Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-03-22


bind the people OF Conderacy pepetuay together
"As and the necessities of commerce may direct
those Immediately concerAed will multiply and extend the
channels of To individual and local advance
will be added the fruits of harmony and general pros
peeS b. q
msd ection in appropriations may be expected constantly
occur whilst and dissension will attend the dv-
sion Of the SPOIL wrung from taxed and tong millions
for works unconnected may be antagonist their indi-
ydual interest The thus proposed preserve
Union will probably generate dsafecon and dscord
like the teeth Of the dragon, have offspring for family strife
and destruction"
entertain the opinion We Of the valley Of
the Mississippi possessing country capable OF sustaining the
greatest empire the world has SEEM natural channel
Of communication binding the whole together the
covered mountains until rises to the tropical region where
dsbouches into the gulf have commerce. quite competent,
if left to ourselves effect all the improvements desire
without feeling the burdens which they would impose Tax
us not for other and less important objects Give merely
the right to lay for tonnage duty and all that
require be done at expense small in proportion
the interested that will only be conscious Of
the relief produced by the removal Of your weight from
shoulders.
now turn for the position taken by the dis
tnguished Senator from Michigan, that the appropriations for
the Mississippi river rendered constitutional by the great
extent of country drained by its tributaries that becomes
tonal am6ed through great number Of States and
accommodating great number of people, If this be and
may appropriate money for any thing which involves the
interests OF great number Of persons, why might we not
propae money to improve the culture OF wheat OF corn
Of cotton lit be the number persons interested, rather
than the letter Of the constitution which to decide then it
follows that the interest being sufficiently large exercise
controlling power the compact is senced by the voice OF the
multitude and the minority bound such to contribute
to the support Of the majority because 1t is great This sir
the reverse Of the principles only Of Government
but Of all sound theory OF social and political organization In
dvdual and Stale associations instituted for the adj
vantage Of the strong but for the protection Of the weak
give to him who already has abundance but 10
to him who has le that which he has This is the great
object of human government and the principle here asserted
ho IS
fixed principles of justice between and his fellow
recollec that on former occasion argued what
sdeed the constitutional point involved in grant of land for
the benefit Of particular class Of indgents and that then
said by Senator that he had heard that argument thirty
or forty times cannot thus admonished, fail to remember
that addressing the Senate arguments which all
Of them have heard frequently and which regret have been
little heeded shall dwell upon them, because feel
that it would be useless and unwecome tax still cannot
pass them by because hold to be high and holy duty
repeat them under circumstances such surround In
keeping with the argument which have just referred the
Senator from Michigan excepted roads and canals but ad-
mitted rivers and harbors. Why,
Mr.. CASS. Some rivers and harbors.
Mr. DAVIS What rivers and harbors The rule Of
nationality, as is commended for is that which makes
every thing national for which sufficient number Of votes
can be obtained II is useless attempt define by the size
Of the river Is useless to attempt to define by its
merce 1t is useless to attempt to define by its length the
fact meets that object is presented its single
merit. All combined by the interest they have
in obtaining money from the Treasury harmonious whole
for the benefit Of EACH If thus acting and reacng each
other, they command sufficient number Of votes then
EACH without reference to its connexion with the general good
straightway becomes national If river through sin
gle State that State has entire jurisdiction it. Any
gument against canal railroad equally applies to
situated. What argument be adduced which will
equally apply to river to road running through State
Of the Union If there is any and hear it. will endeavor
to answer il.
This bill contains old acquaintance Of mine.
here the old points, Big and Little odus and Chicago,
&C., some in number, which discussed in 1876.
Now then, presume shall be assured that the pro-
posed appropriations will be sufficient make the improve
ment required at the places named Now had to answer
this by showing that these large appropriations had
already been made and large appropriations were to
follow, and read from the report Of the Secretary Of the
War on that occasion in support of what said
The longer the delay the greater the ultimate cost is the
rule and will on increasing so long local interests may
be encouraged look ohe United States Treasury for support
Now, in relation to Chicago, what defence to be up
up for that appropriation What, ask. but the fact that
there is large commercial interest which goes out Of and
comes into Chicago? What have the United States TO do
with the harbor at Chicago What interest," common to all
the people of the United States be subserved by the i'm
povement Of the harbor Chicago Can it be pretended
that will harbor of refuge for naval forces
the Lakes My honorable friend from Michigan knows its
position too well to make that argument Wilt be pretend
ed that the extension Of the pier will arrest the necessity for
further appropriations at that place He knows that lake
well to believe it. He knows the facts the locality, and the
history of this improvement too well to assert it. He
the head OF the lake. thrown the pier projecting from
the shore, and will continue to form bar just far you
extend the pier into the lake. There end until it be-
comes WALL stretching from shore Shore He knows that
vessel driven far Chicago by Of weather. by the
gales which always from the northwest would in vain
endeavor to make that habor is Of construct
harbor Of refuge at Chicago harbor Of refugee If one is
required must be built the end Of the lake. Is it
proposed to construct there No, there is no local
interest there to demand it, and the general interest," if there
be any involved is forgotten will not deny that require
harbors for the Of navy upon the lakes But these
harbor would be put where has supplied them
and where they required for naval purposes They would
be made for national Defence and not in relation to the inter-
ests of commerce. Now, ask any who knows those
lakes to lay bis finger upon any appropriation which provides
for such harbor of refugee which is dictated by the in
eress shore, the population and products Of the adjacent
country.
will 60 these points They have been discussed
in the House, and suppose they have been examined by Sc
majors; but will content myself with saying after
another these objections be multiplied until they force
the conclusion upon the least creduous that these appropra-
tons to be made for local interests distributed 90 as to
pass the bill involving the people Of some ninety different
Congressional districts in the benefits which result from
this appropriation have no new opinion to express
upon that point If the Senate will hear me- will therefore
read what have before said upon il
The mississippi is the natural channel Of the present
West ito thousand feeders stretching the right and left,
nature designed should gather into this great channel the
measurable products OF the region which drains Every
natural means Of transportation much taken from the
West Tor Eastern interests Thus, sir hold these lake im
provemen works for the ST. Lawrence and the Hudson
rather than for the Mississippi Was it enough that we
should see part OF the which nature designed should
transferred by into the hands of others Was it
shOud he