Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1830-03-23

ing the territories where they lie and have
shewa the influence of New-England men
and New-England principles in all these
ieadl1g measures. 1should not be pardoned
were to go over that ground again. Coming
TO more recent times, and to measures of 3
less general character, have endeavourec
TO prove that every thing of this kind, d.
signed tor Western Improvement, has de.
pended on the votes of New England al
this IS true beyond the power of contra.
diction.S
And now, sir, there are two measures tc
which l will refer, not so ancient as to be-
long to the early history of the publicl
lands, and not SO recent as to be on this side
OF the period when the gentleman charitably
lmlagines new direction may have beer
gwen 10 New-England feeling, and New
England votes. These measures, and The
New. England votes in support Of them, ma,
be taken as samples and specimens of all the
rest. In 1920 (observe, Mr., President. Il
$780, the People of the West besough
Congress for a reduction, in the price a
lands. In favour of that reduction. New.
Eppgland, with adelegation of forty member r.
IN the other House, gave thirty ee votes
and one only against it. The four Southern
States, with fifty members, gave thirty two
votes for it, and seven against it. Again
IN 1871, (ebserve again, sir, the time, thu
law passed for the relief of the purchaser:
OF the publick lands. This was measure
OF vital Importance to the West, and more
especially to the South West. 1t authorized
the REIMBURSEMENT of contracts for lands
which had been entered into at high prices
and reduction in other cases, Of not less
than 81 = per cent, on the purchase money
Many millions of dollars, six or seven, | be.
lieve, at least, probably much more, were
relinquished by this law. On this bill, New.
England, with her forty members, gave more
affirmative votes than the four Southern
States with their fifty 1.-two or three members
These two are far the most important meas
ures, respecting the publick lands, which
have been adopted within the last twenty
years. They took place in 1920 and 1921
That is the time aohen. And as to the man.
ner hoD, the gentleman already sees that il
was by voting, in solid column, for the re-
quired relief; and lastly, as to the cause
s0hy, tell the gentlemn, it was because the
members from New England thought the
measures just and salutary because they
entertained towards the West neither envy
hatred. or malice because they deemed il
becoming them, as just and enlightened
publick men, to meet the exigency which
had arisen in the West, with the appropriate
measure of relief; because they felt It due
to their own characters, and the character:
oftheir New-England predecessors in thi.
Government, to act towards the new States
in the spirit of a liberal, patronizing, mag
unanimous policy So much, sir, for the
cause schy; and hope that by this time
! sir, the honorable gentleman is satisfied
| if not, do not know aohen, or hoC, or a0hy
he ever VIII ne.
Having required to those two importan
measures, in answer to the gentleman's in
quiries, must now beg permission to g,
back to a period still something earlier, 70
the purpose still further of showing how
much, or rather, how little reason there il
for the gentleman's insinuation, that politi
cal hopes, or fears, or party associations
were the grounds of these New-Englant
votes. And after what has been said, Ihopt
it may be forgiven ME, if l allude to som,
political opinions and votes of my own, o
very little publick Importance, certainly, bu
which, from the time at which they wer,
given and expressed, may pass for good wit
nesses on this occasion.
This Government, Mr.. President, from it.
origin to the peace of 1915, had been too
much engrossed with various other importan
concerns, to be able to turn its thoughts in
ward, and look to the development of its vas
internal resources. In the early part o
President Washington's administration, i
was fully occupied with organizing the Gov
eminent, providing for the publick debt, de
Tending the frontiers, and maintaining do
mestick peace. Before the termination o
that administration, the fires of the French
Revolution blazed forth, as from new open
ed volcano, and the whole breadth of the
ocean did not entirely secure US from it:
effects. The smoke and the cinders reach
ed us, though not the burning lava. Diff
cult and agitating questions, embarrassing
to Government, and dividing publick opinion
sprung out of the new state OF our foreign
relations, and were succeeded by others
and yet again by others, equally exciting d.
vision and discord, through the long serle:
of twenty years, till they finally issued il
the war with England. Downto the close
of that war, no distinct, marked, and delib.
crate attention had been given, or would
have been given, to the internal condition o.
the country, its capacities of Improvement
or the constitutional power of the Govern
ment, in regard to objects connected with
such improvement.
The peace, Mr.. President, brought about
an entirely new and most interesting state
of things, it opened to US other prospects
and suggested other duties: we ourselves
were changed, and the whole world was
changed. The paci6cation of Europe, after
June, 1915, assumed firm and permanent
aspect. The nations evidently manifested
that they were disposed for peace; some
agitation of the waves, might be expected,
even after the storm had subsidized, but the
tendency was strongly and rapidly, towards
settled repose.
1t so happened, sir, that I was at that time
a member of Congress, and, like others, nat
urally turned my attention to the contempla-
ton of the newly altered condition OF the
country, and of the world. 1t appeared
plainly enough to me. as well as to wiser
and more experienced men, that the policy