The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-01-08
Grtnii,a State Saltrnat
JAMES RIVER AND KANAwHA
CANAL.


which is entitled to any weight. and that II
the constitutional objection, and although ;
States Rightsman of the strict construction
school, opposed to any enlargement of the
powers of the Federal government, which
is not absolutely necessary and justly de.
dicible from the granted powers, | think
that obi ection ought not to prevail. l dc
not admit that Congress has authority to
invad me territory Of o state and cut O
canal or build railroad without the con.
sent of the state, or with it, unless it be an
interstate work and really necessary to
merce among the states and afford means
of intercourse not otherwise attainable.
And within that limit Congress has exer-
cised the power, as in the appropriations to
the Louisville canal around the falls of the
Ohio. The removal Of the RATS in Red
river, 10 repairing the levees on the Missis-
sippi; and in loans of bonds to the Pacific
Railroad Company, and even MIR. Calhoun,
''inomen praeclarum." justified tho i'm
provement of the Mississippi upon the
ground that it was in the nature of an in
lind sea.
There has been, | am aware, great d.
versty existing as to the power of internal
improvement in the states by the general
government. Congress has always broad
" affirmed the power, and so did President
j. @. Adams but Presidents Jefferson,
Madison, Monroe, and jackson, denied it
when the work was wholly in state, and
rr;tb that l;rn;t every prosident hos on.
,',o1od i ond NJ, Madison in q snec;aI
pos ~ 70 conaress Tecommanded the
New York Canal from the lakes to Hudson
,;nor TGnor tho nnestion of.nnronr;at;ons to
nr;vate works in the STATES there has been
lass d;vars;,v Of on;n;on Generol Tocl, con
ivS dan;od 4 Int ba I,Ln eli other
preS;dents concnrr;ng in the language of
M Monroe arraad .ttbat ConoSass has
,,rl;,n;tod nn,yep to ro;ee ,nonev anI that
=, ;ts 49,, armr;ot;on tboy have . 5;scrat;on.
NV ol p rastr;o,od c,,iu 70 ,nnronr;oto
= = pn n,,noses of conmnn defsnca md Of
.anoraI ,,pt IocoI notionoI NOT cot. bo,o.
- And o5ded az might not feel Il ~ ho
NV official dutv 70 ;ntaTnoea The exacmt;ye
,ato ~ H. rossoro Of a Iii orn,o,,r;at;no
money for the ro1Strnct;on of spcb WORKS
ne are ontbor;sed hv The states and arc
National in their character - NowT suh.
,n;t tbat th;s canal hotwoan tho Ohio r;vor
and The sea comes r,llv within ,hase def.
n;t;ons ~ GeneroI Tackson r. ;s . ,ront
national and NOT q state worl, NOT local nor
for STATE henafit merely and would he If in
in;tn ;nnortanca for nnrnoses of common
defence 81 also npder tic mower and
dntv TO take care If tbe commerce of the
country Il ;mnroves iii navioohla ctraams
or streams over which the t;da abbs and
flows and nothing could be more nnrea soma.
blo than anv other INSTRUMENTATION of tha
Constituted, WbenaueT n tho roor;t;rne
sense q stream is nayagabla Cnngress &c.
tahlishes custom .honses and receives all
tae tolls IN the form of 5ut;es on e ;mnor a
Nav # would be verv unreasonable 10 ev.
nect tbe state u Sv, bcb teat 70
keen il in repair and nayagable condition at
it's own expense in order that CONGRESS-
NAV derive all the emoluments from if,
The state of course wonld NOT do Il and
the commerca of The countrv wopli NOT
onlv he greatly ;mneded and diminished
thereby bnt m;gbt br fatally ohstrnctad
The case of course is much Stronger when
the stream rms between two states for then
neither Is hound to keen the whole of #
in repair. and keeping one half in re-
pair might and often Would do no good
and the difficulty might he much GREATER
when the canal runs ibronob two oiotns ;f
the work shonld he too heavv for n com
many las this isl for there wouid he two
owners. anv DISAGREEMENT between whom
won'd destroy the work,
Now let us applv these princip,es to the
James River and Kanawha Canal. Con-
press now improves and deenens the lanes
river below R;cbmond bnt that on,v half
does the work for The eynorts come from
the country bevond Richmond and there
fore the work mon the lower James is not
productive. unless the unper James is kent
In order for RECONSIDERATION and when the
state requests CONGRESS- to annronriate
money in aid of that object III nnt see
whv + NAV not comnlv wifi The request
In fact when the Western neonle nav
their Share Of the cost IF ;mproyino lie
lower lanes have tbev not n r;gbt to
reonire that f shall he made useful to them
bv FURNISHING means Of TRANSFORMATION TO
ifp Rut This canal has other and h,oher
claims to aid from the government Re
runs or will RIM when completed. through
two states from Ohio TO the sea and those
states arc without the necnniary means to
Construed fine canal. having been deprived
Of them bv the war made unm them by
the government of the United states. and
are. moreover. under n constitutional inca
pacity to contribute to works of internal inn
proyements and the productions ofthe West
must therefore find their wav to market
down the Missjssippi and over the gulf