The American patriot., 1855-10-13

some power which has been specifically granted |
The power can only be ganted by an amendment
Of the constitution and in the mode prescribed
by it,"
Mr.. Monroe communicated his views on this SUBJ |
iect to Congress. in message of great length, and
in the following year changed his views, and gave
his sanction to bill authorizing the President
cause plans, estimates and surveys of roads and |
canals, for which the sum Of thirty thousand dol. |
lars was appropriated.
During the administration Of Mr.. Adams, the |
public works upon which the government was en-.
gagged, were mostly inaugurated under the admins.
tration of Mr.. Monroe and were national In their
character and effect
Gen. Jackson in his first annual message, in
speaking Of the surplus revenue and its proper dis
hursements after paying the public debt, says
Every member Of this Union, in peace or war,
will be benefited by the Improvement Of inland
navigation and the construction Of highways in the
several States. Let us endcavor to secure this
benefit in mode which will be satisfactory to all,
that hitherto adopted has by mary Of our fellow
citizsns been deprecated as an infac'ion Of the
the distribution Of the surplus revenue among the
s'veral States to be employed in works Ct internal
improvement. if in the opinion Of Congress they
had the constitutional POWER to do so.'
Gen. Jacksons veto Of the Mavsville road bill
was hased upon three ohjections-lst. That it was
local and entirely within the limits Of one State,
and not connected with ary general system Of i'm.
provcments. I'd. That the appropriation Of public
money to works Of internal improvements was un.
wise and inexpedicnt. in the then condition Of the
monetary affars Of the United Sat q. I'd. That
Congress did not possess the power under TIE con.
stitutior. The third was the insuperable objection
in the mind Of Jackson, for after having examined
the two first grounds he SAYS: "In the other view
Of the subject, and the only remaining one which it
is my intention to present at this time, is involved
in the expedency Of emharking in system of in.
tcrnal improvements without previous amend.
precise powers Of the federal government overit
In the same message, in expressing his views Of
the subject as question Of policy he says: ''This
subject has hearings which are calculated to exert
powerful influence upon our hitherto prosperous
system Of government and which on some accounts
may even excite dependency in the breast of an
American citizen. will not detain you with pro.
fessions Of zeal in the cause Of internal improve.
ments IF to be their friend is virtue which de.
serves commendation, our country is blessed with
an abundance of it-for do not suppose that there
is an intelligent citizen who does not desire to see
them flourish"
We have thus briefly exhibited compcndious
history of the views and principles Of the dcmocrn.
tic party on the subj Ct of internal improvements
by the general government. We have sustained
those propositions with which we started out: lst,
That Mr.. Jefferson to Mr.. Polk, the Democratic
Presidents have denied the constitutional power Of
Congress over the subject of internal improve
ments whether general or local, national or state
I'd, That they have uniformly urged an amend.
m"nt of the constitution to grant such power to
Congress Sd, That they have uniformly been the
friends Of the system as question Of expectancy.
anart from the question Of constitutional power
Ath, That up to the time Of Mr.. Folks administra
ton there was no difference Of opinion between the
Wing and Democratic parties upon the policy Of
the system. The single issue between them was
the existence or nonexistence of the constitutional
power in Congress.
When our democratic friends say that they have
been the friends Of national and the wings Of local
Improvements, they mistake both fact and history
The whig party have uniformly advocated works Of
a general and national charlottesville the great
80 a., ,Ac.
nal improvements, are the acts Of the democratic
party.
The democratic platform Of 1852, as it is under.
stood by Mr.. Haynes and his democratic friends,
while it denies the constitutional power Of Con.
gress to adopt and execute system Of general i'm.
provements, asserts the power Of Congress over
works Of internal improvements which are national
in their character. Mr.. Haynes, in his Speech r..
f,rs to Gen Jackson as sustaining this view in his
Maysvle veto message, This position, and the
true position of the democratic party, at present,
encounters the convictions of Jefferson, Madison,
Monroe, and Jackson-it comedies the principle
against which each of them contended to wit: the
authority of Congress under the constitution to
execute works Of internal Improvement, whether
general or local. national or state. A careful exa
mination Of the language employed by Gen. Jack
son will convince Mr.. Haynes that he has improp.
erly stated the opinions Of the old hero. In his
Maysville veto message, he reviews the opinions Of
his predecessors, and states that the principle dec
ded by them and in which he concurs, is that Con-
grcss has the power to make appropriations to
works of a general and national cllaractcr-but he
as decidedly denies the power of Congress under
the constitution, to adopt and execute any system