The Madisonian. (Canton, Miss.) 1850-1855, 1850-02-21
PROSPECTUS
OF THE
"a kDlSONlAN

weekly newspaper in the IeEn of
kCaptu', under The above tile, CONNER.
cling Thursday 2lst February, 1850
The ad~ADIs6NtaN" viii be thoronehly
democratic in ats course. Upon the
subjects of a National Bank, Tariff.
Internal improvements by the General
Government, and the distribution Of The
proceeds Of the public lands, we en-
cur in the opinions always entertained
by the great body of the REPUBLf-
CAN PARTY. Aside from the con.
sliiutional objections that may well 10
urged against a National Bank, expe.
%rience has demonstrated that the fiscal
and monetary affairs Of the government
can be safely aud conveniently man.
aged without the aid of such an Insti.
button.
The Constitutional Treasury, IN liz
practical hearing, has fully come up 10
the expectations Of its most saneuine
friends, and falsifed the vaccinations
Of evil SO confidently made BY its enc.
mics, 50 that at this day, The latter no
longer uIge objections 10 its nam prin.
ciples, butsuggest only mod ifcaiions in
its minor details. Upon the Tariff cues.
tion, the "MApisoNlAN'' will advocate
the Free Trade doctrine. By Free
Trade, we do not mean the abolition
of Custom houses, and Df all duties
upon imports, but a system of CONNER.
cial intercourse, as free and unrestrict.
ed as it can he, consistently with our
present mode of raising reveuue. In
short, we,contend that Congress should
discriminate with a view To Rer0ue
alone, and not for protcctioa-revenus
heing the only object recognized by tho
Constitution in the grant of the taxing
power.
The power of the Federal Govern.
ment to embark in a general system Of
Internal improvements, and the propri.
ely Of such a course, have ever been
denied by strict cnnstructionists. The
difficulty has been to draw the line of
distinction between objects strictly va.
h%0aalin their character, and Others not
necessarily embraced in that cate.
gnry. We maintain, in common
with the great mass of the Democratic
party, that the general government
should confne its aid To such works Of
Internal Improvement as belong to the
former class, leaving all others ID tho
fostering care eff the local legislatures
of the several states, or 10 the enter.
prise of private citizens; believing thas
The line Of demarkation between such
as are aati0aal and such as are not so.
has been clearly elucidated and ably
maintained by the late Presiden, Polk,
in his veto Of. the River and Harbor
Bill.
Should the wild scheme Of distribu.
ting among the several states, the pro.
ceeds Of the public lands, be broached
by this or any other administration, wa
will deem it our duty to oppose it
though IL justice to u political oppo-
nenrs, we must add that we do not be-
lieye ii was ever seriously entertained
by any very respectable number uf them
10 make that measure a test Of their
party principles.
Regarding the veto power as a WISE
check and a salutary safeguard against
over much.legislatiDn, we are opposed
to any modification Of II, and utterly
condemn tho demagogical spirit that
proposes to restrict It's exercise.
The President Of the United States,
being the only branch Of the law-making
power elected by The whole people, may
be regarte ed as the Tribune of the peo:
pie, armed with the veto power, to pre-.
vent any cncroachments upon their
rights. To abridge this power or to
restrict It's exercise to a specified class
Of cases, enumerated in some new party
creed, or political catechism, would be
in direct c~ohtravohtlon Of the plaia
words Of the constitutions.
From this brief exposition of our
principles, it will lie seen, that we must
be necessarily placed in the mum, in
opposition 10 the present Administers
ton, hut it will be M f%actious opposi.
ton. The "MADlso MAN" will not re.
sign the dignity Of thought and s%eryile.
y bind itself TO the car Of party. but
will reserve 10 itself the right Of com.
mending whatever 1t may deem com.
mendable in its political enemies, aud
Of c%ehtunng whatever it may deem
censaFable in the course or policy Of
its own friends.
Whilst upon all measures Of Federal
Politics we-will MOI disregard our alles
glance 10 patty, upon The great queation
of Southern Rights" we win divest
ourselves Of The feelings Of mefc par.
tisanship, andbe governed incur course.
solely by what we coucefve TO be ths
interest Of Out own portion Of the con-
federacy. Though cborishing 4 deSF