The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-07-17

1
Here. then, - the point al which the friends the sys
tei Congress all their care aud vigilance
No arbitrary rnle can be given Tor the admission
cusoo o proper Ol1ers hut really national objects adj
nit of dispute and conhninR 10 them spprehs nd
lu little danger Of losing hill either from eIeculi,
| y-ioes, or for " am Of votes In congress.
Very respectfully, Gentlemen
Your friend and fellow citizen
THOMAS u. BENTON
FROM SILAS WRIGHT
CANTON, 3lst May, IS41.
GENTLEMEN Your circular inviting me 10
attend "a North Western fiarbor and River
Convention" to be assembled at Chicago On
| the first Monday of July neat, was duly receiy ed
forwarded by Nr. Whitney Of Your Committee.
Wy attention had been previously called TO the
| same subject by the invitation of ID friend. at
your CITY. 10 attend the Convention and gen. p
ously rendering ME quarters in his family during
its sitting. ] was forced from the state of pri-
vate business, 10 inform him that | could not
make the journey, at the time named, and III.
period which has elapsed since declined his in
vtation, has only tended 10 confirm the conclu-
sion pronounced to him. Were il possible
for me to attend the proposed Convention. with.
out an unreasonable sacrifice, | should most
gladly do so, al my location gives me "A strong
feeling in reference to the prosperity and safety
of the commerce of the lakes. The subject of
the improvement of the Lake Harbors is one,
which my services in Congress has rendered some.
what familiar TO me in a Legislative aspect, while
my personal travel upon the two lower Lakes has
made the necessity for these improvements man.
fest TO my senses. | am aware that questions
Of Constitutional power have been raised in ref
erence To appropriations of money BY Congress
for the improvement of the Lake Harbors and |
AIN well convinced that honest men have SIN
cerely entertained strong scruples upon this
point, but all nv observation and experience
have induced me 10 believe these scTuples, where
the individual admits the power 10 improve the
Atlantic Hsrbors. arise from the want of an ac-
Quaintancc with the Lakes ana the commerce
upon them, and All inability TO believe the facts
in relation 10 that commerce, when truly stated
IL j. not easy for one. familiar with The Lakes
and the Lake commerce, 10 realize the degree of
incredibly, as TO the magnitude and Importance
Of both, which Is found in the minds of homes,
ana well informed men, residing in remote por-
lions of the Union ana having no personal ac-
quaniancc with either. while do not recollect
an instance of 4 member of Congress, who had
travelled the Lakes and observed the commerce
upon them. within the last ten years, requiring
any further evidence or argument, 10 induc..
him to admit the Constitutional power. and tn.
proprcty, OF appropriations for the Lake Har-
bors, much as for those of the Atlantic coas,
have long been of the opinion therefore, that
TO impress the minds of the people of all portions
Of the Union with realizing sense of the ficts
~ they are in relation TO these inland seas, and
their already vas; and rapidly increasing COM
nerce, would be- all that is required 10 secure
such appropriations the state Of the National
Treasury will, from time 10 time, permit. Tor the
improvement of the Lake lIarborS. | mean the
improvement of such liarbors rs the body of the
Lake commerce requires for it, convenience and
safety, a. contra-diStinguished from the numrr-
Gus applications for these improvements. which
the various competing local interests upon the
shores of the Lakes may prompt. and | make
this distinction, because nv own observation has
shown that applications for liarbor improve
nents, al the public expense are made and passed.
within distances Of a very few miles, aud at To-
cations, where. from the natural position OF the
Lake and coast. good Harbor al either point
would secure to the commerce of the Lake all
the convenience and safety of duplicate i'm
provements. Much of the difficulty of obtain
ing appropriations, grows out of these conflict
ing applications, and the sternncss with which
all are pressed a. necessary 10 the Lake Com
merce. impairs, the confidence of strangers to
the local claims and interests, in the importance
of all.
Ii is the duty of those who urge these I'M
provemeuts, for the great objects for which alone
they should be made at the expense of the ma
CONNIE: ce, TO be- honest with Congress, and 10
urge appropriations only a, points where these
considerations demand them. The River improve
ments constitute a much more difficult subject,
and the connection of them with the Lake iiar-
bors, has often TO my knowledge, fatally prcIu-
diced the former. There are applications for i'm
provemenis of Rivers, about which. a matter
Of principle and Constitutional power, have no
more doub, than about the Harbors upon the
Lakes, or the Atlantic Coast. and there are
those, which, in my judgement, come neither
within the principle nor the constitutional pow
or ; but to draw a line between the two classes
Of cases, cannot. have witnessed numerous
attempts TO do this, but none of them have ap-
peared TO my mind to be very sound, or very
practical. The facts and circumstances are so
very variant, between the various applications,
that doubt whether any general rule can be
laid down, which will be found Just and practi-
| cal and think the course most likely to Sc
cure a satisfactory result, with the least danger
Of violation of principle, would be for Congress
to act separately and independently upon each
application. There has appeared to me TO be
one broad distinction between these Cases, which
has not always been regarded, but which think
| always should be. 1t is between the appica-
ton to protest and secure the safety Of commerce
upon Rivers, where it exists and is regularly
| carried Oh in defiance of the distractions sOugh
| to be removed, and in the face of the danger,
| they place in its way, and those application!
which ask for improvement Of Rivers, tina
commerce may be extended upon them where i
is not. The one class appear to me to ask Con.
gress to regulate and protect commerce uPor
Rivers where commerce in fact exists, and thu
other, TO create it upon Rivers where il does no
exists This distinction, if carefully observed
might aid in terminating some applications o
both classes, hut it is not sufficient dividing
line for pra, iical legislation if it is for the set
Element Of the principle upon which all such ap
plications should rest. ! use the term Som
merce" in this definition, as ! do in this letter
in its Constitutional sense and scope.
| must ask your pardon, Gentlemen, for trou
bling you with 80 long and hasty acommunica
ton, n reply TO your note. 1t Is not made TO
any public USE, but to express to you very i'm
perfectly some Of my views upon the interestin!
subjects you bring to my notice, which sha
not have the pleasure of communicating in per
son, and to satisfy you that am not inditferen
to your request.
Be pleased to accept my thanks for yoar pc
lite invitation, and to believe,
Your very respectful and obt servt:
SILAS WRIGHT
Me.srs. n. b. JUMP and others, Committee, &c
The memory Of the late Daniel O'Connell
, likely to be pcrpetuatcd by the wide diffusion