The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1820-04-18
MISCELLANY.
FOR THE PORTLAND GAzErr he.
CUMBERLAND ROAD.

The writer of a tolerably dogmatcal article in
the last Argus undertakes TO find considerable
fault with striking statement contained in the
preceding Gazette respecting the CUMBERLAND
ROAD. II was natural 10 suppose that the i'm
mense sums annually iavished by the government
upon this favorite highway tc the western count
ry might well excite the inquiries of people, who
have to pay taxes for making their own roads.
The expense of this local piece of internal i'm
provement has been beyond any thing ever known
in the United States, except perhaps the great
NEw-YoRK CANAL, connecting the lakes with
the ocean, creating an artificial Mississippi.
According to the fact. stated on this subject in
the Argus II appears TO be proved, that the GOV
eminent established fund for this purpose out
Of the sale Of its lands in Ohio and that the state
stipulated insconsequence of this munificent con
sideration mol 10 tar hem for fire years There
seems to be a little disproporiion between the
term and the bounty especially as the govern
ment has right to require such a stipulation
from AL new states, as the price Of their adms-
sion into the union, WiitoM condition. This has
been done, it is believed, in the of every
new State, in which the nation owned territory.
BY the terms Of the act o. separation between
Massachusetts AMI Maine, which were entirely
and rightiully dictated by the former, Maine is
restrained from taxing the lands Of Massachusetts,
within her jurisdiction, as long as Hey remain he
therefore does correspondent right appcrtan to
the United States. The gift on the part of the
government therefore may be deemed entirely
graluitous.
Butt positive writer speaks Of il rs ces.ion
by the state of Ohio ofthe land out of which the
fund was formed, and holds out enoourag ement,
tina, the government will give us road to the
WHITE llIr.Ls, when we cede them land enough
This is undoubtedly a very liberal proposition ;
but as we have the art of laying out roads rather
cheaper than Uncle Sam cares about, we should
perhaps prefer seeing TO the apple ton of our
own money ourselves.
But does this gentleman understand what he
atIirms Has he, in his own language, made
himself acquainted with the proof,' before he
attempts TO produce the impression And does he
believe his own statement Is il possible that
he is ignorant of what nobody else is, viz. that the
land in question was not coded by ONO, but by
those of the cid UNITED STATES, which had
claims to il The truth is, il constituted part OF
the NATIONAL DoMAIy, acquired by the common
arms of the country in the revolutionary war and
secured by its united councils at the conclusion
OF peace. All the grants of lands 10 that terri
tory have been made By the United STATES. The
State of Ohio had no more title to the vacant and
appropriated lands within its limits, than the
District # Ma ne had nor yet so much, for
Name made part of the old confederation, while
OHIO was not settled till after the war. OHIO
was admitted TO the privilege Of forming State
by the favour of the nation, and what right has
she TO sequester any part of the national proper
ty within her territory, hold the nation to
terms for its immunity
Ii is not perceived theref fore why the allega-
tons in the Argus do not fully confirm and estab-
lisb in every material point, the statement in the
Gazette. II the proceeds of national lands are