The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1846-04-21
TUESDAY, APRIL q, 1896,

OeEeO NdfigaOiS aS IigHHdNS, YOU Cdii
gather yoar strength at any requisite
point, and that at the shortest notice.
The gentleman would bring US back
under the system of the old Cenfedera-
ton: but that has been tried, and found
insufficient for the well being OF a country
so extensive as ours. In time of peace,
land in our past history, as | trust IN our
future.w shall have comparatively but lit
tie war; iorts are useless. Costing mil
lions and millions to erect them, they are
utterly without value; while, at the same
time. they continue to cost large sums to
keep them in state of repair and suita-
bly manned. But rail roads are as useful
in peace as IN war. They are well worth
all .hey cost for purposes of commerce
and intercourse. What are forts W orih in
time of peace! They are not only use
less, but source Of continual expenditure.
And if railroads are better means OF
defence than forts, then they are more
constitutional, being more necessary and
proper" for carrying out the defensive
power conferred upon Congress
Having thus given my views of the
consiItutionality of this bill, viii say a
word or two as 10 the expediency of the
measures it proposes.
The gentleman from Virginia with
many other gentlemen from the South,
are terribly alarmed al this system: they
apprehend it IS going to bankrupt the
/ Treasury-to waste the hard earned mo-
ney of the people; that ii is licentious
ond abominable proceeding. wholly with
out legal warrant or useful end. What!
Wasteful, profigate, unconstitutional to
improve the country! Why. has il not
been done from the very foundation of the
Government! Has il not been done by
every Congress from that day 10 this
Why. then, has not the Treasury been
bankrupied bv this horrid system long be-
fore now! Why should gentlemen con-
fine themselves to the future! Ii is easy
| to prophecv-but, on their own princi-
pies, why has the thing not occurred long
! ago. | believe We have Treasury still
not. indeed. very full Treasury. but
with present surplus of seven or eight
millions living idle and useless-useless 10
the Government. but not useless to the
banks in which il is deposited But the
gentleman thinks that this system viii In
volye appropriations TO the tune of hun
dred millions Of dollars per annum, and
read the veto message containing this
fnghhul phantom.
In 1924. with the powerful aid OF h1r.
McDuffie. and many other distinguished
Southern gentlemen, a general system OF
internal improvement was adopted, and a
board of internal improvement, organized
BY Mr. Calhoun, the Secretary of War,
ordered 10 examine the whole country,and
lay down plan. accompanied with esii-
mates, Tor improving the entire I'nion, so
as to enable Congress TO select the gaost
national and important. The board. siter
a general recognizance, made rePc.l &C
cordingly. proposing the appropriation Of
perhaps hundred millions of dollars:and
this was what was put into the message TO
frighten the people; it answered lis pur-
pose well--it did alarm the country. But
then the gentleman and the message for
I got to state, that l. was TO be spread over
perhaps a hundred wears: and even now.
The gentleman talks OF a hundred millions
being voted Immediately, and the Treasu-
I ~ bankrupt. These attempts TO frighteD
I the people, bv talking abou, hundreds OF
millions, is all shere humhug. Nothing of
I the sort was ever dreamed of. and gentle
men know it. Every power confded to
cur hands, may be abused; bat does that
prove that the power does not exist
What power do we hold, according to the
gentleman's own admission, which we
may not abuse! We have the power to
levy taxes, and we may carry ihis so far
as to bankrupt, not the Treasury, but the
People. We have the power to raise ar
mics and build fleets-and will the gen
tleman deny the existence of these pow
ers because they may be abused!
! But how is il that gentlemen from the
South now talk so loud and long about
the inequality of the system-ii is now
all at once a system Of Western robbery
and plumber. At the last session. these
gentlemen were exceedingly kind and ac-
commodating to the West. But why,
| Ihey wanted Western votes for Texas
fhey wanted their legs rolled" These
western rivers were then s.inland seas -
all right, constitutional, and expcdient-
plenty of money for The West-no obIec-
ton. But their logs are now at the mill
they have got Texas and don't want
Oregon, and now all al once their tune IS
changed. Now the cry is. oh. you west
ern robbers, YOU cormorants. yon raven
Gus wolves. nothing viii satisfy you short
Of "all Of Oregon, and the last dollar in
the Treasury. But Mr.. S. contended that
4 the people ofthe West had been the mere
step-children of this Government. When
Its good things were being distributed a.
nong It's favorites, the West has received
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