Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1853-12-21

that your early action relating to it is most de-
sirabc.
Congress representing the proprietors Of the
territorial domain, aud charged especially with
power to dispose of territory belonging to the
United States, has, for i long course Of years,
beginning with the administration of MIR. Jelter-
son. exercised the power to construct roads
within the Territories and there are so many
and obyous distinctions between this exercise Of
power and that of making roads within The
States that the former has never been consider.
cd subject to such objections to the latter, ami
such niay now be considered the settled construc-
ton of the power of the Fcder.l Government
upon the subject.
Our diplomatic relations with foreign powers
have undergone no essential change since the
adjournment of the last Congress. With some
of lhem, questions of Il disturbing character are
still pending but there are good reasons tn be-
! Iicvc That these may be ancably adjusted.
| commend to yonr favorable consideration
the men of genius Of our country, who. by their
! inventions and discoveries in science and art,
! have contributed largely 10 the improvements OF
the age, without, in many instances, securing TOR
themselves anything like an adequate reward.
| For many Interesting details upon this subject,
! refer YOU to the appropriate reports, and c'pe-
caIly urge upon your earl Y attention, The appa-
rently slight but really important notifications
of existing laws therein suggested.
The subject ofintcrnal improvements, claiming
alike the interest and good will Of all, has ncv'
erthclcss been the basis Of much political dis.
cussion, and has stood as 4 deep craven line oil
division between statesmen OF eminent ability
and patriotism. The rule of strict construction
of all powers delegated by the States to the
General Government has arraycd ilSe.f, from
time 10 time, against the rapid progress of en-
pcndilures from the National Treasury on works
of Il local character within the States Mcmora
bic as IN epoch in the history OF this subject l.
the message of President Jackson of the 9th o
May, 1890, which met the system OF internal I'M
provements in its comparative infancy; but sc
rapid had been its growth that the pro. ectcd ap
preparations in that year for works OF this char
acter had arisen TO the alarming amount OF more
than one hundred millions OF dollars.
In that message the President admitted thu
difficulty of bringing back The operations OF tht
Government to the construction of the constr
tuition set up in 1893, and marked it as an ad
monilorv proof Of the necessity OF guarding tina
instrument with sleepess vigilance against th'
authority of precedents which had not the sane
, ton of its most plainly defined powers.
. Our Government exists Under written com
| pact between sovereign States, uniting for spe
, cific objects, and with specific grants 20 thel
general agent II, then in the progress OF 1t
administrations there have been departures from
) The terms and intent of the compact, it is, ant
: will ever be, proper to refer back to the tlxe'
, standard which our fathers left us, and to maxi
, stern effort to conform our action to 1t.
would seem that the fact of principle harn!
;, been resisted from the first by many OF the wses
/. and most patriotic men of the republic, and
] policy having provoked constant strife, wlthou
e arriving at conclusion which can be regarde
! as satisfactory to its most earnest advocates
t should suggest the inquiry whether there ma
not he plan likely TO be crowned by haPple
c results.
4 Without perceiving any sound distinction, Q
e intending to assert any principle as opposed
h improvements needed for the protection OF II
i ternal commerce. which does not equally appI
:, TO improvements upon the seaboard for the pre-
Vt lection of foreign commerce, submit to 20
c whether it NAV not be safely anticipated that,
il the policy were once settled against appropr;
tious bv the General Government for local in
o provemenls for the benefit of commerce, local
# ties requiring expenditures would not, by mode
y and means clearly legitimate and proper, rails
;. the fund necessary for such constructions as Il
It safely or other interests of their commert
J. might require.
ic IF that can be regarded as n system which,
y, the experience of more than thirty years, has