Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-06-03

b 90 We endorse every word of the fol-
lowing remarks of the Philadelphia North
American, on The West-IpteraalI Improve
ments:
The law of necessity is a law superior to
all other laws; and no constitution, or con-
structon Of a constitution, can stand before
il one moment.
The wants and the progress of the great
West afford the best commentary on the
ridiculous dogma of Southern Locofocoisnl,
which teaches the unconstitutionaity of in
ternal improvements by, and at the expense
of, the national government. No man can
look into the Mississippi Valley, the might
lest and the richest of ali the valleys OF the
earth-that world of fertility, full of all inn
aginahle resources and elements of wealth,
destined to be covered, in few fleeing CEN
rurieS, with such population rs was never
banded Together in one nation or even one
race-wiihout feeling how weak, how puny,
how inconceivably childish are the efforts
of those who would force the suicide of an
anti-miernal Improvement policy upon the
people of this wonderful territory. Talk
of inland seas" tonnage duties," and
such wisdom to the Vest " words, words,
words pit is all absurd and idle mockery.
as injurious as it is absurd, as offensive as u
is idle. 1t is in vain that grand theories and
fine-spun distractions are offered as intend
ed letters 10 the Western giant from whose
swelling bulk they fall away like the green
withes from the limbs of Sampson of old.
The West frowns; and not only the grand
theories and fine-spun distractions begin TO
vanish into nsgnificance, but their authors,
those who invented them-exhibit an ex-
tremely amiahle willingness to regard them
ONLY as theories and distractions, having no
binding force or consequence in their prac-
teal applications-at least none SO far as
concerns the great West.
We may both congratulate and thank the
West that her influence is on the point OF
giving death-hlow to all the anti-lmprove-
ment heresies of President Polk and Mr..
Calhoun. The indications are that-al-
though the President, and some other ul-
tras of his faction, with their characteristic
aversion to every system which promises to
build up, or in any way promote the inter-
ests of The non-slaveholding States, exhibit
no willingness to abandon their opposition
10 every form of internal Improvements by
the overnment-others of the faction, are
faltering and yielding-or, rather, are IN
geniously devising a new abstraction by
means of which they hope to be enabled to
adhere to their principles and yet vote for
every internal improvement bill which may
be pressed vigorously on Congress. The
key TO the new system was furnished in the
Senate debate on the Sd, on Mr.. Douglass
bin appropriating public lands in Illinois
(allernate sections. miles wide, on line
400 miles long-l200 square miles in all,
worth, at government minimum prices,
$3.50, 00O) to aid in building the Illinois
Railroad. MIR. Bagby, MIR. Butler and Mr..
Niles were the only anti-improvement SEN
ators who found the appropriation of pub
lie land for the purpose of building rail-
road Unconstitutional; and they argued for
their old principles with all their ancient
fervor, making-or at least Mr.. Baghy
n,ade--some significan, quotations about
e faithful Abdiels." --s' among the faith
less, faithful only''-and some very sly ia
sinnations about the influence of Presiden-
tial aspirations in modifying the opinions of
other Senators, once their allies, on this
subject.