Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-09-01

rhss reso.Gt,on OF Congress proves copclsyely THAI
l.p lads within the limits of Gcorgi at that time
we'e her domain, and that other power but her
ses Lad any right To it, orE,o alienateit.
In consequence of this resolution, the STAKE of Gcor-
gia Tered 20 cede portion of its territory to the
United States Tor the public use uoder certain
ditions. Tue committee of Congress, to whom tie
subject had been referred, reported on the 5h of
July, i8S, that the ccssion Georgia proposed TO
make, should not be accepted on the terms conta aimed
in the act OF cesSon ofthc Legislature of Georgia.
Congress agreed to this report.
The New York American asserts, that it is only
after the compact OF 1902, that the State of Georgia
acquired clear title TO lands west of the Ocmulgec
Such al assertion Is ,uaiestly founded ignorance,
or wilful peryersioN OF the circumstances which!
led TO that compact.
That print should have recoNcccd THAT stupendnus
fraud practise on Georgia, by set OF unprincple
and tratorous speculatore who by cunning, bribery,
and the arttul Vaccinations led the Iegsa,tRe
to convey away 10 several YaZoo companies, large
portion OF the western territory Of the State. That
PRINT shouid have rccuected, that Georgia was pla
cpd, alter the fraud had been detected, ia most del
icatc and critical situation. The Legislature sue
ce2dhg that which had sacrificed the State few
auventurers, had abrogated the ccsSion made TO tcln
great number vi innocent individuals. sufferers by
tltlS i1tnenlGbe occurrence had to be relieved.
Surrounded with difficulties ana with no means I'M
n!cGatciy ut hand, to remove them, Georgia had
recourse TO the government OF the United States.
by the compact OF 1902, the difficulties under which
GEORGIA then iabOured were removed. She celcl to
the United States ali her territory west of the Chat
taAoocie, Under three principal conditions: ls That
they should pay to her 81 $50 0U0-2l. That they
Would settle all the difficulties arising from claims bv
,lndlNdda!s to land within the coded turritory-3d.
That they wuud, a their expense, cNtinguisl,
the title to the lands which the Indians occupied
wittl he territory reserved b. Georgia, and which
had not been ceded Under these conditions, accep
ted by Tie Uni ed States, Georgia ccded the terrific
~ Of whch the States of Alu5Iin4 ana Mississippi
have been formed;
But, SAYS tho Nnw York American, in that same
CON pact OF 1892, inc United States crdci whatever
claim they may rave had to the land retained by
Georgia. by which the title OF the = ate To the terri
tory not cedad became complete.
Il the editor OF that paper, beinrc hazar,ng his re-
nua,ion Tor perfect knowledge OF the subet, upon
which he has ventured 20 WRITE had made himself
acquainted wiki all the circumstances attending the
compact, he would not have exhibited great an ig-
norauCe O.! them. lie will t:nd in The PROCEEDINGS of
Congress: at the period Which he himself has quoted
the reasOns winch led the commissioners Of the Uni-
ted States aud Georgia embrace the % article in
the compact OF 1862. These reasons were obvious
ana necessary.
As above, the Congress app,ied to the states
which had large tracts ri vacant lands to ccde por
tioi ot them 10 the United States in order 10
enaoe the latter To pay the large debt which
had been incurred during the Revolutionary War
Among the several states which made ceSsions TO
The United States, South Carolina Was one OF them.
With South Carolina difficulties had arisen raspec.
Ting 'I2r boundary line with Georgia. These diff
cl4tics were settled, and the boundary lines between
the two states established by the convention of Bean
Tort, q April. 1871. Bat previous to this convention
The state ot South Carolina by all of its legisla-
taFe' dated M2rch s, 1884, had coded to the United
states, Its RIGHT 10 lands i'll Georgia, which it claimed
ana from illc. claim the difficulties about tile
boundary lines As the convention OF Beaufort vas
SUBSEQUENT 10 the act of cession by South Carolina
TO the United States the latter coaid have laid claim
la.
to South Carolina, Notwithstanding the convention
OF Beaufort, winch had established permanent boun-
dairy between the two states. Aware Of this circlIm
stance, ana believing that their title from South Caro-
Ina might he good, the United States refused the.
cesson vi lau proposed by Georgia in an act of her
legislature OF February /, 13G: because Georgia.
requiring that the United States should guarantee to
her the territorial rights OF the State as pointed out
i'll the Convention of Beaufort, which was unnccessn-
ry and improper considering the spirit and meaning
OF the confederation, because such guarantee had
never been 'a9de by Congress TO any state would re-
tain tract Of country lying between the tract pro-
posed to DC coded BY her, and that tract coded by
South Carolina, by which Georgia would have ac.
quired what she had been comtendinr for with her
neighbour According to the ccssion OF South Caro-
Ina, the claim 81 that State became vested in the u
nted States 70 remove all futare difficulties, IN
regard To boundaries and prevent caSni!g OF titles
the Ri article was inserted III Tie compact Of 1862 bv
which any caiu tie United States mi a, have derived
from the cesSon of South CA Dina N 1857 was
cancelled
e. VI.
Beiore we conclude, shall observe shat nearly
ali the States which ceded lands 80 the United States
desired that the territory they retained should be
guaranteed To them by the United States The Con.
gress always refused acoep; any ccssion with such
Conditions because that body had not The power to
comply with such desire; because ii was asnneces-
S"rD and improper, the several states forming the
confederation, being free, Independent. and sovc-
reign, except IN such powers which had been dele
gated to the Congress Of the United States and be-
cause ny me articles OF confederation, the territory
within the limits oieach state IS to each Of The STATE
respectively confirmed and guaIantued
The adoption Of the federal constitution in 1880
ga not Change Tie relation OF the states towards each
ch2r and the government Of the United States rhev
remained 40 they were before free independent. and
sovereign, except ln the powers which have been del
egatod specifically and expressly to the government
established by that constitution.
Jhe .MM1ect is 90 be continued trho Nntinnn1 L..