Democratic banner., 1846-09-21
sUuNIrED We SrAxD-DIvIDED We FALL"

the bill contains appropriations for rivers
upon which there not only exists no foreign
but upon which there has not
been established even a paper portIof en-.
try, and for the mouths of creeks, denomi-
mated harbors, which il improved can ben
eft only the particular neighborhood in
which they are situated. II will be found,
too, to contain appropriations, the exPsn-
diture of which will only have the effect Of
improving one place at the expense Of the
local, natural advantages of another in its
vicinity. Should this bill become . law,
the same principle which authorizes the
appropriation, which it proposes to make,
would also authorize similar appropriations
for the improvement of all the other bays,
~inlets, and creeks which may with equal
propriety BE- called harbors and Of the riv-
ers, important and unimportant in every
part Of the Union. To sanction the bill
with snch provisions, would be to concede
the principle that the federal government
possesses the power to expend the public
money in a general system Of internal i'm
.p~rovements, limited in its extent only by
the eve varying discretion of successive
Congress and successive Executives. It
would be to effa. and remove the limita-
tions and restrictions Of power, which the
constitution has wisely provided to limit
the authority and action Of the federal gov
eminent Of the powers asserted in this bill,
impress my mind with a grave sense of my
duty to avert :hem from the country as far
as n.y. constitutional action may enable me
to do so.
Itnot only leads to a consolidation Of
power in the federal government at tie ex-
pensc of the rigIltful authority Of the States,
kut its inevitable tendency, is, to embrace
objects for the expenditure Of the public
money, which are ~localin their character,
beneftting but a few at the expense Of the
common treasury of the. whole. 1t will
engender sectional feelings and prejudicss
calculated to disturb the harmony of the
Union. twill destroy the harmony which
should prevail in our Legislative counsels.
1t will produce combinations oflocsl and
sectional interest strong enough, when UNI
ted to carry propositions Of public money
which could not Of themselves, and stand
ing alone. sue ecd, and cannot fail TO lead
TO wastrfnl and extravagant expenditures.
Unjust produce a d~isreputable scramble
for the public money, by tie conflict which
is inseparablr from such a system, between
local and indiv idual interests and the gen.
eral interest OF the W: ole. 1t is unjust to
those States which have with their own
means, constructed their own internal I'M
Ernvements, to make from the common
treasury appropriations for similar improve
ments in other States.
In its operation it will be oppressive and
unjust towards those States whose repre-
sentatives and people either deny or doubt
the existence Of the power, or thinks its ex-
ercise inexpedient; and who while they o.
qually contribute to the treasury, connot
consistently with their opinions engage in
the general competition for a share Of the
public money. Thus a large portion Of the
Union in Numbers and in geographical ex-
tent, contributing its equal proportion Of
taxes to the support of the government,
would, under the operation of such a sys-
tenn, be compelledto see the national treas
ury-the common stock Of a~ll-unequally
disturbed, and often improvidently wasted
for the advantage of small sectious, instead
iof being applied to the national purposes in
which all have a common interest, and for
which alone the answer to renollect the rev.
Ienue was given. Should the system of in
:ernal improvements prevail, all these evils
will multiply and increase with the increase
of the number of s~tatet, and the extension
of the geographical limits of the settled
portions of our country. With the increase
of the numbers and the extension of our
settlements, the local objects demanding
appropriations oftte public money for their
improvement will be proportionately in
creased: In each case the expenditure of
the public money would confer benefits. d.
erct or indirec' ,on'y on a section, " lie these
sections would become daily less in compar-
ison with the whole.
The wisdom of the farmers Of the %consti-
tuition, in Withholding power ovcr such sub
jects from the federalgovernment,a ndleav-
ing them to the local governments Of the
States, becomes more and more nantes,
with every years experience Of the OPERA
ton of our system.
In a country Of limited extent, with but
few such objects Of expenditure, (if tlr
form of government permitted it, a coin
men treasury might be used for their inn
Iprovement with much less inequality and