The North-Carolina standard., 1848-02-02
SPEECH OF MIR. VENABLE,
OF NORTH CAROLINA,

. vi 1A1NS
OF NORTH CAROLINA,
Delivered in the House of Representatives, January
1lth, Is49, on the Presidents Annual Message.
Mo VENABLE regretted that time would not allow
him to pay attention. such as he would, to the re-
orks by the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr..
Stewart and trusted that another occasion for this
nnrnose would be allowed him but he would now
Tenure to suggest to that gentleman, that Gen. Tay
M would never be obliged to him for the issues he
had made But there was another issue to which, by
the INDULGENCE of the House, he would call attention;
4 and which, to his mind, though the question might
he old and uninerestng, it involved of the most
nort1nt and profound issues that had been present
ed to the country for than thirty y years-ever
since he had been observer of political events
the issue involved in that able document by the
President of the United States, in which he has
filed his reasons for vetong the river and harbor bill
He felt himself particularly obliged to the gentleman
from Ohio for the declaration that the will of Con-
gres the only limit to the power of Congress for
the construction of works of internal Improvement
Mr.. Venable had not learned the constitution Its
venerable trainers had told US that the language
of that instrument misunderstanding thing
and meaning another.
Mr. Venable was never more gratified than he was
to the gentleman from Ohio rise in his place and
move the reference of the subject of the veto to
select committee of one from each State; and it
also compliment to that paper, when, after discus
sion and tide of eloquence had been poured upon
this subject, to see the Chairman of the Committee
of Ways and Means fearful for any decision as
Immediately to move an adjournment. Mr.. Venable
thanked him for the compliment 1t was well deser-
we'd, and worthily applied by opponent to of
the able documents that ever laid upon that
table; and he did wonder that it had removed all
difficulty from the mind of the gentleman from Him
ois and enabled him to march right up to the subject
and deny the Ighto Congress, by implication,
to construct works of internal improvement.
Mr.. Venable replied to reference which had been
made to the times of Mr.. Monroe's administration,
when had been said the 'hearts of all parties, tke
the waters' of our rivers, mingled in peace.
He remembered that administration; and upon this
question he could quote Mr.. Monroe against himself
Mr.. Monroe made fatal mistake by getting up
Mosaic cabinet, and thus attempting to conclllate
conflicting views of State policy, he took into his
u confidence these no-party men-men of all others to
be regarded the most dangerous-causlng the SEN
tinel to sleep at his post. Mr.. Monroe commenced
with republican creed, and ended with federal ad
mnisration. Reading his closing messages, his
/ friends wont to say, "How are the mighty
falen!' But he could not say so, for he never adj
mred Mr.. Monroe.
Mr.. Venable adverted to the names which had been
mentioned by the gentleman from TENNESSEE Mr.. STAN
toni giving their sanction to the internal improve
ment system; and, Pronouncing brilliant Panegyrlc
upon the character of Jackson he said it
ed for President Polk arrest the progress OF this
great national evil; for he regarded it Pandoras
box, which, when opened once, numerous evils must
inevitably flow from 1t.
From the first volume of the Madison papers, Mr..
Venable showed that the first proposition offered by
DR.. franklin, authorizing Congress to construct
certain canal rejected by that body. This was
coemporaneous construction; and, he added that to
his mind clear that this power did not belong
to Congress, from the fact that its advocates had
sought vain locate it under almost every clause
of the constitution. 1t had been claimed, for
pie, under the war-making power, under the power
TO facilitate commerce, under the power to establish
postroutes and thus this vagant power, In the Ian
guage of another, had been whipped about from pa
rish parish until found the whole OF the brok-
en- column mustered at last under the power of Con
gress provide for '' the general welfare By this
mode of reasoning by implications all the powers OF
the State governments could be easily consolidated
around and into the powers of the federal govern
ment And this evil apprehended by Mr.. JET
ferson and Mr. Madison, and others, members of the
convention which adopted the Constitution. Here
MI. Venable read piece OF history, showing tnat
1889, and deberating upon bill fixing the federal
government the Susquehanna river, 1t was express
y provided in that bill that the States of Pennsylva-
MIA and Maryland should clear out and construct the
habor for that location. This proposition was incor
porated in the bill by way of amendment without
dissenting voices showing clearly that the power to
construct this work was not at that time claimed for
i Congress. And MIR. Venable would selemnly pro-
:st against the federal Government laying its hand
on rivers and harbors, and leaving US but the
chds baube, in the mere name OF State sovereignty
Mr. Venable expressed his regret at the course taken
1 BY the gentleman from Tennessee, with whom he
had often fought side by side on the great Prlnci-
pies of free trade and it panied him new to see him
thus surrendering strongest position His friend,
ne feared, had been beguled Dy the no-Pdly cry VI
those who denounced the exercise of the veto powers
but he would be warned that their professions were
always deceitful. In 1910 these men had told Us
that there issue the question of the United
States Bank; that it was already dead, &c. Yet,
when Mr.. Tyler became the acting President and
following out his principles vetoed the bill for the
charter Of such Institution, they cursed him as the
Worst of all the traitors from Judas lscariot down.
Notwithstanding their professions that the institu-
ton clean gone, it was warmed into life again
under the influence of whiggery; and the monster
came forth again in all its scaly folds and hideous
Proportions, ready for assault and destruction He
recollected well the spasms, convulsions, and dying
goans of the monster, when it fell beneath the hand
OF Jackson and he felt and believed still, that the
battle of New Orleans was as nothing to the frmness
exhibited by the Old Hero when he took that mons
Ter by the throat and crushed it to the earth. He
warned his friend against the professions of that par
DTs.g g again. and expressed his regret to hear him sx
son which induced him to vote against the light
mousse bill, to be his conviction that eqnivaentap
plopratlon was likely to come to the west. Let
me bank, the protective tariff, and the internal inn
prove ment systems be again restored, and the result
Soud be that appropriations of money could be OBJ
'hed at any time, and for almost any object. 1t