Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1830-04-12

c use that privilege. But | will say, tina, if The
entertain~'he sentiments oftheir fathers the
wll never coasent 10 cede away hundreds q
millions acres of land for nominal consul.
Grafton, or gratuitously relnquish, them 10 an,
new State, however loudly she may insist ~
the measure as due 10 her rights and her SOY
efelgnty or however boldly she may threatei
10 DEFY the Federal Judiciary, aud decide tn,
controversy by her own tribunals, in her owl
favor, Those who are conveIsant with GU
| revolutionary history, will remember that ia,
exclusive claims of Virginia aud of other mem
oers OF our political family, TO the public lands
were warmly resisted by the States of New
Jersey, Delaware aud Maryland, as soon a,
| those claims were avowel after the ruptur,
WIN the mother country. The articles of Con
,euefaiion were not signed on the pari Of New
Jersey until 10th ofNov. l779. although shc
nau Died freely in The cause OF Americ IN liberty
rom the commeneeme nj of the Struggle. One
OF the principal objections which caused thi.
delay IN the ratltca ion OF those articles will be
found IN the able representa- ON of her lrgisla
lure presented by her Delegates IL Congress
| heiore she accedcd 10 the Union The min Ii
| lfnc e, SAID they, provides that no State shat
ne deprived OF territory for the benefit OF the
oh"ed STATES Whether we are 10 understand
'ha' ~ territory rs intended any land. The nro-
crown o' Gtea' Britain or that no mention OF
snch lsnd Is made in the Confederation, we are
constrained 10 observe thai the present war rs
we always unprecedented was undertake en- tor The
general defence and interests Of the coniede.
fa'ing Colonies, now the uni ell States IL
was ever The cohitient expecl.,iln Of this
state, that the benefits derived from surces-
'nl contest were. TO be general aud proportion
are ana that The property OF the common en-
envy iaiiiHg IN consequence Of Il prosperous
issue OF the war, would belong to the United
states, and be appropriated IN their use. We
are therefore greatly dsappoIn ed in finding
no provision made in the Confederation tor
empowering The Congress to dispose of such
property, but especially the vacant AID unpat-
ented lands, commonly called he crown lands,
Tor detlalIng the expenses OF The war aud fot
such other public and general purposes. Tho
jurisdiction ought, in every instance. 10 belong
10 the respective States within The charter oI
determined limits Of which such lands may be
seated hut reason and Justice must decide,
that the property which existed in the crown oi
Great Britain, previous 10 The present revolu
ton ought now - belong 10 the Congress ~
trust tor the USE aud bcuefi ofthe u. States ::
They haue jongh and btedi or ii in proportion
10 hep rePec'tre nbiliiieS ; and MerGtOre the re
ioard ought not TO be preddecij0aaiiy dtsilibU.
ted' Aud when in November. 1873 the Le-
glsature OF New Jersey determined TO attach
her 10 The Union, they did II, as they then eX.
pressed, in firm reliance that the Gandor and,
justice of The several States would, in du- time
remove the subsIsting inequality" yet still
insisting on the justice oG their objections thea
lately stated and sent 10 the General Con
gress.' So too Delaware and Mar, land, for
the same reasons, refused 10 Join The Conlede
ration until still later period the former rati-
flying the articles on the 22d OF February
l779, aud the latter on the first of March. 1871
The State which have HE honor IN part to
represent here had, on the lst Of February l770
adopted the following resolutions 10 authorize
her accession to the Union
" RtsOLped Tint this State considers it ne
CesSary for the peac' and safety of the Slate TO
be included in the Union; that a moderate
extent Of limits should be assigned for suck
Of those States as claim 10 In Mississippi,
or South Sea and that the United States
in Congress assembled, should and ought
TO have power OF fixing their Western limits
u" Resoioed, also, That this State considers
hers II Justly entitled 10 "A right, in common
with the members of the Union, 10 that extern
siye tract Of country which hes TO the westward
Of the frontiers OF the Umlei States, the pro
perty OF which VAS not vested in or granted TO
individuals AT the commencement OF The pie-
sent war that the same hath been or may be
gained from the King OF Grea Britain the
ntv Indians. by the blood aud treasure of all ,
anu ought there fore t. be common estate To
be granted out on terms beneh cal 10 the J..
States
But aftcr tue accession oil Delaware with this
protest. Mary land still persevered in her refu-
sal TO ION the Conied ration solely on the
ground that she might thereby be stripped Of
the common interest aud the common benefits
deriyahle from the Western lands" She sui
insisted that some security for these lands was
necessary for the happiness and tranquility OF
thu Union, denied the whole claim Of Vlrg mia
10 the territory northwes st OF the OHIO, aud still
pressed upon Congress that policy and JUS
lice required, that country unsettled at the
commencement of war, claimed by the BIZ
fish crown and ceded to II by the treaty Of
Paris, if wrested from the common enemy by
the blood and treasure of the III Irteen States.
should be considered as common property.
In February 1880, New York made her cession
10 accelerate the Federal alliance, aud declared
the territory coded should he for The use and
benefit of such of the United States as should
become of that alliance, " aud for no other
use or purpose whatever And although Viz
ginia attempted for u while to vindcate her
claim yet other States, feeling strong attach
ment o Maryland, and conscious of the justice
of her representations, disiked partial union
which would throw out Of the pale people
standing, AS Mary landers have always Stood
among the brayesI and NEST patriotic OF our
counirymen. The ordinance OF Congress then
followed in October, 1888, declaring thai the
territory TO be coded by the States should be
disposed OF for the commoa benefit OF the u
mon, and on the ID January, 1871, VHgInla,
in that spirit of magnanimity which has gen
orally prevailed in her councils, yielded up her
claim for the benft OF the whole Union. II Is "A
remarkable circumstance that Maryland did
not actually join the Union until after these
cessions had been made by New York and
Virginia declaring al the very moment, and
by the very terms OF her accession, that she
" did not release, nor intend 10 relinquish, any
part Of her right and interest. with the other
confedersing States, 10 the Western territory.
These facts which have now become part OF
the familiar history of the country, furnish
..r;ous rpminiscencpe in these latef days,