Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-01-16

has not been ratified, and demands a 70
newa OF the mission. But the expansive
and aspiring energies of our people arr
not yet fairly at work in that region.''
The Ssnt'Aet contains letter from DR..
Gardiner, to convince the public that he,
rather than the prosecution, is to Do in.
jured by the theft of the missing pape,
IN the Gardiner CASE" He gives his
own version of the affair, Of course, with
an appearance of much earnestness. We
lind also in the Sentinel, q letter from
Senator Douglas to the Governor of Hi.
nols, bearing date Jan. Cd, inst. 1t is
an elaborate and very fsrcible defence Of
the Presidents recommendation in favor
Of the Improvement of certain western
rivers and harbors. by levying tonnage
duties. This paper bids fair to have
great weight on the popular mind; for it
is statesman-like, earnest, and powerful
in its conclusions. The doctrine he sus.
tains is in direct conflict with that Of
many OF his own party who 60 on the
stump, in the West. Fortunately for the
Judge, he has arrived at that condition as
. public man, wherein he must look
rather to the nation at large for approba-
ton, than to the constituency in q single
Congressional district. His letter has
disgruntled many Of his supporters at
home, doubtless, while it can hardly fail
to increase his popularity greatly, else
where. By way of showing the tane Of
his views, we quote him as follows s.
That system which, will insure the
construction of the improvements upon
the best plan and at the smallest cos
will prove the least oppressive to the
taxpayer and the most useful to CON-
meroe. 1t requires no argument to prove
for every days experience teaches US
that public works Of every description
can be made at q much smaller cost by
private enterprise, or BY the local author.
tiles directly interested in the improve.
ment, than when constructed by the fed.
eral government. Hence, inasmuch az
the expenses of constructing river and
harbor improvements must, under either
plan, be betrayed by tax upo, COM
merce In the first instance, and finally
upon the whole people interested in that
commerce, l am Of the opinion that the
burdens would be less under the system
referred to in the message than by appro-
priations from the federal TREASURY.
Those who seem not to have understood
the difference have attempted to excite
prejudice against this plan for the i'm
provement of navigation, by comparing
1t to the burdens imposed upon the nav.
igation of the Rhine, the Elb, the Oder,
and other rivers running through the
German States. The people residing
upon those rivers did not complain that
they were required to pay duties for the
Improvement ef their navigation. Such
was not the fact. No duties were i'm
posed for any such purpose. No i'm
provements in the navigation were ever
made or contemplated by those who ex-
acted the tolls. Taxes were extorted
from the navigating interest by the petty
sovereigns through whose dominions the
rivers run, for the purpose of defraving
the expenses of the pomp, and eeremo-
MES, and follies of vicious and corrupt
courts. The complaint was, that griev-
GUS and unnecessary burdens were i'm
posed on navigation without expanding
any portion of the money for its protection
and improvement"
The Intelligence, moved so to do by
remark in the recent short speech of
Mr.. Dunbar, of Louisiana, defends the
administration Of John Quincy Adams
against that gentleman's indirect charge
OF extravaganza and rccklessness in con.
nection with internal improvements by
the General Government, with great
force and effect; showing from official
documents that during the four years Of
Mr.. Adams, the expenditures on this &C
count were S2,31O.475, while in the eight
years Of General jackson they were
SIG, $3.50, sS2. The editor closes his elab.
crate argQnent with this showing, add.
ing .. ..r..... -.....: p
A" The impartial reader has now an op-'
Portunity of seeing how little of fairness
here is among politicians who ascribe
either extravaganza or corruption to the
Administration of John Quincy Adams
IN reference to Internal Improvements,
or any thing else.'' ri.
II = The President will oiva . roc.,,-