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or some great public institution is to be located. Now here is some 

 benefit contemplated, unquestionably of a public character. Eveiy 

 harbor belongs to the Union, and indeed to the world ; navy-yards and 

 mints are national; every raihoad is a public accommodation; and in- 

 stitutions whether for learning, or art, or benevolence, when constituted 

 Dn right principles, diffuse blessings on all sides. The sun fills the hea- 

 vens with light, and yet all the planets cannot be equally near him; 

 but it is better for Saturn, Heischell and Neptune that the sun should 

 exist, although they cannot bask in his beams, like the Earth, Venus or 

 Mercury. 



The mint, the navy-yard, the institution, must be somewhere in par- 

 ticular; the railroad cannot go winding about at every man's door, but 

 ought to go in as direct a line as possible. But if not capable of ubi- 

 quity, and some certain place must have the honor and ad\antage of 

 the location, that does not destroy those more essential and general ad- 

 vantages which form the true reasons why the public work should be 

 undertaken at all. The mint is not located in Philadelphia or New 

 York, merely to benefit those cities, but to benefit the Union. It cannot 

 help proving a benefit in particular to the city in which it is located; 

 but the question of its location must be determined by entirely differ- 

 ent consideratioas. In all such cases, we are to throw ourselves upon 

 the intrinsic merits of the question. We are not engaged in bestowing 

 favors upon certain cities, town or villages ; but, in some great enter- 

 prise for our common country, or for our common humanity, and the 

 glory of God. We are associated, not to decide between party com- 

 petitions and jealousies, nor to gratify any local cupidity ; but to do 

 this great and good work, whatever it may be, simply because it ought 

 to be done. Where these petty competitions and jealousies are allow- 

 ed to enter, attention is directed from the grander and tme object, to 

 anotiier both inferior and false. The adjustment of these small conflict- 

 ing clauns by the log-rolling, as it is technically called, is an ex|')edient 

 which every true man must deprecate. Can we not appropriate money 

 to fortify the Narrows at New York, in order to protect our commer- 

 cial emporium, unless, at the same time, we appropriate money to re- 

 move the mud from some channel at New Orleans? Remove the mud 

 from the channel, if it ought to be done ; but what has that to do with 

 the fortification of New York ? Can we not build a hospital for dis- 



