The Arkansas advocate., 1830-04-07

settled policy of the Government.n that this system should be so administered as to create a reciprocity Of interests, and 3 reeiproca! distribution Of f sS.o Government iayors, East and West, (the Tariff and Internal improvements while the South --yes, Sir, the impracticable South, was to pc "out of your protection.'' The gentleman may boast as much as he Pieases oi the friendship of New Ing land tor the West, as displayed in their support of Internal Improyement--but when he next introduces that topic. l trust that he will tell us aol,ea. that friend ship commenced, ho,p 1t was brought a. bout, and zuhy 1t was established? Be- fore l leave this topic. must he permit- ted to say, that the true character of the policy now pursued by the gentleman from Massachusetts and his friends. +, relation to appropriations of land and money, for the benefit of the West, is very similar to that pursued by Jacob ot old towards his brother Esau--it robs them of their birthright for a mess of pottage.
 The gentleman from Massachusetts, in alluding to remark of mine. that. before any disposition could be made of the public lands, the sAationat debt (for which they stand pledged, ) must first be paid, took occasion tointimate ( that the ertraordana'y .fver which seems to exist Tn certain qetdytey meaning the South,] for the payment of the debt, arises from a disposition Ssto ueakea the fies mhieh bi,ad the peea'ls to lhe L4ase,. 7 zNh:le A .hs gentleman deals us this blow, he profess es an ardent desire to see thedebt spec dily extinguished. He must excuse me. however, for feeling some distrust on that subject until find this disposition manifested by something stronger than professions. Ishall look for acts, deci- ded and unequiyocal acts; for the per formance of which an opportunity will
 very soon, If am not greatly mistakenly
 be afforded. Sir, If were at liberty to judge of the course which that gentle man would pursne, from the principles
 which he has laid down in relation to
 this matter, l should be bound to con- clude that, he will be found acting with those with whomit is darling object to prevent the payment Of the public 1 debt. He tells us he is desirous of pay- 1 ing the debt because we are under an obligation to discharge it.'' Now, sir, suppose it should happen that the pub lie creditors, with whom we have con- tracted the obligation, should release us from it, so far as to declare their will lingness.to wait for payment for fifty years to come, provided only the inter- est shall be punctually discharged.-
 The gentleman from Massachusetts will then De released from the obligation
 which now makes him desirous of pay- ing the debt; and let me tell the gentle man, that the holders of the stock will
 not only release us from this obligation,
 but they will even peg ats not to pay
 them. Butadds the gentleman, ( so far as the debt may have an effect in bind-
 ing the debtors to the country, and thereby serving as a link to hold the
 States together, he would be glad that
 itshould exist forever" Surely then, sir, on the gentleman'sownprinciples he must be opposed to the payment of the debt.
 Sir, let me tell the gentlemaIs that the South repudiates the idea that d pe- cunsasy dependence oa the ederal Go- vernmentis is one of the legitimate means of holding the States together. A mo- nied interest in the government is es- sentially base interest; and just so far as it operates to bind the feelings of those who are subjected toit, to the govern ment--jjust so far as il operates in eFea- ting sympathies and interests that would not otherwise exist-is itopposed to all the principles of free government, and at war with virtue and patriotism. Sir the link which binds the public credi- tors, as such, to their country, binds. them equally to all governments, wheth- CT arbitrary or free. In 2 free govern ment, this principle of abiect depend- ence, if extended through all the ranli- fcations of society, must be fatal to lib- erty. Already have we made alarming strides in that direction. The entire class of manufacturers the holders of stocks, with their hundreds Of millions lofcapital, are held to the Government by the strong link of peeuniory interests; millions of people-entire sections of the country, interested, or believing