Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-03-16

The Administration and General Cass.
The Detroit Free Press, the ablest admins
tration journal in the Northwest, and the spe-
ciL organ Of General Cass; which has stood
firmly by the Executive in all his measures
has been subsssyient to his wishes and be-
hests--has mired In the dirt to sustain him,
and lent him all its energies, with zeal worthy
of better cause, is compelled by the pocket
veto" Of the St Clair Flats BILL to administer
an indignant rebuke to our Democratic Pre-
sident" That journal, on the 10th inst, after
enumerating the important interests affected by
this veto, thus comments upon the extraordi-
nary conduct of Franklin Pierce:
We assure the administration at Washington
and In doing 80 we intend to speak plainly, as we
do truly-that the Democracy Of the northwest not
only cannot and viii not sustain the policy which
has denied these appropriations, but win repudiate
il. II Is not Democratic policy. II Is not policy
that has been recognised by any Executive from
be supported ON grounds either of constutonality,
necessity or propriety- II Is not policy that can
be sustained BY any political party, or attempting
TO sustain which any political party can sustain
itself We approve President Pierce's veto Of the
omnibus river and harbor bill Of the first session OF
the present Congress, because Il was wasteful,
extravagant, and, as we believed, an unconstitu-
tional bill We did not object to the views Of his
message on the subject Of internal improvements
sent TO Congress during the late session. We have
advocated the plan Of letting every work rest upon
Its own merits, in separate bill. Our delegation
were careful to wait for the expression OF the Pres
ident's opinions, and then to frame the st. Clair
and st. Marys bill strictly in accordance with them.
They had right TO expect and the hfteen millions
of people interested in the Improvement had right
to expect that when Congress had sanctioned the
bill, the President would not raise objections, and
interpose obstacles to 1t not stated In his message
They had right to expect that he would approve
1t.
We have endeayored to stand by tho admins
tration steadily through all its trials and all its diff
ficulties. We have supported its general policy
consistently and unbendngly, because we thought
it was right. We shall do SO still But we must
be permitted TO assure the President and his adj
visers, that they could have done nothing TO 80
effectualy palsy our arms, and the of faithful
Democrats all over the Northwest as to arrest this
appropriation bill Did there exist the least shad-
ow of doubt as to its constitutionalty, no matter
| how great its necessity we should not raise our
voice in it's defence. We would, indeed, battle
for the right, whatever the magnitude OF the
pecuniary interests urging departure from the
strict line Of duty. But there Is no constitutional
l
from ocean TO ocean more national than any other,
| 1t IL this. n there is one work from the British
possession on the north, to the Gulf of Mexico on
| the south, moro necessary than any other, II is
this Prominently II Is national work, and pre-
eminently 1t Is a necessary work for the uses OF
interstate and international commerce, and for
the purpose of military defence in time OF war.
| Thus IT stands. Such is the work. Such is the
attitude in which the Democracy and the people of
the Northwest stand towards it--and such is the
attitude Of the Administration towards it. To fail
Of the appropriation is serious enough but Il does
not involve SO many difficulties the denial Of the
vital principle that It the duty of the Government
to protect and facilitate the legitimate commerce
of the country. The President must abandon such
ground or, so far as this question is concerned the
democracy of the Northwest will abandon him !!
To attempt to sustain him would be to invite an
| initiation.
We are emphatic because the occasion demands
emphasis We desire to support the Administra-
ton in all its measures, but shall stop far short
of countenancing such distractions apparently
lie at the bottom of the Presidents objections to
this bill.