Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-04-02

public debt and for the public benefit; and Congress
required, and actually engaged, to encourage and pro
mote the settlement Of these lands and form new States
whenever the population would justify il.
Forty. eight million, of the public debt remain uu
pam. hi. is an encumbrance on the public domain
lien which should be removed, before tho fund is sp
piled to other purposes. Being thus applied, YOU com
ply with the expressed intention Of Virginia when sh
made the donation, and the pledge given by the oh
Congress at the Time oil its reception. BY doing this
the with and intention of all the parties will be faith
| fully comp led WITH.
IL has been suggested by the gentleman from Mas.a
ehu.eos, lMr Webster,) that he would be willing t
see the public debt discharged merely because wa
debt; but he felt no particular conce about it.
diirr from that honorable Senator OH this subj,ct
eei great anxiety and sOeiiuie to see the public deb
extinguished, and will assign my reasons for it.. Ir
the first place, will manifest not only ability. blu
awillingne.s on tn, part OF the Government, TO com
Ply punctuaiIy with all its engagements. This will
promote aud establish public credit. which adds
ly to the strength and power Of nation. In the ne
pace, IL will lessen the public burdens, and relieve IN
labor and industry Of the country, from the payment
an annual tax OF fourteen millions Of dolias Instead
OF srevenuc OF tweny-four mllions, which is now paid
Ten millions will be sufficient for all the purposes oil
carrbtpg on this Government. Then fixed and set
ueu policy can he adopted IL eau then he decided,
whether one portion OF this community be taxed
anu severely taxed TO enable another portion keep
competitor. out OF our markets. did not intend TO
say any thing upon the tariff on th, occ a.ion-but
my remarks having led me 10 that subject, will say a
lew words in relation to II, Can its advocates believe
mat tariff will continue long in this country of a
""dcer Whicn snal deprive the labor oil part OF
the coun OF it's just profits, and confer them on an
o'her2 Surely, the moral sense of this community
viii ri up in opposition to it, When it shall be
,hat the Government needs only ten millions Of del
lars annually, tax Of twenty millions will no, be
submitted TO. My friend nom New Jersey, mir
Dickerson tells us, he has specific for this evil an
n'aibe cure for this disease, malady which il.
annual distribution OF the surplus among the
states ask him to reflect again upon this subject
and see whether there great dagger Of violating
the principles OF both policy and justice by the course
a arnftI NIL q Z.
the Government, and then returned 10 the same peo-
PIE, from whom il received in the first instance
you nave gone through operation of collecting AMI
returning 10 lie rghul owners, money not needed by
anu failures OF public officers, 10 great amoun and
you arc at the point from which you sat out, except
mat you have wasted much of the public treasure
nu suppose you collect the money, chiefly from one
part or section Of the country, the fact at pre.ent
ana divide equally amongst ALL are you not practis-
ing great injustice upon that portion, from which the
TAX mas been levied! Gentlemen need not 1ater them
selves, that majority of the American people will long
permit injustice to be practiscd upon any portion of thi.
community Let me not be misun icr.tood. would
NOT tear oil the tariff il could, and thereby place the
institutions of this country at the mer-
cy Of foreign governments or foreign manufacturers
wrh IL 10 see il modified, as TO protect anufac
Avs AMI at the same time remove oppression from
others. This IL practicable it cannot be- that the op-
oil any portion OF this happy land, is necessary
Tor the security and protection OF ano'her.
tue spPeuy extinction OF the public debt. IL
calculated. than any Thing that can be don. al thi.
period, TO increase the respectabity and moral intu
ence OF THIS Government, both at home and abroad
This DONE shall he the wonder of an ,do,i,ng aud
ssonishcd world. We cannot ourselves tel no ha.
happened that. in little than half century, three
millions OF people, scattered along the Atlantic border
nave growno be 30 great and mighty nation. Tend
ing from the sea-boarJ, 1000 miles the West
and from the Northern Lakes TO the Gulf Of Mexico:
containing within its limits upward. of twelve millions
Of inhabitans Louisiana. large enough for empire
\ a. fha EIoril. IL,
ms extensive sea-board fortified; the Indian tile TO
millions OF acres of land exnguished; two wars with
inc most powerful nation earh successfully prose-
cued and honorably Terminated; and, after all tb, rot
Que cent Of the expenditures incurred re mains unpaid
~ not all mankind say, if this new people and this
new Government have achieved all this in beir nfan-
cy what cannot they not do in the days Of their ma
turity! Sir, foreign nations will entertain higher
respect Tor our country and the of future
will he diminished.
With regard to modification of the existing Land
Laws, am perfectly willing TO unite in scheme OF
graduation OF prices which shall make distinction be-
tween lands of different qualities values and shall not
at the same time rcard the Sales and thereby procras
innate the payment OF the public debt. Towards one
class oil individuals, the actual settlers, am willing TO
go as far as any man, in out of this Senate I'm anx
ous to place il in their power TO become eeholders-
10 nave an interest in the SOIL Ii good policy to con-
vert Eastern tenants into Western freeholders If the
made well founded that some Eastern
poiicans desired to prevent their citizens from emgra
ing to the West in order that they might be retained in
their manufacturing establishments, all such efforts
would be vain and Intellectual. You might as WELL Mr.
President, attempt to stop the torrents rushing from
thousand hills, to arrest the tide of emigration which
Is rising higher and higher and pouring spreading
itself over the vast valley of the Mississippi the
course of nature and of man. and no human legislation
can stay it. il is the duty of TO pursue his own
happiness. Competence and independence are main in
gradients in human happiness, and portion of our CT
uLens Will he restrained from going TO land Of ease
and plenty II within their reach. regretted to hear
remarks made by the Senator from New Hampshire,
derogating from the merits of settlers on the public
lands He considered them espassers and intruders,
and meriting punishment nracors of the public aw
Sir they are acting the original principle upon which
titles to lands were first acquired; they mixing their
labor with the SOIL and improving its condition; thew
are adding to its value and increasing the wealth of the
country: and can tell that Senator that when the coun-
try shall be in adversely and peril these men, now re-
yed will prove prompt to step forward and defend
IT, as any other portion of citizens. refer to the
Senator from New Hampshire, (hIr. Belly not to nv
friend near me (Mr. Woodbury. he speaks in diieren
tones, and his voice falls, at all tines pleasantly on my
ear.
have already voted to give preference to occupants
now in possession, and at all times ready 10 do So
This however, falls far short of my favorite system
dsPosng OF the public lands. would not confine the
provisions Of the law preference settlers now seat
cd upon the land but would act prospecvely | would
by no means limit the right of preference TO the few
who are now i'm The occupation of the public lands bu
say, to all the citizens of the United States that any OF
them who would settle on the surveyed public land
should be entitled quarter section or 100 acres al
reduced price, say fifty cents per less; provided
they would remain the land two years. and raise two
crops upon II. You would by this course enable men
who cannot acquire lands in the old states secure fol
themselves competence and independence; wife,
home, and child to prattle hi. knee would be the 10
OF many who are now destined to drudge on through
a Il