The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1846-08-21

10 Nu sue
II not only leads TO consolidation Of
power in the federal government al The e1.
pense Of the righllui authority OIL States,
bu, its inevitable tendency Is, 10 embrace
objects for the expenditure Of the public
money, which uTs lOeal 10 their character, |
beuehlilng bu, few At the expense Of the !
Common treasury Of the whole. |, will
engender sectional feelings and prejudices
calculated TO disturb the harmony Of the
Union Il will destroy the harmony which
should prevail 10 our legislative counsels.
II will produce combinations Of local and
sectional interests, strong enough when
united, 10 carry propositions for appfopri-
sIious Of public money which could net Of
themselves, and s,aodng alone succeed, aud
caunot fail 10 lead 10 waslelul uud ex.raya.
CANT expenditures.
IL must produce disrepuiable scramble
for the public money, by the conflict which
is inseparable from such system, between
local aud individual Interests and the gen.
ersl interests Of the whole. Il is unjust to
those States which have With their own
means constructed their Own internal i'm.
provemeuis, 10 make from The common
treasury spproptiatons for similar improve.
menis in other States.
Ia its operation il will be oppressive and
unjust towards those States whose represen.
ia.ives and people either deny or doubt the
existence Of the power, or think It's eIer.
else ineSpedieni and who, shlle they e.
quallY contribute TO the treasury, canooi
consistently sI,h their opinions engage in
the general competition for share Of tie
public money. Thus o large portion o
the Union 10 numbers and 10 geographical
extent, contributing It's equal proportion o
taxes TO the supper! Of the government
would, under The operation of such sys
TEN, be compelled TO see the national irea.
sure-the common sIock OF sIl-unequslly
disbursed, aud often lmpfovlden,ly wasted
for the advantage OF small sections, instead
Of being applied 10 Ihe great national pur.
poses 10 which ell have common interest,
aud for which alone the power TO collect
the revenue was gIven. Should the system
Of internal Improvements proposed prevail,
all these evils will multiply and increase
with the increase Of the number OF the
States, and the extension cf the geographic
cal limits of the settled portions Of our
country. With the increase Of our nun.
bers aud the extension Of our settlements,
the local objects demanding appropriations
OF The public money for their improvement;
will be proportiona,ely increased. 10 each
case the expenditure Of the public money
would confer benefits, direct or indirect,
only on section, shile these sections would
become daily less 10 comparison With the
whole.
The wisdom OF the trainers Of The con
stitu.ion IN Withholding power over suct
objects from The federal government, an,
leaving them TO the local governments c
the States, becomes more aud more mani
fest With e7efy years experience Of th
operations OF our system.
In country of limited extent, Nth bu
few such objects Of expenditure, Il to-
form Of government, permitted H. com
mon treasury might be used for their im
provemsot with much less inequality AM
injustice than 10 one OF the vast exten
which ours now preseui-in population snt
territory. The treasure ofthe world woui,
hardly DO equal TO the improvement Of eve
~ bay, inlet, creek, and river IN our coun
try which miga; be supposed TO promol,
the agricultural, manufacturing, or CON
mercial interests Of ueighborhood.
The federal constitution was wisely .
daPted 10 It's provisions to any expansion
Of our limits aud population; and With tb
advance Of the cobledeTscy Of The States il
the career OF national greatness, il become
the more apparent thai the harmony VI tht
Union, aud lhe equal justice TO which al
us parts are entitled, require that the fed
eral government should conf1e lis action
within the limits prescribed by the cocs.i.
tuition 10 It's poser and authority. Some
Of the provisions Of this bill are not subject
to the objections stated, aud did they stand
alone ! should not feel II to be my duty &c
withhold M approval.
If no constitutional objections existed Il
the bill, there are others ola serious nature
which deserve some consideration. Ii ap
proprIaes between one and Two millions OIL
dollars for objects which are Of DO pressing
necessity; and this is proposed at time
when the country is engaged 10 foreign
war, aud when Congress al It's present ses.
sion has authorized loan or the issue Of
Treasury notes TO deffay he expenses OF
the war, 10 be resoried 10 # the "exigeu.
cies Of The government shall require IT,"
1t would seem 10 DO lhe dictate Of wisdom
under such circumstances to husband our
means, and not to waste them on compara.
lively unImporihn, objects, 50 that we may
reduce the loan Or issue of Treasury notes
which may become necessary to the sma.
lest practicable sum. II would seem 10 be
wise too, 10 abstain from such expenditures
with view 10 avoid toe accumulation Of d
large public debt the existence Of which
would be opposed 10 tho interests Of our
people, as well as 10 the genius Of our free
institutions.
Should this bill become a law, the prin.
ciPle which II establishes viii inevitably
lead TO large and annually increasing ap.
proportions and drains upon the treasury,
for 10 d, IL