Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-05-18
non suci. subjects, and Congress

municipal regula'ion, within the several
states, have no authority to interfere with
them in any manner whatever. Such
subjects arc, as to Congress, coram nor
j4t1.te, and therefore we can neither le-
gisla,e upon thea, TO their benefit, or to
their injury. Let US not forget, sir, that
the power to do the one, admits the pos
slbiliiy, al least, of doing the other, since
all power is liable to abuse. And iiever
the day shall arrive, when the authority
of this government shall be admitted to
extend to such objects, then, adieu to all
state sovereignty. Ii VII be completely
swallowed up in the great vortex OF
grand consolidated national government.
In this point Of view, therefore, ii is evil
dent, there is no analogy between those
cgses, and that the claim of the original
states can derive no possible support
from airy Of the considerations that have
been referred to-.
Let Us now, Mr.. President, said Mr..
f. inquire whether the claim of the
original states can be better supported
upon any other principles, that could
.,ave led to the adoption of the present
system of disposing OF the public lands.
By this system all those lands are
divided into townships of six miles
square. These, again, are subdiyitied
inlo thirty-six sections of one mile square.
Que of which is reserved to be granted
10 the inhabitants Of the township, for the
use and support Of common school
therein. But, sir, as all settlements up
On the public land are prohibited under
severe penalties, the township must be
sold before it can be inhabited. The CT
4izehs Of the new states, therefore, can
only enjoy the fall benefit of a reserved
section, upon the condition of purchase ing
the remaining thir,yhve sections of the
township. Would it, then, compor,
with impartial justice," to grant such
a benefit to the citizens of other states,
without requiring any condition what
ever? Would it be right, sir, to punish
,hc ci,izeus of the new states for daring
10 ;nuude upon reserved section, with
out having previously purchased thirty
five sections, and at the same time, to
bes,ow section gratuitously upon
others, merely, because you had allowed
the former the privilege of acquiring
one upon the terms have mentioned F?
Surely not, sir.
Mr.. E. commended that these rcserva-
tons had, undoubtedly, increased the III
.rinsic value of the residue of the land
and that, on the other hand, its value and
productiveness, as nationalfund, would,
as certainly, be greatly deteriorated, by
the proposed donations to the old states.
/ acknowledge, sir, said be, that the
proportion in which the reserved sections
have enhanced the value Of the residue,
cannot be asccrtaincd with any thing like
mathematical certainty; but Judging
from all the lights, which many years cx-
perience has she'd npon the subject, there,
seems to be no reason to doubt, that,
townships with those reservations, have
commanded, and will continue to com
n. nd, higher price than they would
sell Cor without them. And considering
how highly the gentleman from Mary
land estimates the value and advantages
of education, it is surprising that he
should have any doubt of the correctness
ofthis conclusion. If, then, such be the
fac, those reservations loose all the
character Of donations, because they are
more than paid for, in the sale of the re-
sidue of the land-of course, they furnish
no precedent for the fnrs donations now
proposed to be granted.
Again, sir, no citizen of the new
states can enjoy, or derive the slightest
benefit from the reserved sections, with
optpaying for it, sinceno privilege, in
tcres,, right, or title in them, can be
acquired, without purchasing land at a
higher price than it would sell for with
out them. This difference, therefore,
whatever it may be, is the price actual
ly paid for the interest acquired in them,
which must be in exact proportion to the
quantity of land purchased. Even upon
the improbable superstition, that the
consideration thus given, we're an made
quate one, still, Ipresume, it can hard
]y be contended, by the honorable gen.
tlcman from Maryland, that this cir
cumstance can justify grants in favor
ofthe citizens Of other states, without
any consideration at all.
But, sir, settlement, as well as pur-
chase, is an indispensable prerequisite
TO the right of enjoying the use and
benefit Of the reservations. Its import
ance to the Union, may we'll be imagin-
ed, by contrasting the present value of
the national dos in, with what would
probably have been its value had it re-
manned to this time, waste and unin-
habited And this is certainly, but
fair and just view Of the subject; for if
the new states are to be charged with the