The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-07-23
RESOLUTIONS Of thr gisVcrnmd 5Enrbsr Cor.
yV,.IE0T,

Htspiutious OF iNT EsgEF' nnti bkUrber sSr-
N""iIo",
HELD AT CHICAGO, JULY > b, 1911.
The convention submit To lhrir fellow
citizens and to the fedora, government the
following propositions as expressing then
own sentiments and those OF their cOnytit.
uenls.
l>l. Tha, the Constitution Of the Uni.
ted States was framed by practical men.
TOR practical purposes, deciored its pream-
BILE" 80 provide for the common defence
to promote the general welfare. and to
secure the blessings of liberty :" aud vas
mtinly designed to create a government
whose functions should be adequate to the
protection Of the common interests Of all
the States, or Of two or more Of them,
which could not be maintained by the &C.
.tiun Of the seporate STATES. That in
strict accordance with Ibis object, the rev.
tnucs derived from commerce were sur.
rendered To- the general government, with
the express understanding that they
should b. applied TO the promotion Of
those common Interests.
,. That among these common interests
and otjtcs srForeisn Commerce,
70 the regulation Of which, the powers Of
the States severally were confessedly in.
adequate; and 2nd, internal trade and
navigation, wherever the concurrence Of
two or more States was necessary to its
pre-ervalicn, or here the expense of it,
maintenance should be equiahly borue by
two or more States. and where Of course.
in its rqguaiions and hence resulted the
Constitutional grant Of power Ia Com
gross, ito regulate commerce with for
eign nations and among the States"
81. That being thus possessed both Of
the means and Of the power which were
denied To The States respectively. Com
gress became obligated by every consider
alton of good faith and common Justice 10
cherish and increase both the kinds Of
commerce thus committed tn lis care, by
expanding aud extending the means Of
conducting them, and u: afTording them
all those facilities and all that protection
which the States individually would have
anJrie lc had The revenue and the authOri-
ly been Jeff TO them.
4 That this obligation has ever been
recognised from the foundation of the
government and ha, been fulfilled partial
~, by erecting lighthouses. building piers
Tor harbors, break waters and sea walls, re.
moving obsruriions in rivers and provi-
ding other lIclies for the commerce car
rled on from the ports Oh the Atlantic
coasts; and the same obligation. have
been Fulfilled 10 much less extent in pro-
wiling similar facilities fir commerce
among tie States; :" and that the prlnci-
'pie has been mos! emPhalicaIIy acknowl
edged to embrace the western lakes and
rivers, by appropriations for numerous
lighthouses upon them, which apPropria-
lions have never been questioned in Con-
gTess as wanting constitutional authori-
u.
5. Tha, thus by series Of acts which
have received the sanction of the people
of the United Safes and Of every depart
neni of the Federal Government. under
all administrations, the common under
standing of the intent and object of the
trainers Of the Constitution IN granting 10
Congress the power to regulate CON.
mercc has been manifested and has been
confirmed by the people. and ibis under
standing has become as much part of
that instrument as any one Of lis most ex.
plici, provisions.
&. Tina, the power "to regulate com
merce with Foreign Nations and among
the States and with the Indian tribes
is on its face so palpably applicable in its
! whole extent 10 each of the subjects emu.
, nera,ed equally and in the same manner,
as TO render any attempts TO make il more
, explicit, idle and futile and tina, those who
; admit, the rghl(ul application Of the pow
er to Foreign Commerce, by Facilitating
and protecting its operations by improv-
; ing harbors and clearing GU, navigable
rivers, cannct consistently deny that il
equally authorizes similar facilities tc
"Commerce among the States"
r Z. That Foreign Commerce" is de
| pendent upon internal trade for the dls,r
. button Of its Ireigh,s, and for the means o
2 paying Cor them, SO tina, whatever i'm
: proves the one, advances the othor; ant
g they are 80 inseperable that they shoult
P be regarded as one. That an export from
2 the American shore TO British port il
Canada is as much foreign commerce as
if it had been carried directly to Liver
pool, and that an expectation to l.iverpoo
neither gains nor loses any of the charac'
Hers'ics of foreign commerce. by the d.
\ipess or circui,y Of the route. whether
6es through custom ''.~--' an ,be
side Of toe ST. Lawrence. OF oe
ihroush tha,. river, and us con"ee