The Arkansas advocate., 1830-03-31

the public lands, and seemed to think this policy wrong. He held it to have been, from the first, hard and rigorous; he was ofopinion, that the United States had acted towards those who had sub dued the western wilderness, in the spi- rit of a step-lnother; that the public do- main had been improperly regarded as a source of revenue; and that we had rigidly compelled payment for that which ought to have been given away. He said we ought to have followed the analogy of other governments, which had acted on much more liberal sys- tenn than ours, in planting colonies. He dwelt, particularly upon the settlement of America by colonists from Europe; and reminded us, that their governments had not exacted from those coIonists payment for the soil; with them, he said
 1t had been thought, that the conquest of the wilderness was. itself an equiva-
 lent for the soil, and he lamented that
 we had not followed that example, and
 pursued the same liberal course towards
 our own emigrants to the West.
 Now, sir, deny, altogether, that there
 has been any thing harsh or severe, in
 the policy of the Government towards
 the new States of the West. On the
 contrary, maintain, that ithas uniform
 ly pursued, towards these states, lih-
 eral and enlightened system, such as its
 own duty allowed and required; and
 such as their interests and welfare de-
 handed. The Government has been ato step-nother to the new States: She
 has not been careless of their interests. nor deaf to their requests; but from the first moment, when the Territories which now form those States we're ceded to the Union, down to the time in which ] am now speaking, 1t has been the invariable object of the government, to dispose oi the soil, according to the true spirit oi the obligation under which it received lit; to hasten its settlement and cultiva- ton, as far as practicable; and te real the new communities into equal and in- dependent States, at the earliest mo ment of their being able, by their nlm- bers. to form regular Government. 1 do not admit, sir, that the analogy to which the gentlemanrefers us, Is just or that tine cases are at all similar. There is no resemblance between the cases upon which the statesman can found
 ;ln 1.rgament The vriSsnei North \. merican Colonists either fled from Eu- rope, like our New England ancestors to avoid persecution, or came hither al their own charges, and often at the ruin of their fortunes, as private adventures.
 Generally speaking, they derived nei- tber succour nor protection from their Governments at home. Wide, indeed. is the difference between those cases
 and ours. From the very origin of the Government, these Western lands, and the just protection of those who had set tied or should settle on them, have been
 the leading objects in our policy, and
 have led to expenditures, both of blood and treasure, not inconsiderable; not
 indeed exceeding the importance of the
 object, and not yielded grudgingly o1 reluctantly, certainly; but yet not in.
 considerable, though necessary sacrif. ces, made for high proper ends. The
 indian title has been extinguished at the expense of many millions. Is that
 nothing? There isstill a much more ma, terial consideration.
 These colonists, if weare ocall them
 so, in passing the Alleghany, did no,
 pass beyond the care and protection of
 their owngovernment. Wherever they
 went, the public arm was still stretched
 over them. A parental government at
 home was still ever mindful of their con.
 dltlon and their wants; and nothing was spared which a just sense of their neces- sites required. Is it forgotten, that it
 was one of the most arduous duties oi the Government, in its earliest years.
 to defend the frontiers against the north western Indians? Are the suferings and misfortunes under Harmar and St. Clair not worthy to be renemberedf Do the occurrences connected with these mili- tary efforts show an unfeeling neglect ol western interests! And here, sir, what
 becomes of the gentleman's analogy What English armies accompanied our
 ancestors to oclear the forest of barbarous toes? What treasures of the Exchequel |
 were expended in buying up the origin. al title to the soil?-NNiilat eoyernmen.