The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-08

tho kindnssa Of fhe eoamittes u hoapsss tn
more than very few moments on their indul-
gence, simply for the purpose Of making . par
sonal explanation, aud to reply to the tissue Of
miserable sophisms that we have been entor-
tanned with for one hour. And II do not sat
isfy the House in ten minutes Of the falIncy of
the gentlemnn's arguments, | promise never to
make issue with the chairman of the Committee
on Commerce again.
Sir, when the gentleman who has just taken
his seat, who is the organ Of one OF the most
important committees in the House, undertook
to tell us &c cathedra what were the 0pnons of
the Democracy in the days Of Madison, Jeffer-
son, and Jackson, and undertook, by sort OF
side blow, to denouDce those who differ to-day
from what he holds to have been their opinions
on the subject Of internal improvements, VEN
ture TO say that whatever might have been their
opinions, the gentleman from Maryland was GER
tainly inconsistent with himself, and diametri-
cally opposed to himself, and proved it by his
votes on this question Now, sir, the gentleman
is the father of general system of improve
ments of rivers and harbors. | endeavored to
leave him u loop-hole which he might have taken
advantage Of by saying that perhaps, as the or
gan Of the committee he was bound to present
a measure of which he himself did not approve; ;
but he scorned to take advantage of that loop
hole and admitted that he went even further
than the committee; and he boosted of his trea-
son to what call Democracy he boasted that
he would have gone further than the committee !;
that he would have increased the appropriations
in this bill by millions Of dollars, If he had not
been checked by the committee. The gentlemen
attempts to meet my assertion that the dstin-
guished statesmen to whom he referred were
~ off ~ bxy~ rv
exception to the rule, and by showing that Gen.
Jackson and other distinguished Presidents have
occasionally, under some great pressure from
without been induced to sign bills contrary to
their general principles. But in every single
message-n such cases, there is an apology for
that act, and an ingenious attempt to draw dis
tinction. Sir, all that the arguments Of the gen.
tleman amount to is, that these statesmen have
occasionally been Inconsistent with themselves !;
but, sir, the gentleman has to-day endeavored,
by bubble, to get Off from his inconsistency
by saying, that these resolutions, against which
have shown that he voted, proposed mon
strous system Of internal improvements, and
that he would vote again against so large and I'M
defined system. Well, now, sir, this is the
resolution:
RESOLVED, That the general government has
the power to construct such harbors and i'm
prove such rivers as are necessary and proper for
the protection of our navy and of our COM
merce, and also for the defences of our country"
The gentleman voted with little corporal's
guard of ffty-thr or ffty-four against that re-
solution. And yet he has the assurance to rise
in his seat here and tell this committee and the
country that the city of Baltimore has always
been represented by men who have been in favor
of the improvement of rivers and harbors. The
gentleman when voting against that resolution,
denied the power of Congress to improve rivers
for the purpose of military defence, or for the
benefit of the commerce of the country. He has
contradicted himself to-day by voting to i'm
prove, at an enormous expense, rivers that are
not necessary for the purpose of defence or for
the protection of the munitions of war; If the
gentleman cannot perceive that the resolutions
against which he voted, narrowed down the
power to limits infinitely smaller than this bill
does, am utterly at loss to understand his
powers of conception But the gentleman, feel
ing the truth Of the charge of Inconsistency
which fastened upon him, and which every
man in this committee must perceive, undertakes
to defend himself by turning upon me.
Well, sir, suppose that had been inconsist-
ent, would that have been any answer! But
let US see how the matter stands. Instead of
taking the record and pointing out solitary
vote given by me during the seven years during
which | have been in Congress, inconsistent
with the sentiments that profess to-day what
does the gentleman do? He reads us the votes
of Mr.. Soule in the Senate of the United States.
He tells us of some joint resolution passed by
the legislature Of Louisiana. He tells us that
clause was inserted in the last general appro-
priation bill for improvements in my State, and
that did not get up to denounce ii, when
happened to be some thousands of miles from
Washington at the time. Am responsible for
the votes of others! Does it fix the charge of
Inconsistency on me, because some other gen.
tlemen may have voted in particular way?
And even if he had proved me inconsistent.
would that have justified him! But the gentle
man brings it a little nearer. He says that
voted for Cass and Butler, and he shows that
these gentlemen have occasionally voted for bills
similar to this. Well, suppose / did vote for
Cass and Butler. It is very well known that
the Wings, MS party, are in favor of a magnifi.
cent system of internal improvements. And
while agreed with Cass and Butler on most
questions, it may have been source of regret
that | could not agree with those gentlemen
upon this question. But it will be recolected
that the gentleman from Michigan, Mr.. CAss.
whose name has been drawn into this debate.
has never given us a statement of his principles
upon this subject. 1t is stated that at Buffalo,
the people there were extremely anxious to hear
something upon this point, but the "noise and
confusion" was so great that we have never
heard it to this day. Now, there is one charge
against me that the gentleman has been led into
by the error of the reporter of the Globe, which
desire to correct. lcertainly used very strong
language, because | felt deeply; and when
feel deeply, do not care about weighing my
words. But am made to say here in the Globe,
that if this bill passed, was in favor of disunion.
Now, used those words, but there were other
words between, which qualified the position
which | took in relation to disunion / was
speaking upon the subject of this intermeddnp
with State rights upon the subject of slavery.
! said that this river and harbor business, this
undertaking to go into the States, and embark
in magnificent system of internal improve
ments, was one of series Of encroachments
upon the part of the federal government upon
the rights of the States; and [ went on to saw.
that it was very akin, and perhaps not less dan
gerous than intermeddng with the slavery ques-
ton. then went on to remark on the Union