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SgumVf on tver2f A&nday Mrn ing
at Looista.ru, Pike Cochtt, Mo.
- l. r. sSTMLaT. Editor srasl Proprietor.
r im it tatBtk fM WW v a n
BILL.
To the Haute of Jtepretentatwet:
J have considered the bill entitled "An
act nikiag appropriation! for the improve-
Mn rtt Hf4aiM liavkftM .till VlVaM' WttV
rivers" with
the eare which its importance demands:
..... .
and now return the same to the Hvuse of
Representatives, in which it originated,
with my objections to its becoming a law. ,
j The bill proposes to appropriate one million
three hundred and fifty dollars to be Suppli
ed to more than forty distinct objects of im
provement.
On rm!n!ncT ita nmriiiinl inrl van!
oi objects of improvement which it embra
ees, many of them of a local character, it
is dincult to conceire, if it shall be sane-
a liur .that' nrartteal
constitutional restraint can hereafter be
imposed upon the moat extended system of
internal improvement by the federal gov
ernment in all parts of the Union. The
constitution has not, in my judgment, eon
ferred upon the federal government the
power to construct works of internal im
provement within the states, or to appro
priate money from the treasury for that
purpose. That this bill assumes for the fed-
7
power, can not I think be doubted. The
approved course of the government, and
the deliberately expressed judgment of the
people, have denied the existence of such a
power under the constitution. Several of
my predecessors have denied its existence
in ie mot solemn forms.
I lie general proposition that the federal
government does not possess this power,
to well settled, and has
has for a considerable!
period been o generally acquiesced in, that
it is not deemed neceisary to reiterate the
arguments by which it is sustained. Nor do
eraf government the right to exercite this!gr hv exercised the power coeval with
I deem it necessary after the full and elabo-iand
rate ducussions which have taken place be-i'"PPrt by appropriations from the treosii-'penscof the rightful authority of the States,
fore the country on this subject, to do more,r)'or liKht-honsts, beacons, buoys, piers, hut it inevitable tendency, is, to embrace
than state the general considerations which! f"d other improvements within he bay, object fur the expenditure of the public
bave Satisfied me of the nnconstitutiona'itj end harbors on our orerns and lake; money, which are local in their character,
and expediency of the exercise of such a coa,t8 immediately connected with our, benefitting but a few at the expense of the
power. commerce, and attempt to make improve-jroinmon treasury of the whole. It will
It is not questioned that the federal gov-!Dlen,s the interior at points unconnected, engender sectional feelings and prejudice
rnment is one of limited powers. Itspow-!wit'' f"g commerce, and where they are j calculated to disturb the harmony of the
ersare such, and such only, as are express -
.... r
Jy granted in Ae destitution, or areprop-j
erly incident to the exiin-ssly granted
mr aaJ Mromn iA iLip nofuilnn Ini
drtermining whether a given power has'eTc"6"1 government.
beeu granted, a second rule has been bid!
J-Mfa hv Mr. Mxd i.m. That r.i r .. fl.ali
iin..ee a .,ti.i irlf rnnfominn
particilir powr, tiie fir.t qutstion
:J
wUtjtherthe power be expressed in the cm. -
etHution. If it be the question is decided.
If it be not expres-sed, the next inqury must
be, whether i'. is properly an incident to an
exjuesfed power, and neceasary to its exe
cution. If it be. it may be exercised by
C.ngress. If it be not. Coneress cannot re
ceive it." It is not pretended that there is
' J v mm him a 4wa W' a.
ferriiig to Congress tht power in question.
Is it then an incidental power, necessary
and proper for the execution of any of the
granted powers.' Allth granted powers
it is confidently affirmed
executed without the aid
1.1 u ::,i .i .,,
be exercised for ends which make it a prin
cipal, or substantive power, independent of
the principal power to which it is an h.ci
drt." It is not enough that it may be re
garded by Congress convenient, or that its
exorcie would advance the dnhlic weal.
It taust be necessary and proper to the tx
ecation of t'i principal expressed
power to which it is an incident, and
without which such principal power can not
be carried infrt effect The whole frame
of tlie federal constitution proves that the
government which it creates was intended
to be one of limited and specific powers.
A construction of the constitution so broad
as that by which the power in question is
defended, tends imperceptibly to a conson
datioa of power in a government intended
oy lis iarmers to oe uius iimueu in u
tbority. "The obvious tendency and in
vitable result of a consolidation of the
ftates iBto one sovereignty would be to
transform the republican system of the U
srited Stales into a monarchy."
