New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-03-25
THE CANALS.
so.ech of Senator Cooley.


last, on the proposition TO amend the STATE
Constitution with a view to speedy compile
t;on Of the Public Works. Ia commencing his
speech Mr.. Cooley remarked tina. he has been
sccusedof deserving his party, but he assured
,he Senate that he was Democrat that bis democracy
h.d been of thirty years standing and he had no doubt
!. vs, the genuine article whatever might be sara 70
,eeontrsry and as Democrat he advocated the mea-
sure under consideration.
The energy, enterprise and greatness OF NATION u
ea,ured by the facilities OF communication through
o,t the country they may happen to occupy. Hence
I'm the Turkish Empire Greece, nucn OF Italy arrd
Spsin and the greater part OF New Grenada Mexico
and the South American States where railroads canals
or even good carriage roads are unknown, though
tessed with exceeding s&lubrty Of climate and won
derul fertility Of SOIL civilization is at low ebb, and
the hand Of despotsm weighs heavily upon the people
In England, France, Belgium, Holland and many OF
the German States il Is far otherwise There we find
sheher civilization, greater degree Of Intelligence,
more enlarged freedom-more apparent contentment
and prosperity. There too we find rapid and easy
modes Of conveyance.
The heavy commerce Of the United States can never
be conducted adequately by means OF railroads alone,
The great bulk Of the staple productions OF the South
ard West find their way to the seaboard through
paygabe rivera lakes and canals, or not at all Rail
roads cannot do the work however numerous they
INV he We rnusttbersfore and keep open to their
fullest extent end capacity canals and nav1gsble
rivers connectins the Atlantic with the inland seas oil
the interior The question whether the Legislature
win or win take measures quite within its reach
and power 10 insure the early completion OF our ca
p.ls IL a subject Of yast importance TO every city
town and village 10 the State All parts OF the State
will be measurably benefited by the enlargement and
,ompletion of the canals. Every farmer, every me-
ehanic every merchant eyerytsx payer in short every
citizen Of the Sta.efor' all arc taxpayers, directly or
pdirectly-csnnot fail TO be benefited In greater or
iess degree rays Mr. Cooley, By carrying out in good
faith the democratic pledges 10 the people and prose
eutipg the Public Works to their final completion and
the Democratic party cannot without doing violence to
all It's previous professions adopt any other course
But while Ii is clearly incumbent upon the Democratic
party W being In power and pledged to the people for
that purpose devise ways and means for the speedy
completion of these great Public Works, ii is ques
don Of such vital importance 10 rise high above all
party considerations. 1t claims and should command
the undivided support of all parties and factions Of par
tes While the great Of the people of all par
ties undoubtedly favor the completion Of the canals
there are some individuals etpyng high official places,
and exercising influence, who think extremely
unwse and quite ruinous to State credit and public
morals do thing toward the enlargement further
than a little annual scraping Of the bottom of the Ca
nails and little yearly patching and tinkering and the
throwing away of only $500 600 for temporary pur
poser which will not advance the enlargement These
gentlemen desire TO tax the people directly six
teen or eighteen hundred thousand dollars for the
rent year. fearing that If the people not roundy
taxed they may forget that the Democrats in
power.
Mr. Cooley describes one class of men who, not meet
ing with much success in the management of their
own aairs for themselves, par excellence, the
duty and RICH, of the guardianship of all the affairs of
the State They hopeless and Departing of the
pacty Of for selfgovernment and pretty full be-
hever in total depravity They are great fnanciers
tuitiysly and have holy horror Of debt under any
actual supposable circumstances and consider pub
lie credit the primevai curse They never consider
st all the objects for which debts may be
sscted-so IL be debt, they unhesitatingy, and at
once, pronounce II a In their estimation 1t
makes no of difference whether debts he
tracts for fummery farms, gambling groceries,
ships or siabubs ribbons or railroads cosmetics or
canals II 1t be debt they jump at to the con.
clusion that the indebted matter what may bether
ability to pay, not only already doomed, but they
must eventually be damned These financial mono.
manacs consider everybody and everything tincured
with bankruptcy, and quite the verge OF ruin.
Their imagnations lead them to the continued con
temptation Of empty pockets and exhausted treasur.
les and the lees they find in either the better they
seem to be pleased for il is in such an impoverished
state Of things whether real imaginary, that they
find their ftvorite argument against encouraging any
enterprises and in favor Of srrestng the progress
Of all old ones No matter how useful they may be-
or how much they may improve or enrich the state
or encourage increase commerce. If an excuse
can be found for breaking contracts sacredly entered
into they for breaking them, and for doing moth.
ing else.
Another elass, Mr.. Cooley says, have theory that
apublc debt Ia q national blessing, and build enor-
nous State castles in the air. Beth are wrong One
Is the political spendthra and the other the contempt
lille nser OF party-hled with ysgares and selfcon.
ceit. Common sense and truth point to a medium be.
these extremes the safe channel In which TO
the ship Of State. Credit carefully and udicous-
ly used, becomes equally valuable with capital The
State Credit hiss been and may be used in certain ex
genciee with great advantage TO the public interest
This country ts greatness and prosperity to the
combination of Credit Capital Industry and Enter.
prize. Where would have been our canals railroads
steamships and immense commerce, but for Credit
Had the State used its Credit We should Ger.
tainiy have canals. And but for the use of
Crech, therc would prooAoly be no railroads In this
State for many years yet to come. The interior and
western part OF this State would be but sparsey
settled hs vas, natural resources scarcely developed
and is immense agricultural products would at this
time be further from market than those Of the State
Of Iowa are now from the City OF NewYork. But for
the use of public and private Credit the incscuIsble
commerce of the West, (Which would Be nothing
eostrsssed with whist it is> would be urging
is way to the Atlantic through the ice incum
hered channel Of the At Lawrence, or seeksg more
distant and dlatory passage down the Mississppito
The Cult. The City of New.Nork would now be
scarcely 50 large as wilismsburgh, and the City of
Brooklyn would doubtless be stn laid out in cabbage
yards and turnip patches.