Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-05-18

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spectacle state, that if the original states
had been governed by selfish policy,
they would have thrown every impede
nent in the way OF emigration TO the ma
tionai domain. This however does not
appear to me TO be very consistent with
the motives which induced them, SO zeal
ously to insist upon its being surrended
as national fund; and besides The
breach OF faith involved in such poll
cy, it would have been just about as RAJ
tional as the Japanese mode OF duclllng,
in which one man rips open his own bow
els for the pleasure of imposing an obi
cation on another to follow his example.
None could have lost more, or gained
less, by such measure, than those very
states; and liu.c can be known oil the
immense tracts of land in the western
country, which yet remain to be settled,
if it can be supposed that any measure
of that kind could have had any other
material effect upon emigration, than
to have changed lis direction and swell
ed The population OF some OF The other
western states. Ii is evident, therefor,
that the inducements afforded to cnigra-
ton By the original states, have neither
been 50 purely gratui'ous, nor its effects,
which they SO deeply depiore, SO ex-
c'asiyely the results c. ,hoir liberal for
bearance 10 impede ii, as seems 10 have
been imagined.
In The enumeration Of the grievances
and injuries for which they demand in
Identification, we find them complaining
tia, The sale OF lheir western lands !" has
prevented an increase ot the price OF
lands ia the Atlantic states," Though they
have not single acle of land Of their
own TO dispose of in those states. Re-
GREETING, exceedingly, sir, that my re-
naming strength does not admit OF my
entering into fnll investigation of this
singular ground oil complain',i viii bare
ly remark, tina, the hish price of land, so
much desired, CHI only resu1t From a
density Of population, froni which much
dependence and wretchcdaess would be
inseparable; that there is uothing in the
history of our own, Or any other country,
to tuthoilse the opiniea, that II would be
more suspicious to the interest and hap
piness, OF the great mass 0! our popula-
tion, or to the preservation oil the free
principles of cur vernrncnt---that its
tendency would DC to advance the in-
tercst OF the few, THAT have land 10 sell,
at The expense Of the many, who have it
to buy---and that, instead Of impeding, 1t
wonld be calculated to increase emiera-
ton; since, in proportion 10 the difficult
ty Of obtaining lands in the old states,
there wouldbe additional ulotiyes,o seek
it clewhere.
Mr.. Edwards here remarked, that, be-
ins himself greatly fa,igued, and tcari" g
he had exhausted the patience al the Sc
nate, he should be com PEELED to om.t, or,
postpone to future stage Of the discus
sion, other views OF the subject, which
he was anxious tie present 10 'tbe ccn-
siierasion eft Senate.
have, SIR, said he, cortrss.cd the re-
!at;yc si,ua,ion Of The citizens OF the new
and old states, in relation to the proposed
appropriation. | had intended to have
presented similar contrasts between tho
claims OF the new and old states them
selvss--and between the grants made to
the former, and these proposed TO be
made TO the latter. ! had aiso, Intended
to have shown, that, even admitting the
principle contended ior by the honorable
gentleman from Maryland, the oontcm-
plated apportiopment, and distributor Of
the land, would be .snaniles,ly unequal
and u,just. That the demand on the
pert OF The original! ofan eqn;raleat
for the particular" advantages, which
the new states derive from tic preset
system Of disposing of the public lands,
for the beueti, OF the Union, is incon-
sistcnt with every idea oFaa,:oaal govern
ment; and that the latter states might,
with equal propriety, demand an eq1isa-
lent for the particular" advantages,
which the former derive from the vast
expenditure of public money wi'hin their
limits; Or from any other measure OF ma
tionsl policy.
End, however, / must coDte3t myself
with remarkine, that you have granted to
naked t;'Ust---to execute your own pre-.
viuus ob)igations--or to promote your
future interest. So far as the public
lands had been sold, the right to the re-
served sections had vested in the inia.
bitan.s of the respective townships, and
did rot depend at all tor its validity up
on the grants to the states, fer you
neither could have withheld nor impair
cd II, nor can those states now do so.--
So far as the lands have not been sold,
10 right to the reserved sections has vest
ed, or can vest, either in those states or
the Inhabitants thereof, but upon eondi-