The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-05-24
MIR. Webster's Reflections the Strip
been lost.


MIR. Webster's Reflections ON the Strip
Iings-How River and Harbor Bills have
been lost.
We congratulate our contemporary OF the
metropolitan Democratic organ that he has at
length found some substantial topics Of com
plant against the Administration. This max
ing bricks without straw, forever, is a hard
task. Grievances are indispensable to the hap
piness Of an opposition. Invectives against the
Alien and Sedition laws, and eulogies on the
resolutions Of '98, form a poor substitute for
living, active causes of vituperation against the
PRESIDENT and his constitutional advisers.
These have been furnished by the incidents Of
the PRESIDENTIAL tour; and, that they may be
understood by our readers, we copy SO much
of the leading article of the Union Of yester-
day as presents the issues which it desires to
raise for the consideration Of the people. After
induging in few warm remarks on the Gin
decency" of the alleged manifestation Of undue
interest il the success of the great enterprise,
commemorate whose completion the PRESIDENT
and his CABINET We're invited TO make their re-
cent excursion, the Union continues:
"But it was not enough for the President and his
Cabinet thus to convert the enthusiasm due to the
. enterprise and patriotism Of the State Of New
York into unjust charge against the Demo.
cratic party on account of ts connexion With the
canal and railroad. The occasion was also
seized to hold up TO public ridicue those eminent
statesmen in the last Congress who would not en-
dorse the unlimited power of Congress to appro-
pirate the public money to harbors and rivers.
Mr.. Webster's language ia, (and he is Mr..
Fillmores endorscr for the Compromise, we must
suppose that he is also for the Harbor bill) Ihaue
been alicays aduocats for the improvement of
riuers aud harbors out Of the funds of the national
treasury. Ihare heard some siriplings IN Congress
assert that though lighthouse might be built on tie
Atlantic seaboard, and the harbors on that coast be
oericise Improved ,ciLlout pioLafig any principle
ofthe Constellation, yet that Congress- had no porer
I. TO do the the lakes And not satisfied
with these delicate impeachments of the stupidity
Z Of Congress, and the inference which the peo-
pie of Dunkirk might draw of the general adj
vantage of eIecting Mr.. Fillmore, they are told
of the beauties of the harbor, and are almost
made to weep when they hear the exclamation,
Hoto trotld your adpantagss be improved for the
general good By the expenditure Of an adequate sum
of money? The people Of Dunkrk thus told,
in many words, that their harbor will be inn
proved if they will vote for Mr.. Fillmore. If this
be not bringing the patronage Of the Federal Gov
eminent into conflict with the freedom and pu-
rity Of elections, we at loss to understand the
meaning Of terms. We had long known that Mr..
Webster considered that there was no limit upon
the power Of Congress, except its discretion,
in the appropriation of the public money for in
ternal improvements; but we unprepared
for declarations of this sort, addressed directly to
the people of Dunkirk In such a manner az to in
duce them to believe the Democratic party was
actuated by principle that had not their interests
equally at heart, although not at the expense of
the Copsttution'
Mr. WEBsTER's remarks are represented as
an impeachment of the stupidity of Con-
gress." This is misrepresentation. The
difficulty with regard TO River and Harbor
bills has not been with the people or with Con
gress a large majority Of both have been for
many years IN favor of making liberal appro
priatons for the objects embraced in the bill of
the last session, which the Union saws. with
truth, was defeated by DEMOCRATIC votes
an the Senate. Even in General JACK
SONS Time the difficulty was not with Con,
gress. OF four internal improvement bills that
passed Congr ess towards the close of the ses
sion of lS29-'30, one passed the House Of Re
representatives. by vote Of I02 to IS; second
by vote Of "a to 80; third by vote Of 80
to 81; and fourth by vote of % TO "A. Upon
two Of these bills the PRESIDENT put his veto;
the two last were retained for further consid-
Grafton TIL after the adjournment Of Congress,
and were returned with the PRESIDENTS OBJ
jections at the next session. The two last, it
will be observed, had passed the House by
two-thirds majority; and there is no doubt that
they would have become laws if they had been
seasoaably returned to Congress.
The Eastern Harbor bill, which Mr.. TYLER
vetoed, passed the House Of Representatives
by vote Of 96 to SO; and passed the Senate by
vote Of 80 to 8. The River and Harbor bill,
which Mr.. TYLER defeated by operation of the
pocketing process, passed the House Of Repre-
sentatives by vote of los to 90; and the