To guard against the assumption or all
powers Which encroach upon the reserved
sovereignty of the states, and tend to con
lidation, is the duty of all tr ie friends of
iir political ij stein. That the power ques
tion is not properly an incident to any of
the granted powers, I am fully satisfied, but
if there were doubts on this subject, expe
rience has demonstrated the wisdom of the
-rule, that all the functionaries of the feder-
eorauq.e.uonao.eorauuoiiu.pow-,
mm a" 1 I . . J
" aenurgemem o. vne power. .
the federal government should be deemed
P, tt safer and wiser to apsii.ei;
itaUf and the people in the mode prescrib -
to Ue tor the grant desir -
i Maa SA SkAArla mmm Sha anAlA r eaiflfFITi.
mm, - -""
eiaafi asMMsna avaoaiaa ssriyi.nin san
went ol tn consiuituim. n con -
tM
"SZrr. 1. ro
VOL.2,
LOUISIANA, PIKE
from the treasury for that purpose, 1it
liL... a. . - r
mere io exempt some, ar. least, ci use
Jecta of appropriation included in tiia
bill
from the opeiation of the ger ral rule?-"-
ilus bill assumes the exister-ce ;flne pow
er, and in some of its provisions asso rts the
principle that Congress may exercise it as
fully as though the appropriation which it
proposes were applicable to the construc
tion of roads and canals. If there be a
distinction in principle, it is not perceived
and should be clearly defined. Some of the
objects of appropriation contained in this
bill "are local in their character, and lie
contained within the limits of a single state;
and although in the language of the bill,
they are called harbors, they are not con
nected with foreign commerce, nor are
they places of refuse or shelter for our na
vy, or commercial marine on the ocean or
lake shores. To call the mouth of a creek,
or a shallow inlet on our coast, a harbor,
cannot confer the authority to expend the
public money in its improvement Con
the constitution of establishing light-houses,
beacons, buoys, and piers en our oceans and
lake shores, for the purpose of rendering
navigation safe and easy, and of affording
protection, and sheltet for our navy ana
other shipping. These are safe-guards
placed in existing channels of navigation
After the long acquiescence of the gov-
fc,niment, through all proceeding admintstra
"on, nnoi oisposea io question or dls-
tnrb the authority to make appoopriations
for such purposes.
When we advance a steo behind this point.
la addition to the establishment and
n. .f.i I . . L . . : .... :.,
no
nccucu i'-r uir protection anu srcurii .
iof our navy and commercial
marine, the
i)ow-'tJl'lcntJ aris iR drawing a line l.eyonu
wJ.ich appropriations mnv not hv i;jade by
Uue 01 ,u prwi--ec.rs I o w i..e e-;
" ''"- ,: " " y?' i'rfii.-cu
n'lbe TCViSCd U t!.i VM. at!eii!,. to tie-
fine ti.is W by !.ei.r;p tly, .xj,eidi-
fine Ji. is line bv t!t i .r'.ur ti "xi.ei di
.TUriS Ol tMSCn:iia( !er t: (!! be "COUhn-
'u'',v' ';'""-""r ::i.ui- u.mi.l;li-pnUHi- n,.. "'"""i n' K"
'4" I:0r?. Vf e",r "r ' '.".v s-.is inseparable fioi:is.. h a sj stem, between;
ioim. -
Uiiil-e w t Iel.II.is sanction Irom a bill
whir! i . d O .nerrss, "to improve
a
If !l tVl r.)'i
n ot the uai.bsu river." He
!me ''sensible that this
ti..n viv i-l as sausractory as could he de -
sired. imJ that much embarrasn ent may
be ra'-sed to the executive department in;
its execution, bv appropriatiuns fr reinotejiinjust towards those States whose repre
and not well understood objerts." Tlussentatives and people either deny or doubt
restriction.it was soon found, wes suijectjthe existence of the power, or thinks its ex-
may be effectuallv'0 be invaded, and rendered co'r.at.tively;ercise inexpedient; and who while they -:
3 of such an inci-iUSP'ss necking the system of iir ir..e-jqually contribute to the treasury, connot
.,inent wi.icli it was dtsiened to a km, in
consequence of the
ficihtv
vith w' ichj
rtsof tntry and delivery may be estab -
lished by law upon the upper wateis. and
in some instances, almost at the springs oi tent, contributing its equal proportion oi
some of themoStunimportantoror ,ivers,taxesto the support the government,!
