Who, then, is this author, who assumes the high prerogative of denouncing, in the name of the Republican party, the Republican administration of the country?  A denunciation including within its sweep Calhoun, Lowndes, and Cheves, men who will be regarded as the brightest ornaments of South Carolina, and the strongest pillars of the Republican party, as long as the late war shall be remembered, and talents and patriotism shall be regarded as the proper objects of the admiration and gratitude of a free people!!”

Such are the opinions, Sir, which were maintained by South Carolina gentlemen, in the House of Representatives, on the subject of internal improvements, when I took my seat there as a member from Massachusetts in 1823.  But this is not all.  We had a bill before us, and passed it in that house, entitled, “An Act to procure the necessary surveys, plans, and estimates upon the subject of roads and canals.”  It authorized the President to cause surveys and estimates to be made of the routes of such roads and canals as he might deem of national importance in a commercial or military point of view, or for the transportation of the mail, and appropriated thirty thousand dollars out of the treasury to defray the expense.  This act, though preliminary in its nature, covered the whole ground.  It took for granted the complete power of internal improvement, as far as any of its advocates had ever contended for it.  Having passed the other house, the bill came up to the Senate, and was here considered and debated in April, 1824.  The honorable member from South Carolina was a member of the Senate at that time.  While the bill was under consideration here, a motion was made to add the following proviso:  “Provided, That nothing herein contained shall be construed to affirm or admit a power in Congress, on their own authority, to make roads or canals within any of the States of the Union.”  The yeas and nays were taken on this proviso, and the honorable member voted in the negative!  The proviso failed.

A motion was then made to add this proviso, viz.:  “Provided, That the faith of the United States is hereby pledged, that no money shall ever be expended for roads or canals, except it shall be among the several States, and in the same proportion as direct taxes are laid and assessed by the provisions of the Constitution.”  The honorable member voted against this proviso also, and it failed.  The bill was then put on its passage, and the honorable member voted for it, and it passed, and became a law.