The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-03-05

Of the message, does not expect to stand at all "
[DANIEL WEBsTERs Letter to the Union Meeting
at Westchester.
River aud Harbor Bill.
1t was not the ''noise and confusion which
prevented General CAss from doing his whole
duty to the country in the matter OF River and
Harbor improvements, in the Senate, but it was
his conscientious scruples."
The phrase in which he declared his inten
ton Of taking no part in voting or acting after
IL o'clock Monday night, is likely to become
quite as memorable as his allusion to the 'snoise
and confusion" at Cleveland.
"I'M A MERE LooKER-oN," said General
CAss, when his name was called after the hour
we have mentioned, and from that moment he
was as mute as an oyster. His voice was weak
er than it was at Cleveland, for it was not heard
at all. The General sets up for better con-
science than other people, and goes in for the
law as he understands it, without regard to the
Understandings ofhs brother Senators. Thismat-
ter of the termination of the session was put in its
true light in single remark of Mr.. JEFFERSON
DAyIs-"We have to do not with the calendar
Sd of March, but the political Sd of March,
and we have right to say when it ends; but
6 let us. f1 the hour" This is so in accordance
with the uniform usage Of Congress, and is 80
clear in itself, that we must confess we are sur
prised that General CAss should not have seen
it in the same light. But he is a stricter con-
structionist than even so straightlaced per-
son as Mr.. JEFFERSON DAVIS, and exhibits a
most tender conscience on all his political as
we'll as all his religious duties. On Saturday
night, at IL O'Clock, he gave the go-by to the
River and Harbor Improvements on religious
scruples. On Monday night he withdrew him
self from the contest on the ground of his polti-
cal scruples. 1t is delightful TO witness this
maiden sensibility in man who has been so
long engaged in the soaring strifes of partisan
ship. A conscience like this is as beautiful as
a rose in its morning freshness; but we fear that
it is something too delicate for Baltimore Con-
vention. They want conscience of sssterner
stuff"
sI'm mere looker-on," said the General.
when the fight waxed warmest over the River
and Harbor bill, and when it was doubtful
whether the struggle would not occasion the
loss of all the appropriation bills. 1t was no
sort Of consequence what was going on, the
General was "only passenger" His whole
course on the bill has been precisely that which
we foreshadowed on Friday morning last. If
anybody can tell whether he was for or against
the bill, whether he desired its defeat or pas
sage, or which side he was playing for, he is
better at divining than we pretend to be. We
watched all the proceedings of the day and
night on this bill with the deepest interest, and
shall lay them before the country in their minu-
test details.
The noble and decided bearing Of MIR. CLAY
in this most important debate was matter of uni
versal observation. He did every thing that a
gallant leader could do to secure the passage Of
the bill; but the rules of the Senate threw too
much power into the hands Of the minority, and
he failed to gain for the people of the lakes and
the Mississippi the trifling boon which he so
licited with SO much earnestness and zeal. And
when the whole matter was over, and the bill
was lost in spite Of all his most strenuous exer-
tions-and when, few minutes before the close
of the session, Mr.. HAMLIN, from the Com
mittee of Commerce, caused Lighthouse bill
to be passed through all its stages by general
consent, no man who heard MIR. Glars en-
phatic appeal can ever forget it, :" wish the
country to take notice." said the Senator from
Kentucky, "of the facility with which a
Lighthouse bill for the Atlantic coast is passed
through all Its stages without objection
while bill for similar purposes on the west
ern waters is opposed and defeated by means
the most extraordinary"
AS the debate on tho River and Harbor bill is
destined long to exercise an important influ-
ence on political affairs; and as the greatest dis
appointment will prevail at the defeat Of this
beneicent measure, We wish to remind the
country that the present Administration has
taken the strongest ground in recommending
the improvement which it contemplates to the
attention of Congress, After the rhodomontade
that we have listened to for the last two or
three days on the subject Of constitutional pow :
er in this behalf, it will be satisfactory, we
doubt not, to all our WING readers to run their
eye over tho calm. quiet, and conclusive rea-
soning of President FILLMORE, contained in the
following paragraphs of his annual message.
These words deserve to be printed in letters
Of gold:
81 entertain no doubt Of the authority of
Congress to make appropriations for leading
objects in that class Of public works comprising
what are usually called works of internal i'm
provement. This authority suppose to be
derived chiefly from the power Of regulating
commerce with foreign nations, and among
the States, and the power Of laying and COLI