Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-04-08
THE PACIFIC RAILBOAD CUES ION.

spproprsting money from toe Federal Treasury for
works Of internal Improvement was tot claimed /
or exercised tor moro than thirty years after the
organization Of The government ia 1889, when
. mere latitudinogs construction was iD6icsted
though not byos5!y asserted sod,ezercised untt /
ls25-and, in tie eaiire history Of ouf Presidscis
only under the administrations OF Dir. Monros Rno
the elder Adsms cid this Wild ana dangerous doc
trine receive practical spp icstion But sven
then the policy weEt Id fsEthar than en- Effort to
improve hstbors in the States CT Nsssscbuse'ts
and PennsylTanis, aud abe ccIetTua.ica Of Nc
Adsmizsd road from Cumberland, il toe State q
MARYLAND, 10 Jsffsrsoa city in the STATE OF Hs
sour. It Is fact that should b. well 10. ked to
tbat the practical application Of ibis doctrine has
no precedent except under the two weak sud III.
statesman ike administrators referred TO- The
proposition now made for the Government %
build one or three railroads, binding together the
distant COSTS Of the Atlantic sud Psci6c, st 81
expense Of from two to six hundred mlhcn dollar,
to be taken from the pockets of the people through
the indirect sources OF revenue, has no Brecadt nt
nor anything Ike it in tie history of the Govern
ment. SbsH we uow establish suca precedent ?
Is question Of no email importal &c.
Any one familiar with legislation knows tie
great evil Of bad or doubtful prscedsnts, and boW
they are seized sud distorted for iHegitimste pur-
poses. 1t is tie testimony Of al observing ststee-
men, that there is q constant tendency with large
proportion Of such bodies to disregard ell rules Of
natl nsl faith aod justice, aud to Overlook consc-
quences in the future, for the momentsry sdvsn-
tsge Of securing local benefits, by p'uDdering tb,
many for the benefit Of the few; and thst notbine
has served as more wholesome restraint ogsin"
such wrong snd outrage than tie want Of prece-
dent while nothing has been so greet an euco1r-
aoemont to such legislation as the fact Of Spree
dent.
ne dlpgeroUs Influence of such precedent in
legislation, ss was established under the admir-.
tralions Of Presidents Monroe and Adams, is
thus set forth by Gen. Jackson in his veto Mes
ssge Of An sct ID improve the Wabash river
'Trs desire to embark the federal government
10 works Of internal Improvement prevailed, n
the higbts: degree during the first sess en- Of & G
first Congress that had Il e honor to m ct in rn1
pr,ssnt situation. When a bill authorizing 8 10
script on the part of the United States 70
stock in tie Msysvle sud Lexington turnpike
comptnv passed the two Houses, there had Beer
reported by the committees 90 internal improve
ments, bills containing appropriations for such ob
iscts, exclusive Of those for the Cumberland road
and fer hsrbors and ligbt-hOUsez to the amount 81
about one hundred aud six millions Of dollars IN
this bm, mt was included authority 70 The Secre.
tary Of tie Treasury to s1bscrbs for the stock Of
different companies to great extent and the resi-
due wss principally for the rect construction of
rOsds Y this government. In addition to these
projects, which have been presented 70 tie two
s1 -
their respective committees on internal improve
rneu;s, there we're then still pending before the
committees, and 10 memorials toCorcregs present
Cd hat rot referred different projects for works Of
sinsr character, T. expense or which Cannot
be estimated with certainty, bDt must have ex-
cee5ej one hundred millions Of 6oEaTsi'
THUS, wi:bn tie brief period Of less tbsn ter
wears after The commencement Of iuiernslimprovs
rneuts by the general government the cum asked
for from TIE treasury for various projects amounted
to moro than two hundred millions Of doIlsrs This
was very charming to Gen. JAcKscE. and he crush
Cd them out as &c many hydra headed monsters
tt6t were srrrg.rg Up, s3k.rg TO fa=tez upon
the vt.s CT tire country, @. he PsoF's 51s.ai, ed
hus. REGARDLESS cs TIE iufurs'sd cry vi ambitious
politicians who were seeking !ogaI popularity 1t
the expense G. the pati59al treasury.
As sdditionsl proof Of the dangerous tendency
Of such legislation, we could ssd for nothing
stronger tbsa the following extracts from Presi-
dert PcLEs internal Improvement veto messsge,
sent to Congress, DEC. IS, I847. He Gays:
gave have seen, 10 cur States that the interests
Of iu6i7iGuas or reghboraoods, combiaiog against
the general irterfs- nave Involved their govern
u1enis 10 dett AID bankruptcy and whtn the Pys-
ten prevBied in The ge1eTHl government and was
CHECKED by Pre- sideEt JACEsOE, i bad begun T. be
col siderCd tue highest merit 10 3 member OF Con
gress TO able 10 procure OPERATIONS Of pub
lie money TO te eZpeI ded within hs iisrct or
State, whsteyer might be The Of IscL We should
be blind 10 e experience Of tie past, if We old
not see BbuUCaut evidences that II this system Of
allure is TO be INDUCED in, combinations Of
individual and local Interests viii e found srrCny
enough to coutol legislation, absorb the Teven, e.
OF T. e country sud pluI &c the soverul e4t iat0 q
hopeless Indebtedness.
iSuch a system is subject more yer, to be per-
varted 10 the accomplishment OF the worst Of po-
lticsl purposes During the few years iI WIS in
full p7rs.inr aud which immGd atyiy preceded the
veto Of President Jackson OF the Msysyi ie road
On, distances were Humorous OF pubic u4en set K
ing % gain popular favor by holding out 10 the
people interested in particular localities the prom
Use Of large disbursements Of public MOI eF. Nj
merOus IUCuuDJI-s8 noes and surveys were maOe
during that period, Tor roads ard ca0ss through
many paris of tie Union and the people in the
vicinity Of each were led 10 believe that their pro-
perry would be enhanced II value, ard Il ey them
selves he enriched by tie large expeI tres which
they were promised by tie bdgICkes Of the sys-
TEN, should e made from the federal treasury in
their peis hbcIhoCds. Whole sections Of the ecu.
Try we're ibus sought 10 be ILBleLced aud the sy--
TEN wss fast becoming, not Only one Of pToiuse
snd wbtchful expenditure, but potent political
engine.
10 enrich req hborhoods, by spending within
them the moneys Ct tue Dsuon will be the
aim and boast Of those who prize their local inter-
ests above the good Of toe ration, and millions up
on Millions will be distracted By tariffs end taxes
from the earnings OF the whole people to foster
speculation and subserVs the objects Of private
ambition
A more truthful picture Of the cou6ition Of sf.
fairs iatO " h ch the country is low sought to be
involved, by such men IS supported the Pacific
rail road bail Of list Congress could not be drawn
and it remains for the people to determine, by
general expression Of sentiment, TO what sucsess
they SHALL attain in the Congress that is to follow
Those who have studied the proceedings Of the
Corruption Committee" OF last c, ngress are not
likely to co1c'ude that tbst body Is any pur,r now
than when Gen. Jsckson was called TO the Ezecu