nnfl xat Tininl nn nur rnfiatc nnvckftIin(r no'wnnM. tinnsr flta Atiraffmi rf uh a . i
commercial importance, and nut used as
places of refuge and safety by our navy,ury the common stock of all unequally
a a a a m . B . a . a. .a '
and other shipping- Alany ol the ports oi tdisturbed, and olten tmprovidently wasted
entry and delivery now authorized by law,forthe advantage of small sections, instead
so far as commerce is concerned, exist on-jof being applied to the national purposes in
ly in the statute books. No entry of for-jwhich all have a common interest, and for
cign goods is made and no duties are everwhich alone the answer to renollect the rev
collected at them. No exports of Aroeri-icnue wes given. Should the system of in-
can products bcund for foreign countries,
ever clear from them,
To assume that their existence in the
statute bouks as ports of entry or delivery
warrant expenditures on the waters leading
to them, which would be otherwise unau
thorized, would be to arrest the proposi
tion, that the law-making power, may en
graft new provisions on the constitution.
If the restriction be a sound one, it can on
ly apply to the bays, inlets and rivers con
nected with, or leading to such ports as act
tually have foreign commerce, ports a
which foreign importations arrive in bulk,
paying; the duties charged by law, and from
wmcn exports are mane iu iureign luuu
tries. It will be found by applying the re
striction thus understood to the bill under
consideration, that it crntains appropria.
tions for more thsn twenty objects of inter
nal improvement, called in the bill harbor.
at places winch hsve never been declared
17 .. it
iw or deIiveryi
, - , , ai appesrs from the record,
' ..' i... ...
ard nn
reieii merrlanflifle, ara irfir
. .
," ?' 7 " r"&
. - hti, eU,
.
s never been a vessel cleared
'oreign country
" r .
If hft found that many nfthoseworks
i - , i . .C. :
are nwr for tl.f first
"itime proposed. It wilj be found also, that!
Uunited We Stand Divided We Fall."
COUNTY, MISSOURI, MONDAY,
the bill contains appropriations for rivers
upon which there not only exists no foreign
commerce, but upon which there ha not
been established even a paper port'of en
try, and for the mouths of creeks, denomi
nated harbors,. winch if improved can ben
em oniy me particular 1 neighborhood in
which they are situated. It will be found.
too, to contain appropriations, the expen
diture of which will only have the effect of
improving one place at the expense of the
local, natural advantages of another in its
vicinity. Should this bill become a law,
the same principle which authorizes the
aporopriationr which it proposes to make,
wouici aiso autnorize similar appropriations
for the improvement of all the other bays,
inlets, and creeks which may with equal
propriety be called harbors and of the riv
ers, important and unimportant in every
part of the Union. To sanction the bill
withauch provisions, would be to concede
the principle that the federal government
possesses the power to expend the public
money in a general system of internal im
provements, limited in its extent only by
the ever varying discretion of successive
Congress and successive Executives. It
would be to effai e and remove the limita
tions and restrictions of power, which the
constitution has wisely provided to limit
the authority and action of the federal gov
ernment of the powers asserted in this bill,
impress my mind with a grave sense of my
duty to avert them from the country as far
as my constitutional action may enable me
to do so.
It not only leads to a consolidation of
;power in the federal government at the ex
i moil, nv i
- w. -
rill destroy the hermony which
should prevail in our legislative Counsels.
It will produce combinations ol local and
:seetionaI intenst, strong enough, when un--
jtcd to carry proj-sitions of public money;jn
winch coul.J nolo inemseives, and stand-:
inK nitme. hiiiti ii u, neu rnmii icuu :
to Wasteful and extravagant expenditures, i
It must Produce a dUriputable scMmbler1y t,,e treurv uith the In,ans of meeUng
for t!ie public lll- llCV, lV tt;e COIIIllCt Which
iuiai mm i .mum ui.rn aim mi- Kp"-.nf
erM interest or tie w: ole. It is unjust to
t' ose States which have witli their own
mep.ns. constructed their own internal mi-
resric-;provemenU. to make from the coiimon
trrasury appropriations Tor similar improve-!
ments in other States. 1
In its oiieration it will be oppressive and
consistently with their opinions engage in
the general competition for a rhare of the:
piillic money. Thus a large portion of the
lUnisn in numbers and in geographical ex-'by
tem, be compelled to seethe national
ternal improvements prevail, all these evils
ill multiply and increase with the increase
of the number of statet, and the extension
of the geographical limits of the settled
portions of our country. With the increase
of the numbers and the extension of our
settlements, the local objects demanding
appiopriations of the public money for their
improvement will be proportionately in
creased? In each case the expenditure of
the public money would confer benefits, di
erctor indirecVn'y on a section, w i!e these
sections would become daily less in compar
ison with the whole.
The wisdom of the farmers of the const!'
tution, in withholding power over such sub
jects from the federal government, and leav-.
