The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1860-08-15
cally false policy upon the legislation of the

shall decide it, so will we determine whether
commerce shall he free or fettered; whether the
carrying trade Of the country shall be fastened
upon the public treasury; whether the free
ocean shall be covered with the hulls of com
mercial monopolies, welded by the power o
the Government, and levelled against the enter
prise Of its own citizens.D
Having exhibited elaborated tables to show
the present character and cost of the ocean pos
tai service, and Of the additional expense oi
similar propositions pending before Congress, be
says: "Ihese lines will involve yearly expen
diture to the government above the present con
tracts Of at least four and half millions of dol
lars. This estimate IS sufficiently low, though
not, perhaps, strictly accurate because all the
applicants have not specified the compensation.
If TO this amount be added the present appro.
priations, we have total annual expenditure
for this single branch of the public service OF
about six milliens Of dollars, and after these are
established we shall, doubtless, as heretofore,
have numerous applications tor new lines, press
ed with great industry and ability, as we'll as
for increased pay to those already in operation !"
Besides, however, exposing the vast expendi
lures which the proposed system involved-a
system expending, both in the number of the
lines and amount Of appropriations to them, the
whole net work of navigation, with which we
are told England has encompassed the globe"-
in continuing his speech, Mr. Breckinridge
showed how the steam interest had escaped the
responsibility OF their first engagement to fur
nish an auxiliary steam navy. and he proved, ,
by official data, that the vessels built by Col.
Inns & Sloo and others, for naval service, were
unfit for that purpose.
In the course ofhis able argument, which ex-
posed the un onstitutionalty, extravagance, and
inexpediency OF granting this gratuity, he paid
a beautiful compliment to our navy and COM
mercial marine. He said:
Il am friend to our commerce. and favora
BILE to all proper facilities for extending our COM
munications with foreign countries; am friend.
also, OF the navy. The history of my country
presents too many pages adorned by its achieve
ments. to allow me to speak aught in itsdispar-
agement | never can be false to the memories
that connect it with the crisis Of l776 and 1912
nor ever forgot that when the commerce of A.
merca retired from all the seas, and hid itself
under embargoes and acts of non intercourse,
our gallant navy contended not inglorously,
with the first power in Chrstendom, and aven,
ged the wrongs we had long suffered from En-
gland. 0....
81 am by no means insensble to the nation
al honor and commercial renown which the
Collins steamers have conferred upon our coun-
try. In common with others, have exuted
over the victory in steam navigation won by
them for America, and should regret to learn
that the enterpriSing capitalists to whom they
owe their existence had sustained losses from
their prncely adventure. My sympathies are
warmly enlisted for those who have contended
with the first naval power on earth for the mas
terry of the seas. But are snch sympathles a
proper basis for legislation, when, too, that leg
islation must impose still greater burdens upon
the people. Admit the plea in one case; legs-
late away five hundred thousand dollars upon
it from an almost exhausted treasury in one in
stance, and where are you to stop? Where is
the builder and where are tie owners of the
gatch America which lately won such bril-
liaut honors in English waters? With what
consistency could Congress deny financial aid
and protection to them, when demanded upon
the ground that they, too, had conferred ma
tonal honor and naval glory upon our country?
The pride Of Britain boasting that she holds
the trident OF the seas, was not more humbled
by our triumph in steam navigation, than it was
in August last by the success Of that little A |
merican craft built in New York by American
shipwrights, and manned in England BY Amer
lean Ireemen. The British people have spent
centuries in perfecing their sailing vessels, and
English supremacy on the ocean has been the
object of national desire. One of her
poets sang, in exulting strains
Her march is DER the mountain wave, !
Her home is ON the Deep ..
''But such boast is now Idle; Albion no lon
ger rules the wave.' The last plank to which
she clung was wreste d from her by an Ameri
can shipwright and by American individual en-
terpeise." & |
Having shown that all such payments from
the public treasury as contemplated by the o.
cean mail seIvice were made ito private indi-
sduals, for the construction of private ships for
private gains," he continued: "If any reference
to the Constitution Of the United States NAV be
made in these daysoi magnificent monopcles 8
plunder, without calug up a smile Of
derision, would inquire where that instru-
ment confere the power to give such gratuities?
And desire to be pointed to the clause empow,
ing us to tax one interest for the purpose of
building up another. put the question to Re.
publicans everywhere, and 60 pcially do com.
mend it to gentlemen Of the Democratic party
"a party whose cardinal principles have ever
been in conflict with such abuses' 1
Heroicaly resisting the influences around
him, with en- eye siugle to HE country's veal
and renowp, the impassoned orator closed his
powerful speech on this occasion in the follow
ing manner ~ ..IH fu l,rs,ga ..a.
"Mr. Chairman. this amendment NAV pass
this House, as it has passed the Senate. |
know the power of the influences at work in its
favor; personal friends, local interests, continu
cd solicitations-all these are actively exerted,
and are hard to resist. 70 may succeed in Civ.
ing to the Collins line alone nearly one million
dollars a,year; you may succeed in main,aining
little longer this ocean aristocracy, supported,
like the British nobility, by the sweat of the
people, but the day OF its destruction will come.
Every step taken in continuation OF this system
increases the number to retraced, because a prin-
ciple which is both false to our destiny and un
just, cannot find a permanent resting place in
the merican statute book. When the country
comes 70 understand and realize the effects Of 4
this legisslation, it will demand its instant and
FINAL repeal. ist Nj y, a... t..g i
"Mr. Chairman, the time viii not allow me
to pursue this subject further, nor to speak Of |
other abuses now weighing down the Govern
ment. The tendency among those who hold
delegated power in country whose resources
are ample, is to form extrayagance. II is time