The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1856-05-29
TENS or THE
Weekly Pioneer and DemOCrat.
Internal Improve me nts-.rhe Veto.

We mentioned on Saturday morning, that
the President has vetoed the bills Tor the Inn
proyement OF the 81 Clair Flats and Of the
navigation at the mouth u the Mississippi
river. Gen. PIERCE no doubt deems himself
consistent in these vetoes with the principles
enunciatsd In his able veto message of 1854
and with tho entire policy d his administration
- the only departure from that policy being
bis approval Of bill for the removal Of OBJ
---.'. -~-.aa-, liver anon tho cx-
pres ground that such 0bstrnctIoD- we're placcn
there by the government itself u We remember
Alright, during the war OF 1912 While. there
fore, We arc DISPOSED To award to dcn. Pisner
tho need Of honest intentions, and 10 commend
In general the doctrine Of strict constitutional
construction, especially where appropriations
Of the peoples money are involved N dcpar.
turc from which, during Federal adminstra-
tons, and particularly that Of TAYLOR and
FnLxonw, was the initiatory movement To-
wards national debt Of one hundred millions
Of dollars we yet contend that the doctrine has
its limitations, and that the proposed improve
ncnts have been arbitrarily vetoed coming rs
they do, within thosr limitations beinp ior
.sosks aai local bat clearly national u !ibci,
character and facilitating the commerce Of the
entire country. II w@ conlsndoi. no doubt
truly, by the Democratic party, ~ IN Offset ia
the senselcss clamor which was raised by the
veto of s54 that general system ofinicrnal i'm.
provcments was clearly uconsti tutionaln gross
ly corrupting legislation and individuals always
embracing works Of benefit only 10 tho immc-
diaie locality or single state. and that such
Wholesale expenditures would be svsbly mis-
applied But, We imagine. II was never ap.
pretended that the doctrine would become 30
sublimaicd that distinctions would le made 10
refined. that while appropriations could lie ap'
proved for the scaboard they should be with.
held from such national highway M the Mis-
sissippi river. or tho necessary improvement Of
point important to the commerce OF the Gu
tire lakes. TO the prosperity Of tho great and
. numerous states whose shores they wash to
every river AMI every road TO which they are
linked and incidentally II not directly, Ia the
welfare of every state In the Union com
mercc, scarcely. II OF all inferior to oil our
commerce upon The high sea'. Il must require
eyes 10 which mill stone is not IN in,l,cncira-
bic disc, 10 distinguish between the power 10
make appropriations Of money for such works
Us these. anil lands for railroads in Iowa
These lands represent cash value OF at least
one million Of dollars. aud their donation Is
equivalent to an abstraction Of that sum from
the National Treasury for works more local
IN their character than the proposed improve
inents just vetoed The considerations which
would induce nprnden, proprietor " 10 donate
part To beneii, the whole. apply Ia nayiga
ton NJ well ~ railroads. and II such cons,lcra-
tons obviate constitutional AFFECTIONS IN one
casc, they do IN the other
We protest agains, the doctrine that strict
construction OF the constitution means an entire
absence Of power in the general government to
prosecute works Of internal improvements ii
clearly national benefit We protest against
the unjust discrimination in favor Of the sea
hoard, and agains, tho great lakes aud the Mis-
sissppi we dissent from the incorporation OF
any sach policy In the Democratic platform !;
and We warn the Democratic National Con.
ycntiou, about to assemble against the fatal
consequences OF lis approval