Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1849-02-23
FOR THE SOUTHPORT rKtE6RAFu.
ATFORM OF THE FREE DEMOCRACY

as carrying out the principles OF free trade as laid
down in the sixth, would bring direct taxation as
matter of course for it is presumed that no live
man OF this age would propoe a stamp act or inter-
nal excise. But direct taxation has a bearing on
the principle laid down in the eighth resolution,
that | will atude TO hereafter. Kg 4
18th. That Congress ought 10 make appropTis>
tons from The Nationa. Treasury for River and
Harbor Improvements TO facilitate commerce be-
tween the several States, and between the United
States and other nations, provided they are not
merely local in their benefits, and are not proper
subjects of State or individual enterprise"
This is the great question Of the age. Here is
TIE dividing line between federal dominion and
State rights; between consolidation and republican
government. This question has been debated in
Congress, and elsewhere for more than forty years,
and the consiutionality and even the expectancy,
in some cases, are still doubtful and undecided.
When this resolution came up in the Convention,
could not help remarking that the proviso not
wei. uorded. That il was indefinite. The Scores
tary asked: ADO you wish 10 offer an amendment
replied, yes. Provided such Improvements are
not within the limits OF any one State" But when
took the pen 10 put it on paper, the first ray of
reflection brought TO my view the monstrous diff
Guilty. (where two governments have legislative
power over the same people,) of drawing the line
where the one should stop and the other begin
None of our great statesmen have been able TO do it.
For this reason let it Side
am inclined TO the belief that tie writer OF this
resolution and myself, differ very little in opinion
on the subject Still ] think that the words "pro>
vided such Improvements are not merely local in
their benefits and not proper subjects Of State
individual enterprise, do not sufficiently mark
the point where the general government should stop
Who is able to decide where work is local in its
benefits, whether ii is proper subject of State
or individual enterprise! Take, for instance the
New York Canal which connects the States OF
Ohio, Indiana Illinois Michigan and Wisconsin,
with the ocean Who will say that it is local in
its benefits? And ye;, who will say that il would
have been better TO have had it made by the Gems
era Government than by the State OF New York {?
This work will unqucstonabIy be Of mofe benefit
TO some parts OF New York than of others but if
it will refund its cost with interest, it will be an
injury TO none aud if it will do more, of which
there is doubt, then il vii. be an advantage TO
! all This is more than can be said of any work
done by the General Government. Why then did
not Kentucky build the Louisville Canal and make
it pay its own costa Il is to be feared that some
body wanted pubic plumber.
! Ii will not answer now to decide this question
by the opinions oil Ncssrs. Jefferson Madison, Mon
roe, Adams, Jackson, CL.y Polk, Benton nor airy
other man or set OF men. Hardly one Of these
great men has been consistent with himself on this
subject. If any, it is Mr.. Polk. Mr. Jefferson, il
more than one of his messages, recommended an
amendment TO the Constitution, to grant the power
10 Congress to make internal Improvements MIR.
Nonr-c, in his first message made the same recou-
mendaion. Mr.. Madison had like constitutional
scrupcs yet all these three signed bills Tor internal
! improvcments though Mr. Monfne vetoed an APP
preparation Tor the Cumberland road on consttu-
! tonai grounds. Notwithstanding that Gen. Jat k
vetoed the MaysyilIe r Dad BILL which was call
ed by It's friends, part of great nationtl work to
connect two extreme points OF the Union, never.
ihe'ess be signed appropriations for the Cumber-
land Road, amounting in all to 50, 593Ol9 "a
The old RUE for making Improvements by the Cen
eral Government was, (as some gente.nan said in
the Convention rather jeernsly, by the by) Sin
the sea- Tide water being then considered the
limits Of that element Gen. jackson extended the
rule TO ports of entry Col. Benton went still far
Their. lie was willing to take in all rivers that
joined two or more States. The Baltimore Con-
venton, composed Of the great men that then be.
lonsed to the Democratic party, laid down the fol-
lowing as part of their platform
"That the Constitution does not confer upon the
General Government The power TO commence and
10 carry on a general system of Internal improve
ments.'
Gen. Cass, in his letter accepting the nomination.
said that he had read The resolutions carefully and
that he ''adhered TO them firmly he approx ed them
cordially" Yet he voted for every internal I'M
proyement bill that came before the Senate while
he held seat in that body Query, Did Gen. Cass
consider all these bills as belonging to particular,
general system? Or if the Constitution does
not confer the power to carry on general system
does it confer the power to carry on particular
system and what is the dherencel
Oh! GuIiblllty and Availability you are two
great monsters, and it occupies the time and talent
OF many of politicians to take care OF you, and
turn you TO advantage.
In making Improvements by the General Gov.
eminent each item should stand in separate bill
by itself, and be tested by the rule of right and
wrong. If is benefit 10 some, and an injury 10
mons, it is righy and ought 10 be done But if one
sci Of men az to resp the benefit, and another set
to pay the &C part Of the cost it is wrong and
ought not 10 be done:
The internal improvement system of Illinois
proves this 10 demonstration. Had she copied
after New York, and built her canal, the tolls would .
soon have refunded tie money with interest, ard .
more than interest, and if some of her citizens re-
mote from it. paid little for il at first they would
soon have got it all back and more, and there would
have been no wrong done. BIT the many balloon
works that were put forward for the benefit of the
paper tow OF specializing politicians and TO be paid
for by men TO be born hundred years hence. was
all wrong, and should never have been touched or