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ested legislation on the subject. and 10 af- ford ;,; ;syaryzA snerican citizen of enter- prise the opportunity ofsecuriog an inde- pendent freehold, it seems to me, there fore, best to abandon the idea of raising future revenue out of the public lands.

 Ia former n essages ] have expressed my conviction, that the constitution does not warrant the application ftlie funds Of the Gene ral GoV ernlne nt to objects of Inter rnai Improvement which are not national in their character, and both as a means ofdo- Ing justiceto all interests, and putting an end tosa course flegisiationscaloaIate to destroy the purity ofthego government have urged the necessity Of reducing the whole subj ect to some fixed and certain rule,- there Fstsg II occur period, sper. haps. more propitiofis than the present 10 inc acconptislme Inf of this object, l beg leave to press the subject again upon your. attention.

 Without some general and well defined principles ascertaining those objects Of in. ternal ifnprove efuent to which the means q f the nation may bc5constitutionally appfed 2 1t IS obvions that the ex ereise of the pesyea can never be satisfactory. Besides the danger 10 which it expases Congress of making hasty appropriations to works Of the character of which they may be fre-

 

 oas and oorrapting influence upon elee5 tions.s hy holdtpg out to Inc people the fal- lacieus hope tisat the success of a cert ain candidate will make navigable tfeirneigh- boring creek or river, bring commerce. to their doors, aud increase the value Of their property. It thus fayors combinations to sqtlandcr the treasure of the country upon a multitude of local objects, as fatal to just lcgislation as osthe purity of public men.

 If a system compatible w3th the co0sti- futon cannot be devised, swhIch IS fec from such tendencies, we should reeoilect that that instrument provides within itself the mode of its amendment, and that there is, therefore, no, excnseafof file assunP- ton of donbtf4I pew CTS, hv the Gcaeral sfosernmcnt. If those which gre clearly granted shall be found incompetent to the ends of It's creation, it can at any. time aps ply for their enlargement and tberes is no probability tlIat snci an application, fl Rounded on tie plihtie interest, will eyer besresased. If the prnpriety of tl4e pro posed grant be saat saaio3eHtiy appareDt5fa command the assent of three -fourtts If tht. states, the best possible reason wby the 1 power should not be assumed on doubtful authority is afforded; for if moYe than | one- fourth ufstle States are unwilling to 1 make tho grant, its exercise will be pro ductiye ofdlscontents wliclswiH far over- balance any advantages tIlat could be de. rived from It. All must admit that there IS nothing so worthy Of the eonstant5soIiei- tnde of this government, as. the harmony and union Of the people

 Icing soiemnfy impressed " iil4 the con syletI9n, that the extension ot the power to make internal inproyem ents be yond Gre limtt have suggested, even if Ii be deem- ett constitutional. Is subyersiye of the best interests Of our country. I earnestly re- commend to Congress to refrain from ifs exercise, in doubtful cases, exeeptsln re- lation to improvements already begun, un- less they shall first procure from the States such an amendment Of the @eonstit as will define its character and prescribe is hounds If the States feel themsely es competent to these objects. why should this government wish to assume the pow CT: ifthey do not, then hesitate 10 make 'sls grant Both governments are the go vernmenls of the people; improvements must be made with the money of the peo- pie, and If the money can be collected and applied by those smere.aimpie and eco nouaic sitnacbines, the State governments, II Will unquestionabiy be safer and better for inc people, than to add to the splen- .So " s-etiS oS ssiitu ibe power or tfIG General Government. But if the people Of the several States think otherwise. they will amcnd the constitution, and in their decision all onght cheerfllily to acqniescc.

 Tor a detaifed and highly saiis factory view oi the operations of the War Depart nent, refer yon 10 the accompanyinp re- port of Inc Secretary ofWar. .

 The hostile incursions of ti.e Sac and FOX lndlans necessarily led to the inter- posilionof the government A portion of iheHroops, under Generals Scott and Al kinson, aad of the militia of the State of Illinois ere called into the field. Af- eer harrasslng warfare, prolonged by 'lse nature of the country and by the ditli- etiRy ef pfoeuring subsistence, the h. .dIans were entirely defeated. and the dis affected band dispersed or destroxed The result has been creditahle io inc troops engaged in tho service. Severe as IS the to the Indians, 1t was render- i ed necessary ey their unprovoked ageres sions and It IS to be hoped that it's i'm presslons will be permanent and salItary.

 lhls campaign has eyinced the efficient organizationMofztlt tic army, andaits capacity for prompt and actiye seryicc lis several departments have performed their f,,nc- tons With energy and despatch, and the general movement was satisfactory. Our fellow citizens upon the frontiers were ready, as they always arc, in the tendero Of their services in the hour of dan ger But a more. efficient organization of our militla system, is essential to That Sc cnniy winch Is one ofthe principal objects of aft gosernnents. Neither onr situation nor o'. our institutions require or permit tie mairfs enance of a large regular, force.- History offers too many lessons of the fatal result of such measure, ,A not to warn ,,s agalnstsits adoption here. The expense vine ch attendsit, the obvioias tendency 10 employ 1t because it exists. and tbus n