The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-08-05

ana States OF the great west ana northwest, as well
as the Gulf Of Mexico. Upon i, millions Of dol
lars worth Of produce and merchandise are annu-
ally transported. Thus, in a commercial point OF
view IL is OF vast importance 10 many Of the States
besides, as is well known, It's commercial import
ance would be greatly increased by clearing out
those distractions. Because Of them, much Of the
is forced into other channels and the
trade which legitimately belongs TO il is forced TO
other points. Nor Is lbs importance diminished
when viewed in military point Of view. Remove
the distractions to its navigation, and you at once
enable yourself 10 transport troops, supplies, and
munitions Of war with eheapness and despatch, be-
tween the points Just named. IL is never blocked
up or obsiueted by ice. At all Of the year.
Ills more important river than the upper Ohio; and
il | were to vote for any of them, would for the
Tennessee.
Mr. Chairman, have already said | could not
vote for il. | will detain the committee To give a
few Of the reasons which control my opinions and
action. .. .
cannot consent to aid or countensnee a system
which takes without his consent the money OF one
man and gives il to another have never, knowing
ly, done so; and ] never will, While would
promptly defend my own people froH the robbery
Of others, would as promptly refuse TO plumber
others for them am sure they will never require
such thing Of me; yet if they did, would at
once decline il. We less apt to see the extent
or enormity Of the injustice Of system which
benefits ourselves We are sometimes forgetful
or careless Of the rights Of others when our own
direct, local, personal interest is TO be advanced.
We do not properly consider how the money was
raised, who paid Il, and for what purpose. We
know we will be benefited by its disbursement
amongst Us, and may fail TO regard other interests
involved. Ii requires a high degree Of moral cour
age to resist these temptations, these bats, which
are sometimes presentedi or to stand up against
the current Of popular, sectional feeling, which is
frequently met with on local questions. May i
ask, Mr.. Chairman, how many members on this
floor would vote for bin improving the Hudson
river, and leaving out every thing else Is there
one who lives beyond the immediate precincts OF
that river Further, sir, suppose every object OF
internal improvement in this Union exclusively
within one State, or one particular division Of the
Union, would any member who lived out Of the
State or division to be benefited vote for the i'm.
provement OF them by this government Will any
man eyince so little knowledge of men and things
az TO hesitate in giving negative answer ! would
like to know il there was single item in the bill
which we passed, which could have passed this
House upon its own merits, entirely disconnected
with others None, sir not one.
Mr.. Chairman, have said the system OF internal
improvements was UNJUST let me illustrate: say
wo-thirds, any other portion Of the States, have
rivers which navigable for eight months in the
year, the other four months they are not; the bal
ance of the States have navigabe rivers at all for
any portion Of the year would It be right to take
the money paid into the treasury Of this government
by the people who had no navigation at all but who
had to wagon their produce hundreds of miles to
market--money, too, which they paid in for pur-
poses interesting to all Of the States alike, and
equally--I ask, would il be Just or honest to take
that money, and expend it to give the favored
States the navigation for the other four months Of The
year. leaving those who paid the money, in their des-
titute condition, thereby making those who have
navigation, and who cannot have, contribute their
money to better the navigation, and increase the ad-
or H.. f,vn fbar il
anything in such system to recommend it to fair
minded or just community, am entirely unable to
discover It. What interest have my constituents IN
and harbors Of Illinois, Indiana, or Michigan--or
the harbor at ST. Louis None. And il is the same
with the eastern Atlantic States: they have no in.
terest in the improvement of the Tennessee river.
l have said, or if / have not, intend now to say,
that the system is not only unjust in all of its bear
ings upon the different sections Of the country, bur
it is kept up by og-rong and bargainng-that 1t
is the child Of corruption and ever has been. I'M
dertake 10 say in my place here that no such gene
raj bill has passed the Congress of the United
States, which not to greater or lesser extent,
indebted to such corrupt combinations for its success
and if the secret history and influences of such
bills could be known, they would disclose the fact
| am ready to admit that there is one class Of rep
resentatives and constituency who would vote for
such bills without having any item in them IN their
'in,mediate locality" but they do so from motive
equally sordid--I mean those who support 1t be-
cause they view 1t as branch, and an important
branch of the protective policy. Those who are
for high duties for the purpose of protection, are
willing to vote money for internal improvements, or
almost anything else, They are for large expendi-
lures, that they may create vacuum in the public
treasury, to be replenshed by high protective du-
ties; but defy you to show me good free trade
mani mean one who is honestly for low taxes
who is at the same time in favor of the system OF
internal improvements, unless he has an object IN
his own State or district for which he wants like
appropriation. Such an individual cannot be found
if he can, challenge gentlemen 10 name him.
will not refer to the course of others as guide 70
my action; they were but men, and, like myself
liable to err. l am acting for my constituents and
for my country under the solemn obligations and
responsibilities incident to the capacity in which
act will do what believe TO be right, and meet
the consequences; il my constituents differ with me,
they will say so. While they are kind and indul.
gent upon all subjects, they are fearless and lnte-
gent, and will hold me to a proper responsibility;
and they know me too well to believe for moment
that love Office so dearly to degrade myself by
yielding up or abandoning principles which be-
eve be sound and calculated to promote the best
interests of the country, and advocate those which
believe in my conscience are unjust and ruinous IN
practice, that will stand in the way of the con-
summation of their well ascertsined wishes. /
value too highly the little character l may have
earned in the public service to forfeit it for the mere
purpose of retaining or acquiring office. 80.
The honorable member says the appropriation
was defeated by false friends. II he means to say
was, or am now, false friend, tell him he
speaks too fast; but as am allowed to presume he
speaks for himself, will not controvert his asser-
ton. That he is false very indscreet friend no
member on this floor can well doubt; and he has
this day given what consider the most conclusive
evidence of it. ....,.ra......,. .E. AK
Mr.. Chairman, did not vote in the House on the
proposition to appropriate 100000 to the Tennes.
see river. My reasons are few, and easily under
stood could not vote for it consistently with the
principles which have governed my course through
life, and which believe to be correct was pre-
pared to against it, but having learned from va
rious sources that my constituents desired the APP
preparation, felt it my duty to them to permit the
vote to be taken without mine. My own opinion
was that majority Of them were opposed to the
system yet as had received letters from some of
them, Of both parties holding different opinion as
TO their wishes, and they had no opportunity be-
fore the vote was TO be taken TO have representa-
tive here who believed with them, II they cere Jr ~
felt that the aires course for to pursue was, to
withhold my vote, and let the House dispose of the