The daily union., 1852-08-29
SPEECH OF MR. CAss,
or MICHIGAN

Delivered The Senate August "a, 1852, on the bin ma
king aPProgrtaH9ns for he Improvement of csrtai,
hdrbOrs and TtUsrs." .
Mr. CASS. Mr. President, have something 10 "a,
this subject and may well occupy the attention
OF the Senate now as al any other time.
have not the most distant idea OF going into the much
yexed question OF the constitutional power OF Congress
20 appropriate money for river and habor improvements
That question has been agated for years and il is
thoroughly understood that lis ediscusson would be bu
work OF supeTeTogaion. Bu have no hesitation il
saving, what have often said, that is OF those
dlhcult pfacncal questions which appeal, or less
10 The discretion OF legislature. agree entirely with
senators who say that in It's application II Is very much
aqueson OF discfeton-Dot unlimited, indeed, but o
the same character which marks the exercise OF egsa
i've power IN many other
Since have been on the stage OF action, have OBJ
served two peculiar traits in national characteTont
OF which Is that forever looking forward to some
remote danger; and that danger is sometimes thing
and sometimes another which, in generations long dis.
tant TO destroy free institutions, and therefore should
be Immediately guarded against Il is well TO be proy-
dent IN this world OF uncertainty but this is rather too
much oil good thing Tor PRACTICAL men. And another
PECULIARLY is to be found in disposition push prnci-
pies 10 extremes. and 10 be satisfied with barrier less
strong than stone wall, against which man may run
has head and break IL too, if he does not stop al the crt
ical moment Persons thus predlsposed test the exist
ence OF all authority by the power 10 abuse IT. II IS SAID
abused discretion rather without discretion, and
theece the conclusion urged that we have no right 10
act in The matter.
But il is obvious on the slightest reflection that the
establishment OF such principle would destroy all egis
aton; for there is no power which, in corrupt hands
may not be abused and all that the best forms OF gov
eminent do is TO narrow the circle OF authority and
discretion much possible. You empowered 10
raise armies and support them You can raise million
OF men, If you please-you have the power to do So
but who believes bat that power will be thus abused 10
this country You levy taxes; and what to prevent
you from raising 10 the full amount OF the wealth
of the nation But no one imagines that you would
commit such wanton folly You equip navy
and outrun England in the of expenditures; and
there is scarcely one Of the powers vested in Con-
gress which may not be pushed 10 illimitabe extent
in theory-metaphy ) ysically | would say but prac-
cally looking the hands in which the power lodged
looking al the people who stand behind them, and 10
whom their representatives, must make an appeal every
two years and, indeed looking to the whole nature oil
our institutions such course OF legislation is imposs
be-not among the dangers this country has to fear.
There other powers clearly defined equally liable
10 the objections You forts where there
nothing to defend; you may build light houses where
therels navigation 10 wa.non the top OF the Allegheny
mountains if you please. What is 10 prevent you I
You cannot make any river or harbor Improvements.
say The opponents of the system for you could you
would spread these works through The whole country
without the slightest reference TO their necessity i'm
poIance But there are as many barriers against the abuse
power in these cases. Arising OF the nature OF our In
stiiulons and the responsibility OF Congress- there
in the exercise oil many undsputed powers though
fully agree that vigilance is required 10 prevent the
cess TO which such measures prone 10 run in
quence OF the pressure OF local and rival Ii
dersand the decision ot the Supreme Court has deter
mined that the admiralty jurisdiction of the United States
extends over every navgable stream in The country
What IS the effect OF that decision Almost every
navgabe for Indians canoe, and but very few are
navigabe Tor "A gun ships and II is in ascertaning the
Just medium between these two extremes that per-
ceive the necessity, and the difficulty indeed OF exercising
sound Just, and reasonable discretion. Gentlemen
say that the principle that work should be national 10
justify IT'S constrt con is OF no importance, and cons
tuies no shield against abuse Bu this is wrong
sumption, SIR Principles useful in law and morality
even whenever they establish no tangible barrier They
may well prevent excesses, though they lay down no
precise point OF limitation. The principle that men
should act rightly is sound and useful though there are
many situations IN lite in which this ethical proposition
settles nothing because may doubt what this duly
requires him TO do. But you would not, therefore, abo-
ish these gea, rules OF conduct because though they do
sions OF our nature The difficulty exists IN the moral
and IN the physical world. What man can tell when
day ends and night begins Who define the exac,
point at which cooIs each oberi This attempt
separate all Objects intellectual and material by a rigid
mathematical line has place in Nature IL would de.
feat all rational inquiries after truth There doubt
that where plain and practical barrier be inter.
posed against evil tendencies, is advantage
10 be neglected All you do in the practical opera.
tons OF government is TO define the powers clearly
possible, and then TO watch with vigilance the course
OF It's administration and hold all persons TO whom
power is intrusted responsible for lis exercise.
The senator from South Carolina, Mr. BuTLER,l the
other day. seemed 10 rdcule the idea OF exercising vgi-
lance in political affairs. Now, grea, friend 10
vigilance. We cannot have too much OF H. | am glad
that senator is here Tor notwithstanding his disclaimer
he is watchiul and vgilant the most cautious
amongst US ] am glad he stands on the watchtower-
though he is too prone 10 cry woe, Jerusalem
have heard these Jeremiads since have mingled
IN political affairs At first the waling melancholy
TO the and sad TO the heart, but by degrees events
came rapidly 10 contradict the predictions The country
stood FAST though the Cassandras disappeared and
this predsposon only excies regret that wise and good
should suhe vain fears disturb them Still, this
proneness 10 alarm without lis use, for the country
- rendered watchu by these appeals its appre
henson believe however, despite all these fanced
aawbacss That our government ~ The best, and irees
snu most prosperous the shone upon. That u
my instructive convlction and not 10 be terrified
Of by melancholy iorebodngs, with little truth 10 JUS
MY them why, The country has been killed some twenty
tunes or more, within my recolecuon yet Phoenix like, II
has always risen stronger and prosperous from is
ashes lhe Tact Is, would take immense deal OF such
killing TO destroy this county We form great and
powerful nation; from three millions OF peope-oul
number when first asserted our independence--we
nave increased IN population than eighfod, and
have already taken rank among the mighty nations
oil the earth, icib 10 make afraid, and with little
TO apprehend but our crimes and foes and the just
Judgments OF God. We have reached a position ia
which power may be felt and, what is still better IN
winch our influence and example may be felt And il
should be the hope OF every American that the ope
raons oi government may be conducted that IN
influence and example may go extending and incteas
ngnot Tor the purposes OF ambition ba for the best in
erest OF human nature both in the New and in the Ok
World.
have already said, sir that there is danger that th
system may be carried TOO far. And efforts have beer
made 10 establish practical limitations which would
restrain its exercise within moderate bounds Genera
Jackson sought such limitation in the OF th,
operations, and Mr.. Calhoun, IN respect at hast IL
The constitution. The former gave his general views
the power ITSELF and OF the limitations upon IL which h
proposed to lay down. in the following extracts from h