The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-08-27
For the Union.


The Chicago Convention.
The late proceedings OF the Chicago convention show
clearly enough that the question of internal improve
ment will soon be made topic OF much political dis
cusslon. II is WELL therefore, in the beginning of such
controversy to examine the different positions upon
which that convention has relied for its support
The object OF convokng delegates from different parts
OF the country and thus giving the appearance OF ma
onal design 70 the purpose OF the meeting was to exy
press the public OF the duty owing from the gene
raj government to the internal interests OF the States
and 1t was commended that this duty proceeded IRON the
following causes
FIRST that the States having surrendered to the general
government the power of laying duties en- imports and
exports, thus deprived themselves OF the fund which
would naturally have been applied to the Improvement
OF their facilities for internal commences and that such
gift of the revenues OF their respective sovereignes to
the general government implicitly bore with II the obga-
ton that their internal interests should be promoted by
the application OF part OF this fund to their benefit
And secondly, it asserted that IN the absence OF
this implied obligation, there reposed by the terms
Of the constitution, sufficient power the general govern
ment 10 make such improvements as were required by
the wants OF the domestic commerce OF the several
States.
And thirdly for the purpose of strengthening the force
legislature was adverted to- II SAID that, from their
claim to jurisdiction the lakes and navgabe rivers
there followed naturally duty 10 provide for their Sc
cure navigation; and that the erection OF lighthouses,
foles bteakwaters and buoys together with the appro
pratons made at several times for deepening harbors
had established presidents Of constitutional authority
which too late to deny and that, although
the far greater number of these instances the public
ey bad been avowedly expended for the purpose OF pro-
ectng foreign commerce, there was really no reason
why preference should be given to this branch of in
dusty over the domestic of the country be-
the clause of the constitution which conceded
to the government the right of regulating with
foreign nations, also gave the power OF regulating
between the several States; and it declared
that if the Improvement and safety OF the harbos the
coast followed consequence from the power the
Improvement and safety OF the navigation the lakes
and rivers followed no less from the other
In to these arguments it may be said, that the
States in their sovereign capacity would have been
if they had retained the right to lay duties imports
and EXPORTS in no better position, with regard to this
question:, than they are at the present time for had
they, with such power remaining in them, designed to
increase the facilities OF exchanging their productions
with the neighborng States, and for this purpose levied
ddties goods and products brought within their limits,
the expense OF the public works would unquesonably
have fallen upon their own citizens as consumers And
the pursuing Of such line OF policy for the good
object referred to, would have resulted in the injury OF
the true interests OF the community; because the inhab
their produce limited by The high rates Of import duty,
compelled to pay the exports OF any State the high
prices created by export duty would OF course, have
esorted To measures of retaliation And not only SO
but it would have been found that the retention by the
several States of the right to lay internal export and i'm
port duties wCuld have ended in the subversion of the
whole considerations because the powerful and produc
tive States would thus have become the oppressors OF
the poorer And, by referring to the debates upon the
adoption of the constitution, it will be that this
render of power over the imports and exports not
considered as imposing an obligation upon the general
government, but really made for the purpose of
curing the existence OF the confederacy. For we find
IN the debates OF August 2Sth $751; that when the ques
lion to leaving the STATES possessed of power
over the import and export duties, It was considered
that they could not be safely trusted with it. On that day
Mr. Madison moved to make the prohibition on the
States in this particular absoue for he observed that
II States interested in this power in majority
they could tax the imports of their neighbors passing
through their markets, and thus materially inure them
And to prevent the evil consequence which would arise
from import export duty laid by any particular State
it was moved by Mr. Sherman that all duties levied
should go into the treasury TWAS this amend
was this restriction of the sovereign powers of
the States-which drew from Gouverneur Morris the re
mark incorrectly quoted by Mr. Spencer in his speech be-
fore the convention Mr. Morris thought the regulation
proposed by Mr. Sherman necessary TO prevent the At
lanc States from endeavorng to tax the western States
and thus to promote their interest byopposng the manga
ton of the Mississippi Mr. Spencer has quoted the Ian
guage Of Mr. Morris, and inserted the words "mprore-
cnt Of, which manfesty alters the entire meaning of
the argument. The true reason OF Mr.. Morris's appro
baton was undoubtedly thls that if the Atlantic States
retained the right of taxing for their benefit goods
imported by their western neghbos, they would have
i their power to destroy the Independent of
those States and to compel them to become purchasers
and this for the simple reason that the great ports of
try for foreign conSmerce were then upon the Atlantic
side. The insertion Of such material words those
quoted by Mr. Spencer was, to say the least, strange
mistake.
Considering, tiis oonc:r6e condition in which the
States would veteen had they retained the right to
collect iron imports and exports and viewing the
true which induced the trainers OF the constitution
TO think the concession of this power not only proper
but absolutely essential 10 the welfare OF the Unon it
difficult to see the force of the argument which has been
derived from the fact of the concession ITSELF from the
debates by which it was accompanied.
1t will also be my object to show that the several
States, so far as the question of internal Improvement
in no worse position than they would
have occupied had they retained their respective sover
eighties 1t is not, we presume, seriously believed that
the compact of Union has injured the prosperity of any
State materially concerned in the question IT, there FORE
they are able, each and all, to develop apart from the
general government their several systems of internal i'm
povement as freely as if they had each been ndepen
while thus Independent, State had within its own
borders river requiring outlay for its safe and prof
liable navigation it would certainly have found in It's
own wealth and resources the funds necessary for the
expenditure And if between several independent States
there lake river, important to all for navigabe
delay in rendering this navigation secure really tended
TO develop the and add to the wealth of the
States, respectively There certainly be question
that those who derive the chief benefit properly respo
sibe for the debt which brings them profit and advantage
And Is difficult to how the compact of the consu
on and the surrender OF parts of their Legislative
eighties, hinder the several States from works of separate
joint improvement 1t true that the constitution de-
cares that State shall have the power of enter
ing INTO any agreement compact with another without
the consent OF Congress But it be believed, if any
two more STATES have real and substantial interest in
the Improvement OF common navigable waters that Con-
gress would deny them the power of making an agree
objecti II it attempted, indeed to unite all the
northern and western States into great confederacy
for this purpose and different and conflicting interests even
brought together PROFESSIONALLY the OF Con-
gress would be withheld for there would be danger that
such combination would be attended with political con-
fha