New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-06


latitudinarian construction that Congress
has power even to connect the navigable
waters of the Tennessee with those OF the
Savannah or other Atlantic water. We
are amused to see, en- PEASANT, how local
and sectional interests compel concessions
and even conversions Of doctrine. A dia-
logue arises between Messrs. Edmunds
and Gordon. The latter reads decision
Of the Supreme Court which authorizes
Congress even to originate connecting
navigation where none had Heretofore
| existed.
Mr.. Edmunds-A question between the
| Senate and the Supreme Court, where each
within its jurisdiction has an equal right
| to its opinion, l take it.
| Air. Gordon-I propose to abide by the
| opinion of the Supreme Court as my rule;
| Mr. Edmunds-L propose to abide by the
| Senate. as | belong to that. and 40. to the
| Supreme Court.
Mr.. Gordon-Tban if the Senate repudi-
! ates the Supreme Court, l will not read It's
| decisions any further.
Mr.. Edmunds-Mr. President, l feel
bound to repudiate the Supreme Court
when am acting in my duty as legisla-
| tor wherever l think it ls wrong. just as the
| Supreme Court repudiates me in passing
| laws when within it's jurisdiction question
| arises wherein it believes that Congress has
been wrong in exceeding its powers.
But we return to the true difference be-
tween the two parties. MIR. Salisbury is
true to his party and to the rival interests
of the North. He neither wishes the Fed
eral treasury depleted, nor does he wish
the Mississippi and its tributaries i'm
proved into opposition. He speaks the
ancient Democratic doctrine.
| Senator Stevenson, of Kentucky, avows
the true Democratic Southern doctrines:
| Like nv friend from Mr.. Maryland Mr..
| Whyte), ] have been reared, Mr.. President,
| in political school of strict construction
| lists whose founders and followers have
| never believed that the Federal government
| possessed the constitutional authority to en-
| ter upon q general system of internal i'm
| proyements. l know it is school which
| some Democrats deride and would now els
credit; still, there are some of us who are
| not ashamed of it's faith and still cherish
| its doctrines.
| He then proceeds to arraign Senator
Withers, old line Wing:
l am only surprised that Senator com
| ing from Virginia, trained in and familiar
| with the construction of the constitution
| which made that noble old commonwealth
| illustrious, from the foundation of the gov
| eminent to 1860, doctrines illustrated by
| Jefferson, Madison and Monroe could have
/ so far have forgot his early political teach
| lngs as to be willing to vote for such bill
as this, because it contains appropriations
| to local creeks within the confines of Nir-
| ginia. l was also raised in that same Tir-
| GINA school, and may say l cling to its
| doctrines Of close construction and rigid
adherence to all the limitations of the coR-
| stitution npOn congressional or executive
power with greater tenacity as the pal
Iadinm of political safety. II local COM
| Jinahons IN bills like this sh al override
| the constitutional barrier and inhibitions
| upon Congress to appropriate money, ex-
| cept to national objects, the end will soon
| come.
To this Senator Withers, old line
Wing, responds:
l will say with the permission of my
| friend, as he has expressed surprise at my
/ position, that l received my ideas on the
| subject of the powers of the government
| in this line from distinguished hentuckian,
| who although he was born in Eirgiana,
| made his reputation as q statesmen OF Ken
/ lucky. At his feet was brought up in my
! political faith. He had no such scrnples OF
conscience about appropriations Tor i'm
| provements.
Mr.. Stevenson-No one respects more
!! than | do the fame of that distinguished
| Virginian who has rendered llustrious the
| commonwealth which / in part represent
| here in this chamber. Herer agreed with
him n political opinion.
/ Mr.. Withers-I did.
Mr.. Steyenson-I looked, as | said, to
| Jefferson. to Madison and jackson as my
mentors. and believed with them in a closer
1 construction of the constitution than Henry
| Clay did; but my friend, the Senator from
| Virginia, can never find shelter under Mr..
! Clay for the support of any such bill as
| this.
Here, then, we see the total disloca-
ton Of parties on principle. The old
line Democrat, like Salisbury and Steven.
son, deny the power of the government
to establish ga general system of internal
improvements. The old Clay Wings
carry out the doctrines of progress and
| national improvement, while weak
kneed and local Democrats, like Sena-
tors Gordon and Merrimon, and Repre-
sentatives Gibson and Ellis, apologize be.
cause Democratic Congress has not
| given levee and a railroad at this ses-
sion, and promise that it will certainly do
| SO at the next.
| The sectional coincidence of this or
that representative does not affect the
| general question Of the principles which
divide the parties. It is obvious that a
party assuming to itself the name Of De
mocracy has granted indulgence to all
who will sustain the nominations, to vote
for what Mr.. Stevenson has stigmatized as
"a local combinations" for what the same
gentleman asserts goes far beyoned what
| Mr.. Clay ever proposed. That is, the
! Democratic House of Representatives
have put up a log-rolling combination
scheme SO corrupt and SO culpable that
Mr.. Clay, whose statue we believe mark
| the initial point of the national Cumber-
land road, would never have voted for it.
It is very we'll that the papers calm 6
| themselves Democratic should contine
| themselves to insult, Misrepresentation
and ridicuie Of their political opponents
and the affectation Of superior political in
tegrity. Did they dare come before the
people upon discussion of the true diff
ference of principle it could be shown that
they do not hold one single national prin.