Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1853-06-29
THE ST .1Nl;D.AR D:
RA1rrdH. wEDrEspA1, JUNE %. 1859

~ ssan fln;tynan. who was member Of the
.Asss,,,ls Convention, stood up manfully in that
s..s;nst the exercise of unconstitutional pow
Il !. general goyernnIerlts lie declared him
sSlf strongly in favor Of the Pacific Road, but
wa, fearful saerieingthe spirit of the Constitu-
lion of the accumulation of power in the hands
Of the general government, and the invasion OF
the liberties of the people, These were the dang
ers which threatened to follow any and every I'M
constitutional exercise Of power by the federal au
thorties of the nation the rights of the States
If the Railroad was to be built by the govern
uent, the people ought to be free to travel on IT.
without cbarae and hire ten thousand tavern keep
ora to keep eootEhouses for their accommodation
ON the route. He mentioned these things to snow
the extremes to which one false step might lead
the destruction of our system of government, the
glorious fabric erected by our forefathers.
Gen Ouitman is not mistaken in his reading of
,be signs Of the times The tendency is, we re-
neat. to consoldation-to an absorption OF all
powe and influence by the general government
We sincerely believe that the true principles of
our government were never in greater danger than
they are now In times of prosperity like these,
we are too apt to forget that evil IS in our path
bcsetting us on every hand. The sea is smooth
and the gallant ship rides it in glorious sunlight,
with all sails set before favorng breeze but the
storm only slumbers, and may break suddenly in
its fury upon us or if not so, the worm working
silently in the hull, through this long pause OF
peace and prosperity, may accomplish what foreign
invasion and unconcealcd movements might III vain
attempt We look to the general government not
only for too much, but for almost every thing. We
look to it to give money-ow Ot0n moHey-to
build Railroads, to construct canals, to improve
Ilarbors We look to it to divide lauds-in other
words, to benefit us lay divisions Of property, or by
gifts, forgetting the fact that all wealth Is taken
from the earth, and that no State can be indepen-
dent which relies OH bounties instead of labor
Wherever the Constitution sanctions Improvements
by the federal government in the States, we are
not only willing but anxious to see Improvements
made; and 50, according to this principle. we
should be pleased, for example, at the passage Of
bills to open Nag's Head and to improve the Cape
Fear Bar; but demand for what is due and right
as in these cases, cannot be urged q pretext for
the expenditure of millions works which are
local and not national in their character.
But the true principles of this government are
in peril only 80 far as Congress is concerned.
FRANkIN PIERCE is President--the iron-win of
Jackson is in him, as his mantle is upon him; and
we have no fears that he will fail the honest mass
cs in the hour of trial. That hour of trial he is
surely destined to encounter; but we believe he
will walk through it, on other occasions of a
like character, with purpose and nerve which
no combination of events circumstances will be
able to shake.