Litchfield enquirer., 1830-03-11
Mir. Webster's second Speech, IN SENATE, JAN. 2G, 1880.
 (CONTINGED.)

(CONTINJED.)
 And now, sir, there are two measures to which l will refer, not so ancient as to be- long to the early history of the public lands, and not so recent as to be on this side cf the period when the gentleman charitablv lmag'nes a new direction may have been given to New England feeling, and New England votes. These measures ,and the N. England votes in support of them, may be taken as samples and specimens of all the rest.-1n 1920, (observe, Mir. President, in 1S2O,) the People of the West besought Congress for reduction in the price of lands. ln favor of that reduction, New England, with delegation of forty mem- bers in the other House, gave thirty tn, 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 1921, (observe again, sir, the time, the law passed for the relief of the purchasers of the public lands. This was measure of vital importance to the West, and more especially to the South Vest 1t authorised the relinquishmcnt of con- tracts for lands, which had been entered in- to at high prices, and a reduction iu other cases of not less than S7 1-2 per cent on the purchase money. Many millions of dol- lars, six or seven. believe, at least, prob ably much more, were relinquished by this law. On this bill, New Eng gland, with her forty members, gave more affirmative votes than the four Southern States, with their htty-two or three members. These two are far the most important measures, re- speeding the public lands, which have been adopted within the last twenty years.-- They took place in 1920 and 1921. That IS the time rhcn. And as to the manner hoU, the gentleman already sees that it was by voting, in solid column for the required relief; and lastly, as to the cause wAy, I tell the gentleman, 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 it becoming them, as just and enlightened public men, to meet the exigcncy which had arisen in theWcst, with the appropri- ate measure of relief; because they felt it due to their own characters, and the char actors of their New England predecessors in this Governmont,to act towards the new States in the spiri, of liberal, patronizing, msgnanimous policy. So much, sir, for the cause 'ehy; and hope that by this time, sir, the honorable gentleman is satis- fed: if not, l do not know vhen, or how, or Uhy he ever will be.
 Having recurred to these two important measures. in answer to the gentleman's in- quiries, ! must now beg permission to go back to pe:fWl still something earlier, for ,he purpose Sull further of showing how much, or rather, how little reason there is for the gen,lcman's insinuation, that polit- ical hopes, or fears, or party associations, were the grounds of these New England votes. And after what has been said, Il hope it may be forgiven me, if allude to some political opinions and votes of my own, of very little public importance. certainly, but which, from the time at which they were given and expressed, may pass for good witnesses on this occasion.
 This Government, Mr.. President, fl om its origin to the peace of 1915, had been too much engrossed with various other im- portant concerns, to be able to turn it's thoughts inward, and look to the develop uCHt Ol tS Voot ICSOuICCSs u the early part of President Washington's administration, it was fnlly occupied with organizing the Government, providing for the public debt, defending the frontiers, and maintaining domestic peace. Before the termination of that administration, the fires of the French Revolution blazed forth, as from a new opened volcano, and the whole breadth of the ocean did not entirely secure Us from its effects. The smoke and the cinders reached us, though not the burning lava. Difficult and agitating ques- tions, embarrassing to Government, and dividing public opinion, sprung out of the new state of our foreign relations, anc were succeeded by others, ,and yet again b, others, equally embarrassing, and equally exciting division and discord, through the long series of twenty years, till they finally issued in the war with England. Down tc the dose of that war, no distinct, marked and deliberate attention had been given, o could have been given, to the internal con
 dition of the country, its capacities of i'm
 provement, or the constitutional power 0 the Government, in regard to objects con
 nected with such improvement.
 The peace, MT. President, brought abou an entirely new and most interestiu
 state ofthings; it opened to US other pros
 poets, and suggested other duties; we our