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

: ecting imposts. Where commerce is to BIZ
carried on, and imposts collected, there must
: be ports and harbors, as well as wharves and
s custom houses. If ships, laden with valuable
cargoes, approach the shore, or sail along the
: coast, lighthouses are necessary at suitable
points for the protection Of life and property.
8 Other facilities and securities for commerce
8 and navigation are hardly less important and
8 those clauses of the Constitution, therefore, to
Z which have referred, have received from the
origin of the Government liberal and beneficial
construction. Not only have lighthouses.
8 buoys, and beacons been established, and float
: ing lights maintained, but harbors have been
cleared and improved, piers constructed, and
: even breakwaters for the safety Of shipping,
: and sea walls to protect harbors from being
filled up, and rendered useless by the action
. Of the ocean, have been erected at very great
expense. And this construction Of the Con-
stirution appears the Mf0re reasonable frUm
9 the consideration, that If these works, of such
: evident importance and utility, are not to be
accomplished by Congress, they cannot be
accomplished at all. By the adoption of the
9 Constitution the several States voluntarily
parted with the power of collecting duties OF
impost in their own ports; and it is not TO be
: expected that they should raise money, by
internal taxation, direct or indirect, for the
benefit OF that commerce, the revenues
. derived from which do not, either in whole
: or in part, GO into their own treasures.
8 Nor do | perceive any difference between
the power of Congress to make appropriations
for objects Of this kind on the ocean, and the
: power to make appropriations for similar OBJ
jects on lakes and rivers, wherever they are
8 large enough TO bear on their waters an ex-
8 tensive traffic. The magnificent Mississippi
and its tributaries, and the vast lakes Of the
north and the northwest, appear to me to fall
within the exercise Of the power, as justly
and as clearly as the ocean and the Gulf of
: Mexico. II is mistake to regard expendi-
: lures judiciously made for these objects as
expenditures for local purposes. The posi-
ton, or site of the work, is necessarily local;
but its utility is general. A ship canal
around the falls of St. Mary of less than
{ mile in length, though local in its construc-
ton, would yet be national in its purpose and
. its benefits, as it would remove the only OBJ
: struction to a navigation of more than a thou
: sand miles, affecting several States, as well
as our commercial relations with Canada
6 So, too, the Breakwater at the mouth of
the Delaware is erected, not for the exclu-
siye benefit Of the States bordering on
8 the bay and river of that name, but for
that of the whole coastwise navigation
: Of the United States, and, TO considerable
extent also, of foreign commerce. If ship be
lost on the bar at the entrance of a southern
port for want fsufficient depth of water, it is
very likely to be northern ship; and If a
steamboat be sunk in any part Of the Missis-
sippi, on account of its channel not having
: been properly cleared Of instructions, it may
be boat belonging to either of eight or ten
: States. may add, as somewhat remarkable,
that among all the thirty one States there is
none that is not, to greater or less extent,
: bounded on the ocean, or the Gulf of Mexico,
or one Of the great lakes, or some navigable
9 river.
"In fulfilling our constitutional duties, fellow
citizens. on this subject, as in carrying into
effect all other powers conferred by the Con-
stitution, we should consider ourselves az de-
liberating and acting for one and the same
country, and bear constantly in mind that
our regard and our duty are due, not to a par
ticular part only, but to the whole.
therefore recommend that appropriations
be made for completing such works as have
been already begun, and for commencing such
others as may seem to the wisdom Of Con-
gress to be Of public and general Importance"