' .1 . 1 1 1 . a r . 1
ing mem 10 Uie 10cm goverumems 01 me
States, becomes more and more manifest
with every year's experience of the opera
tion of our system.
In a country of limited extent, with but
few such objects of expenditure, (if fili
form of government permitted it,) a com
mon treasury miht be used lor their im
provement with much less inequality and
injustice than in one ot the vast extent
which ours now present in population and
territory. The treasure of the world would
hardly be equal to the improvement of ev-
btv bar.- inlet creek, and river m onr coun
try, which might be supposed ti promote
OTP!
i ii i in
SEPTEMBER 21 1846.
NO. 26
the agricultural
interests of a neighbor-
hood..
The federal constitution was wisely a
dapted in its provisions to any expansion of
iimus and population; and with the ad-
fvance of the confederacy of the States in
the career oi national greatness, it becomes
the more apparent that the harmonv of the
Union, and the equal justice to which all its
parts are entitled, require that the federal
government should confine its action within
the limit prescribed by the constitution to
its powei and authority. Someaf the pre
visions of this bill are not subject to (lie ob-
jecnons siaiea, and did they stand alone,!
should not leel it my duty to withhold my
approval.
If no constitutional objections existed
a il . I -11 a S . .
io me dhi, uiere are others of a serious na
ttire which deserve some consideration.
It appropriates between one or two million
of dollars for objects, which are of no pres
sing necessity; and this proposed at a time
when the country is engaged in a foreign
war, and when Congress at its Present ses
ion has authorized a loan or the issue of
treasury notes to defray the expenses of the
war, to be resorted to, if the "exigencies of
rne government shall require it." It would
seem tc be the dictate of wisdom under
Such.eircnmstances to husband our means,
and not to waste them on compartively on
important issue of treasury notes, which
may become necessary to the smallest prac
ticle sum. It would seem to be wise, too,
to abstain from such expenditures with a
view to avoid the accumulating of a large
public debt, the existence of which would
be opiwscd to the interests of our people,
as well as to the genius of our free institu-
tions
Should this bill become a law. the princi
pie which it establishes will inevitably lead
to large and annually increasing appropria
tions and drains upon the treasury, for it is
not to be doubted that numerous other io
localities not embraced in its provisions,
but quite as much entiled to the favor of
government as those which are embraced
will demand, through their representatives
in Congress, to be placed on an equal Toot
u.it lhcn
With such an increase of
expndit,ire must necessarily follow either
- , - - - - .,, A r,hlC deht. or increased bur-
Jpn. .L- nenntel.v taxation, tn UH.
,. aeenmiilated ilmni1a
ihe nccnmulaled demands upon it.
TA'ith profound respect for the opinions
Congress, end over anxious, as far as I
ran consistently with my responsibility to
our common constituents. co-ODerate with
t.m : j;.,.t..rM .r..........;.!)!!,
n
; : :.;,, r;(i k.tl dnA
myself constrained, for the reasons I have
assgined; to withhold my approval from this
v;ii TAMFS If Pfil TC
Washingtou, August 3d, 1846.
CHARACTER OF PETER THE GREAT
OF RUSSIA.
Peter the Great was one of the most re
markable men who ever appeared on the
.theatre of public affairs. He was nothing
halves. For good or evil he was gigan-
tic yj or 8eems to have been the great
, jsti f hi. m;d but wa, often
'
treas-!fcarfu,1y disfigured by passion, and not un-
.frequently misled by the example! of more
I - .
advanced states. To elevate Russia to an
exhalted place among nations, and give
her the influence which her vast extent
and physical resources seemed to render
within her reach, was throughout life the
great object of his ambition, and he succeed
ed in it to an extent which naturally acquir
ed for him the unbounded admiration of
mankind. His overthrow of the Strelitzes,
long the Praetorian guard aud terror of the
czaas of ilfuscovy, was effected with a vig
or and stained by a cruelty similar to that
with which Sultan Mohammedja eentnry
after destroyed the Jamissaries at Conitan
tinople. The sight of a young and despo
tic sjverign leaving the glittering toys
and real eniovments of rovalitv to labor in
1 j
dock yards of Saardem with his own hands,
aud instruct his subjectsjn shipbuilding by
first teaching himself, was too striking and
remarkable not to excite universal atten
tion. And when the result of litis was seen
when the Czar was found introducing a-
uioiig his subjects the military discipline,
naval architecture, nautical skill or any of
the arts and warlike institutions of Europe,
and in consequence of long resisting and
at length destroying the terrible eonquerer
who had so long been the terror of Nor
tlieren Europe, the astonishment of men'g .recall Sx uingh jjeaetal ptvciple
fyew no hounds. He was atones tlioFofonj which the whebsofthw WtfsjVsrly can
and Scopio of modern times; and literary-said to pair." .
