The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-09-27
The Harbor and River Bill.

Two days have now been wasted in the House
Of Representatives upon idle parliamentary ex-
pedients to stave off action upon the Tariff and
the Harbor and River bill. By reference to the
proceedings of the House on Wednesday even
ing, 1t will be seen that the business was en-
barrassed by the movements of the Locofoco
members, for the purpose of preventing the dis
position of the Army BILL from the apprehen-
sion that it might clear the way for the great
measures which are looked for with so much
anxiety by the Northern and Western States.
The cooperation of the Northern and West
ern Locofocos with the Abstractionists and Dis
unionists, has, in the first instance, deprived
the country of the amendments so imperatively
required in the existing Tariff For this the
| Locofocos of Connecticut and Pennsylvania are
responsible. If these gentlemen had responded
to the wishes and interests of their constit-
uents. the Tariff would have been amended
| If BooTH, CLEVELAND, and WALDO, of Con
necticut; Mann, McLANAHAE, and Ross, of
Pennsylvania, had not thought il iiRerpedient TO
change the present Tariff, the suffering inter-
ests of the Northern and middle States might
hsve been efficiently relieved-and by legis-
lation that would have Injured to the benefit
Of the whole country.
But the cooperation of the Locofocos with
the Dsunionists and Abstractionists has pro-
duced other results. 1t has defeated the rail-
road bills demanded by the Western States. 1t
has defeated the Harbor and River bill. For
several years the people of the lakes and the
Mississippi have been calling for the i'm
provement of their lake and river navigation
So decided has been the popular demand on this
head, that Congress has repeatedly yielded to it,
in spite Of Baltimore conventions, the dogmas
Of the let-alone and do-nothing schools, and the
cherished doctrines Of the elite Of the distin
guished Democrats Of Richmond. Mr.. TYLER
vetoed, and Mr.. Polk vetoed; and now, when, for
the first time for many years, we have Vino
Executive prepared to comply with the wishes Of
tho people, the Locofoco committee in the
House, during session of nine months con
tinuance, omits to press the subject upon the
House; and there is general cooperation Of
the Locofocos Of the West with the hair-split-
ting political metaphysicians OF the South to de-
prive the great West of this almost the only de-
mand that she makes upon the Legislators Of the
Uni0nl
The " noise and confusion" of the close of
the session have been as fatal TO the Locofocos
Of Michigan, Illinois. Ohio. Wisconsin, In
diana, and Pennsylvania-as far as the Harbor
and River bill is conccrned-as they were to
General CAss, at Cleveland. when they pre-
vented him from expressing his sentiments ON
this very interesting question. Their yeas and
nays on the various propositions for smothering
and defeating this bill indicate the disposition
which breathes in the few words-hardly more
than a yea or nay--in which the General de-
clined the invitation TO be present at the Chi
cago convention. The Western people have
been sold by their Locofoco representatives on
this great subject. Property and life must con
tinue 10 be exposed on our western waters, in
order that the McCLERSANDs, YoUSGs, Dun
KEGS, BRowNs, and other stars in the great
western constellation Of Locoiocosm, may con-
tluuc to mingle their beams with the effulgence
Of the SEDDoNs, McQUEENs, JoNrsEs. MEADEs,
BuRrs, and McMULLENs Of the South.
There is no real affinity between the opin-
ions and the wants Of the Western people, and
those Of the Absiractionists and Disunionists.
The Western people are eminently progress
sive-but they send representatives to Con
gress who, directly OF by indirecton, play into
the hands Of men who are entirely behind the
age, and who would he glad to carry the coun-
try back TO the good old times when the Mis-
sissiPpi was navigated by RATS and flat-b boats.
Here M this River and TIarbor Iii ,,-,,l, tho
slightest honest and welldirected effort it
might have been passed, but Western Locofo
cosm defercntialy gives it the go-by, out Of
complalsance TO the scruples Of chivaIry The !
only way IN which the lake and river people |
can get River and IIarbor bill, is by eecting
VINO representatives who will not sell their
interests to doctrinaires and dogmatists