Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1853-03-02


tors, would be applicants. So that with bonu,
of fS50,OOO,OOO or S6O,OOOOoO, or perhaps more
this chartered company may embark in this un
deriali ,g, with more confidence of advantage
than Of hazard. to themselves. They will brgir
with the contributions of tho Government, aud
may well rely upon its guarantees in their lu.
turc operations.
Since have been referred to, rs one that may
have constitutional ubjrcinnS 10 this Measure,
will present, by way of Illustration, Il PROPOSE
tion involving principles the same as those o
this bill which many of The gentlemen, now adj.
vocating it, have condemned as opposed to party
creed, upon the ground that it was subject TO the
SAME objections whic!, might we'll urge 10 ii
now Suppose the proposition once made, ia
construct Il Federal road from Buffalo to this
city, and hence on to New Orleans, were. now
to be revived, what would gentlemen say! Why,
that it was opposed to the constitutional doc.
trines laid down in The Baltimore platform. Or,
TO make the proposition more gcrnlanc 20 thu
subject, suppose the scheme was to be TO extend
the con,trurtit Of this road from the valley of
the Mississippi to the Atlantic. Gentlemen
would then take party alarm. and cry out, that
this sav"rs of Il general system of internal i'm
pr0rcn,rnt, and violates the cardinal doctrines of
the Democratic creed. In principle the eases
supposed cannot be distinguished from the meas
ure und;r consideration, for this bill proposes.
to make railroad to run through two or more
of The States, west of the Mississippi, by The d.
rect appropriation of money from the Federal
| Treasury. The other eases referred to would
| propose to run road of Il similar kind through
two or more Siaics lying east of the same river,
having an Atlantic, instead of n Pacific crnlina-
tion. The difference, then, between these Srs-
tens of internal improvement, is simply The
difference between the words Atlantic and Pa
ciic unless the difference can he qualified by the
fact, that part OF the Pacific road runs over ter
ritory, and that a desert. belonging to all the
United Statcs-a distinction that cannot avail
gentlemen, unless they are prepared to give up
conviction, or purity professions, to the force of
interest, and the temptations of sectional agcr III
| dizemcnt to this complexion it must come at
last. he; cannot even lay the ila. e-ing un,:-
l"n to their souls. which seems to have sustain.
cd Mr.. Jefferson, in hi, disregard of the Consli-
tuition, by the purchase of Louisiana, upon The
broad doctrine Of Stats naccSsir. Such doc.
trlnc might afford place ofrefngc fora virnoas
and VIE magistrate, acting undor the duress of
eccssity, whilst it might become n dangerous
l.idiny place for selfish cxpcdienry or criminal
ambition. Gentlemen do not pretend TO plead
this necessity; INDEED, they cannot, fora COM
licatnn with California can be now had,
within their days, by the ocean and panam:. rJue.
Ard when 4 railroad shall be completed at some
one Of The many points in contemplate across
he 'sthmus, it crrdoubtfnl whc her this one:
3gsl6laru anr-I tyan!ages over e III 4 G mmer-
cial point of view, it is Il common opinion that
there will be none. These natural facilities of
communication seem to have been pointed out
by the finger of Gnd whilst this road 10 be indi-
Gated, withont reconnaissance or surrey, will be
the work of guessing men.
No", Mr.. President, let gentlemen look at it,
Is not this measure of internal improvements,
to he constructed hy the direction and the means
OF the Federal Government !-not bv the dirrc-
tion of the Federal Government, in its full mean
lug, but by one of IFS Departments Eyccu-
tive. 1t IS but an illustration Of many Of the
lessons of history, that doctrine and principle,
melt and crnmblc under the temptations of in
tcrest. Creeds and party platforms. are but as
barriers Of sand against the tide Of power, and
the force of local combinations.
Allow ME to say, sir that if VIC arc 10 have
system OF internal improvements to he COM
mencrd now, in disregard of all our party pro-
fcssions, greatly prefer that it shall he devised
by the Congress of the United States, looking
to The general welfare and commercial rrgula-
tinn of all the States of the Confrderacv rather
than TO such partial system of improvements,
and commercial regulation, as have in many in
stances hccn committed to several Of the States
Here, sir, allude to the donation of public
lands to several of Tie western and northwest
crn States, for the construction Of railroads, and
cutting of canals. The mere donation of such
lands as gratui!ies, would be objectionable, rs Il
partial mode Of dispnsing of the public domain.
But that is not my main objection to this policy.
My objection is, it allows the States receiving
such donations to make selfish regulations of
commerce, not only for their own benefit, but
for such as may operate to the prejudice of other
States. To illustrate | ght consent TO pl're
staff in the hands Of another under certain ci'-
cunlstanccs: but not when know it is his de-
signt TO use it against myself. Self-protcction is
the first law of nature.
A single State, or one or two States acting
in combination, under the influence of local and
sectional interest, might yield t" The temptation
of making adversary diversions of commerce.
| For instance. the lake States, to make commu-
niration through the lakes, TO the great sea-pnrts
on the North Atlantic, whilst Congress, repre-
sentng all the States, would haze every induce
mcnt to make commercial regulation 10 subservc
the interests and preserve the equality OF all the
paris. | do not admit, however, that to such
regulations of commerce by Congress, that
could expect equally in the appropriations ot
money for such purposes. All that mean ;c
say S, thata general system Of internal improve
mrnts, emanating from the common council %!
the Confedcracy, would be preferable to parlia
and disjointcd regulations Of few of the States
frequently having inducements to make thci
channels of commerce adversary TO all others.
Mr.. President, we are standing on the th-cSh
old of an eveniful future. We are about iC
embark upon system that will swallow up al
Others and will increase the tendency of lhi:
Government, once free confeheracy of Repub
Iran States, to become CONSOLIDATED empire
We are departing from old landmarks and enter
ing upon boundlcss wilderness of unknown
powers, without chart and withou: compass
We are committing our destinies to the dscre
tion of irresponsible legislation, instead OF al
lowing it to be controlled and protected by th
obligations and the guarantees of written ant
once respected Constitution.
fear, Mr.. President we are approaching
period in tie history of this Government. whcl
we shall have to escape from abuses and dan
gers by revolution. instead of resoriing to re
form, under the dictates of justice and the pre-
scrpion of acknowledged forms of Govern
mrnt. But in all this, know, sir, | have no
the sympathy, much less the support, of tn
majority of this body shall therefore spar
) it the ungratcful task of listening to any dis
cussion of my constitutional opinions on thi
, great and ottcn-ccnsidercd subject. | acqui