TERMS 'fl P Tfl IP B IH IES It-
$2 in advaneoj $2 50 at the tad f ttnlimm
Noman's piper wiU be dwoontinued amies fbS)
same be paid tor optothe tine of its 4Jiusnsri
nee . .: :
W AD VBHTJStyO Son try hm.JJ
All letters on business mast be pest paid.
servility, viemgwith great an disinteres
ted admiration,, extolled bin as oneef t&
greatest heroes ana Deneiaeiors oin p
cies who- had aver; appeared "emonf me.
But time, the treat dispeUer of flTnsjoni
and whose might! arm no udlyldaa) jjreit
ness, how great soever, can fonwtsUni.
has begun to abate much from thw' colossal
reputation, nis temper vii loicja in uim
extreme; frequentacts of hide'oui eruelty,
and occasional oppWttion,,vslgna3xe4"nl
reign. iore uu isouer bu, mi
evathit goW-taay.eiaa'of'hr H" eonv.
peHedlils people s ne taoogW t trh
ration, though, ' In seeltrng to erosVtbs)
stream hundreds of thousands perwhedrnth
waves. Peter the Great, sayi MaeMnfesb,
did not civDixe Russia; flt ' undertaking
was beyond his genius great as it was) he
only gave the Russians the arts cfeiviSxed
mmrnm a " - a-a a. A
war." 't he truth was, be attempted -wnai
was ' altogether ' impracticable:' No osra
man cn at once civiUze 'a nation ha can
only put it in the way, of civilization. To
complete the fabric must be 'the. work of
continued effort and sustained industry da
ring many successive generations-'' That
Peter ailed inputting hi people ott a lev
with the other .nations .of Europe m refine
ment and industry, is no reproach to birn
It was impossible to da f 0 in less than, sev
eral centuries. The real particular in
which he erred wae, tliat h df parted, froea
the national spirit, that he tore up the na
tional institutions, violated in numerous in
stances'the stronst national feelhrgt with
the costume of their fathers. Peter civ
ilzation extended no farther than th sur
face. He succeeded in inducing an extra
ordinary degree of discipline in bio rm"f
and the appearance of considerable aenne
ment among his eoutierr Bat it if easier
to remodle an army than change a nation;
and the celebrated ion-mot of 1 Djderot,
that the Russians were "rotten before they
were ripe," is but an expression indicating
how much easier it is to introduce the vices
than the virtues of civiliiation""among an
unlettered people. To this day the civili
zation of Russia has never decended be
low the higher ranks, ani the efforts of the
real patriotic Czars who have wielded &
Muscovite sceptre, Alexander and Nicho
las, have been mainly directed to .get out
of the fictitious career into which,! Peter
turned the people, and revive with, the old
institution the true spirit and inherent as
pirations of the nation. The immense suc
cess with which their efforts have been at
tended, and the gradual, though stfll slew
decent of civilization and improvement
through the great body of ' "the people,
I - -a.." ' '
prove the wisdom or tee principles on wic
they proceeded. Possibly Rusia is yet de
stined to afford another illustration of th
truth of Montlesqueiu'smaxim, that no na
tion ever yet rose to durable greatness but
. . ...
through inhtutions in harmony wiia hi
spirit Blackwood's Mag. ' : ' T
Quinn, on being asked by alad wiy it
was reported that there were more woman
in the world man men, . iwpstea; -
In conformity with the arrangements of
nature, madam; we always see . mora as
heaven than earth." . ,
H-m6re' RUIN! The New fork Tel
egraph states that a merchant of that city
1 . ... , , , . 1
who is wealthy, ana aorog .a goo
business, recently discharged three of his
clerks under the exeuse of hard times, and
then went over to Brookrya and bought
three pews la a cAureA for .40
71-PRECIOUS STONES. -rsAgat 1
found in abundance iiv the coppes and sil
ver region of LakeSuperipr We have
seen beautiful specimens in the possessioa
of Dr. Hawks, of this cUy,aaJ ether gen
tlemen. Rochester Am.
iRELAND.--A stronc divisiew exisU'a-
monc the Irish Repealers, one jxarty is lead
by O'Connell and bis sons, and the ether
Amitn u'janeiu. ji u supposca uus nn
will have an unfavorable influence on th
association.
A CANDID CONf ESSION.
The stolon Daily Whig ths speak of it
party: -a.i j;
''Indeed, at this present mounidv we ean-
