EXCLUSIVE COnlr0l VI
its coninerce.aE What was then an almost
uuinhabitetls 8 ilerness, now contains
nearly one hals se tho population Of the
whole Un0nss abi many great aud flour
ishing Stass lis. commerce. Then OF
EsG sna}s s &c g sss Ssa.s s,.
,oSweakIl TO ascendsits Stream, now rivals
thal Of The coast in amount the cost and
size Of The vessels by which transported,
cheapness Of freight, rapidiry Of transit,
aud the force by which they are impelled
IA force SO great as 10 completely over
come its turbld and rapid current. 1t has
! none more. II has SO intimately united
The navigation Of the river aud the gulf,
that vessels navigating the one may The
other. so rs 10 pass aud repass 10 aud from
each other in QUE continuous voyage; just
as if (fur all practical purposes) the Mis-
sissippi was part Of The gull, or all in.
land sea.
In consequence These great changes,
the reasons which influenced the trainers
of tho Constitution TO delegate to Congress
The power To regulate commerce among
the States are now as applicable 10 the
States bordering on the Mississippi and its
great tributaries, as il was then to those
bordering on the Atlantic coast. fiji was
necessarJ to delegate il in reference 10 The
utter, TO prevent The embarrassment aud
collision belwee1 them in CONSEQUENCE eli
each regulating lis commerce with the
other, the necessity is equally urgen, n
reference 10 those bordering on the Missis.
sippi, for the same reasons. Indeed, it
may be said to be more so; because nu-
mcrous States grouped together on large
stream and ils. tributaries, and depending
on its navigation exclusively. as the medi-
um OF tthercommerce with each other and
the rest of the world, would be much
more exposed to embarrassment and col
lissions, without common power 10 reg.
ulate their commerce, than.those stretched
out on a loug line of seacoas:. The latter
might possibly manage each 10 toresulaIe its
own commerce, without common power;
but without such o. power the former would
almost necessarily he involved in continn-
ed conflict and hosGllies. So, again, the
necessity OF a common power 10 regulate
commerce among them, in reference 10 The
safety and facility Of its navigation, is
greater in relation to the States OH the
borders of the Mississippi, including It's
tributaries, than OH the coast; as The dan.
gers aud impediments to which it is ex-
posed are greater, while. from their char
acler, they may be more, elfec,ualIy guar
ded against by being removed.
$50 urgent, indeed, ,,is The 1ecessity Of
common power To regulate its commerce,
that ii may be safely affirmed that ii would
require coufederacy among the STATES
on its borders for that purpose, as the only
means of preserving peace and preventing
the most deadly conflicts among hem, de-
s,ruc,ive alike to their commerce and
prosperity, had not the constitution dives