Clay was the leader of the Western section. He saw in the situation
possibilities of building up a great following for this American idea.
He declared that the power of Congress to control commerce meant inland
as well as ocean commerce; that the construction of harbours upon the
Great Lakes was as much a duty as the building of harbours along the
seacoast; that dredging a Western river was as constitutional as
clearing an ocean channel. He once said that to make a distinction
between these two kinds of commerce would require an analysis of the
water for each appropriation; if salt, the measure was constitutional;
if fresh water, unconstitutional.
"Two years ago," said he, in pleading for a system of canals for the
western people, "a sea wall, in other words, a marine canal, was
authorized by an act of Congress in New Hampshire, and I doubt not that
many voted for it who have now constitutional scruples on this bill.
Yes, everything may be done for foreign commerce; anything, everything,
on the margin of the ocean. But nothing for domestic trade; nothing for
the great interior of the country.
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