Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1848-02-02

in this, if nothing else, an argument for
sending the message 10 select commit
tee. Perhaps further examination will
lead to other discoveries of views equally
novel and important.
In truth, we have now at last ascertain
cd what system Of ..protection" our Presi-
dent. and those Of his party who think
with him, are willing to favor. Not pro-
lection by providing ior the safety OF the
hres aud property OF the people. exposed
to the perls of inland or seaboard navi-
CATION, any more than protection of their
labor by discriminating legislation on an
other subject; but the snags and rocks.
and sandbars in your rivers. the bars
which, obstruct the entrance to your harbors
all these are to have extended over them.
according 70 this modern creed Of demo-
cratic construction. the protectln" ;ngis OF
the constitution, You shall not disturb
them, SAYS the President.
might say something here. Mr. Speak
CT. on what some may consider slight
inconsistency in the views of the Exccu-
tive. who finds such formidable. such nsu-
pcrable objections to expanding single
dollar for works of improvement at home.
and for the development OF the great re-
sources Of our country, and nevertheless
instructs his commissioner in Mexico to
negotiate with tie Government Of that Re-
public (if he can find any there) to secure
the right Of way across the isthmns OF
\ Tehuantepec Mr.. S. said he hoped he
pronounced the name ofthe place correct
Nv. We should all learn better. be suppo-
sed. when VIC get some Mexican repre-
sentatives herc-not such "Mcxicdns" as
gentlemen over the way have sometim IS
been pleased to hint at-but real Next
cans. direct from the ''IIalls of the Monte
zumas," coming here to take their seats
in a Congress of the United States. They
would perhaps teach US thick-tongncd
/ tnn!o-Sayons to give utterance to what
seem now, to some Of us, very strange and
hard words And he was more partlcu-
larlv anxious about it. as he enjoyed the
distinguished honor Of being chairman OF
the Committee on Roads and Canals, and
tor aught he knew. that part ofihe message
might vet be referred to that committee. J
From that other executive light, the second
officer in the Government, the public has
learned that this right Of way over the
isthnus is wanted for the purpose of dig
oino a canal. And now here is a Presl-
dent who cannot let our little cOasting yes
sells 90 along the shores Of our States with.
out risk Of their strandins on the con
stitution, but who is able TO overlcap a
quarter of the continent and find authority
TO dig canal to connect the waters of the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans!
And now a word about one Of those 9th
or tests of the con.titutionality of works o
internal improvement. Some decide thai
l., IN. Z
be expended on any work lying entirely
within the limits of sing &c State. Such
work. they say. is necessarily 1oco'. Let
me meet this common objection, and Illus
trate what il leads TO By one or two plain
instances There is the proposed canal
around the falls at the Sarlt st. Marie rs
the settlements on Lake Superior increasa
and the great mineral wealth Of that region
is more and more made available. there Is
no improvement so short and easy of con
struction as Il ship canal at that point
which would so immensely affect the in
forests OF large section OF this Union
1t is not only New York, Pennsylvania
Ohio, Michigan, and the country general
" near the lower lakes that is to be benc.
I fitted by such a work. but throu gh them all
the commerce of the Fast, the West. and
the whole country All will be deeply IN
tercsted in clearing from obstruction and
keeping open any such great avenue OF
trade and travel And vet that contcm-
plated work lies all within the State OF
/ Michigan. and would be termed local. and
not wi thin the purview of national legisla-
ton and appropriations. And there. also,
is the canal around the falls of the Ohio.
1t lies only in Kentucky. cutting no divi-
ding line Of States. But the whole Mis-
sissppi valley is deeply Interested i'll that
work: and the Mississippi valley is the
granery of the Union. Every barrel OF
flour or Of pork. every pound of tobacco or
Of hemp. and all thc rich productions
which float down the Ohio from upper
Kentucky and Indiana. from Ohio. 'Vir-
ginia. aud Pennsylvania. pay tribute to
that canal. The tariff of tolls imposed
there is laid upon every package Of all the
vast amount of merchandise ascending to
the upper country: upon all the sugar.
cotton. and other staples of the south. Is
not the people of the whole wide country.
as well as every farmer and trader in the
interior States. Interested in having that
channal of commerce made free national
:horought,re! Then the navigable W alters
Of the Maumee river and bay. in the
Northwestern Ohio. they say. must not be
improved. because lying altogether within
the limits Of my State. Yet. if the lines
of the States into which the Northwestern
territory was divided had been run east
and west. instead of north and south. as
they are: or if the border difficulty be-
tween Ohio and Michigan had been settled
otherwise than it was. improvements there
would have been perfectly constitutional
And yet. in one case as in the other. the
same population. the same country. the
same interests would be affected and BEN
Gifted by the improvement. Why. Mr.
Speaker. in one sense every work of in
ternal Improvement may be said TO be To-
cal. There is no dispusing the truism that
every river. every canal. every road, every
harbor and bay must be somenhere But