Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1856-05-22

still il is said you have not the power, un-
der the constitution, to appropriate single
dollar TO shelter it, Is that the constitu-
ton? Is that the posi- of the democrat
&c party of the United States? Are they
put on this Mississippi staa5ackets Are
We TO make this government an impractical
bic machine, as the doctrine of my friend
from Virginia would make j.? Sir, is il
come TO this, that YOU have not the power
to construct harbors which may be ncces-
sary to protect your vessels in the even; of
war? Can you not provide places Of
refuge for your navy? Are our vessels to
be wrecked on our coasts, and the lives of
our people sacrificed, on the pretext that
we have not the constitutional power to pro-
vide places of refuge? Suppose that, up
on the Gulf of Mexico, the enemy, in time
of war, should present feet too strong
for you to meet, and your vessels should
desire to take refuge in some Of your har-
bors; have you not the power in the time
of peace to prepare for such contingency?
In time OF war you conccde YOU would have
a right to appropriate the public money
for such purpose. But it would then be
too late. Can you not in peace prepare for
these things?" And coming more directly
to the point. Mr.. Weller proceeded:
NOW, Mr.. President, who will deter
mine what arc the principles of the demo-
cratic party? Are the opinions of the old
fathers, the leaders of the democracy-such
men as Jefferson, Madison, Monroe. Jack
son and Calhoun--to be taken, or the as.
serlons of my friend from Mississippi who
claims that he Is consistent because he al
ways preached the same doctrine in Miss
lsslppl? Well, if a man is wrong do not
think he can make consistency merit.
do not doubt that he always proclaimed that
the democratic party were opposed to in
ternal improvements, and he could do it
very properly; but l trust lie never denied
the power of the federal government to con
struct or improve harbors on our Allan ic
or Pacific coast, or on the northern lakes.
derive this power from the military clause
OF the constitution, as well as from the clause
which authorizes you TO build navy. If
you have the power 10 construct vessels
OF war and put them on Your northern
lakes, You have also the power to do what
ever Is necessary 10 preserve and protect
them, as well from the heaven as from tho
public enemy. The one is the incident of
the other. If You can create YOU can pre-
serve. That is the doctrine for which [
ave commended. If il is not democratic
doctrine am outside of the party, which
L should regret very much. Having been
member OF that party ever since | was
mani do not choose 10 speak of my age,
daughter --haying been attached to that
party all my life, should be sorry, at this
late day, to find myself entirely outside of
a healthy political organization. If such
were the fact, | mightas well ask the ques-
ton, Where shall | go? 1t would mortify
me exceedingly, at his ae day, to be
read out of the party with whom my des-
tinies have been So long uni.ed'
Mr.. Stuart was not less happy in expos
ing the Inconsistency Of the practice of the
Mississippi Senator (Mr. Brown on the
question of these appropriations, than Mr..
Weller had been III exposing the absurditv
of his doctrine respecting it, Mr.. Stuart
said
"Well, sir, never did understand how
a gentleman could vo:e for an unconstitu-
tional amendment, and could not apply the
same Vote to the whole bill. If it is un-
constitutional to improve Pascagoula bay,
/ it Is uncon stitutional TO vote TO put il in a
bill If appropriation. have taxed nv dis
elimination of.en, but it has never brought
me up TO that nice standard of distinction.
Now. am going 10 show the Senator how
his principle stands at this session.
When the bill passed The Senate to i'm
. tho NJ ('l.rr H.rc l,a r
Mississippi voted against it. When bill
passed to improve the ST. Mary's river, ST.
/ that We could get in Lake Superior, he vot-
ed against it. Wien the bill passed to i'm
prove the Pass a fOutre, he voted for it.
Then how stand the Senator's principles?
| do not understand thit the purpose for
which his speech is now made If tits madc-
TO operate on the Cincinnati convention, |
leave him &c the Senator from California
If IL is made TO operate on his constituents
AT home, / wish TO send that vote along
with it. | have the journal before me,
from which it appears that on the question
of the passage of the bill to remove OBJ
struc;ions TO navigation at the mouths of
the Mississippi river. at the Southwest
Pass and the Pass rOutre, the two SEN
ators from Mississippi Messrs. Adams and
Brown voted for il, and the only Sena ors
who voted against it were "Messrs CLAW,
Iverson and Mason" Ii may be that that
bill was near Mississippi interests; at all
events it breaks in on the Senator's princi-
pie. If he can tell me the difference, on
principle, between making that appropria-
ton and making the appropriations now
under consideration, he has a task on hand
which think will take him more than this
year to so through with"
Fortunately there are not many Senator'S
holding to the views of Mr.. Brown. We
are positive that, SO far as Michiganis con-
cerned, no appropriation is asked except
for strictly national objects. The vote on
the Ontonagon bill is sufficiently indicative
that all that has been asked will be OBJ
tanned.
KISSING.