The Arkansas advocate., 1830-03-31

ses, that four population had beeneon. lined to the old thirteen States, the ao. gregate wealth of the country would have been greater than it now is. Bnt sir, 1t is an error, that the increase of fha aggregate of the national wealth, is ths object chiefly to be pursued by govern. ment. Tne distribution of the national wealth is an object quite as important as its increase. He was not surprised that the old States, not increasing iin population so fast as was expected (for he believed nothing like a decrease was pretended) should be an idea bv no means agreeable to gentlemen from those States; we are all reluctant in submitting to tile loss of relative i'm, portance-bu this was nothing more than the natural condition of conn. : try densely populated in one part, and possessing iii another vast tract os unsettled lands. The plan of the gen. tleman went to reverse the order of na. ture, yainly expecting to retain men within a small and comparatively un. productive territory sswho have all the world before them to ciioose.'' For his own part, he was in favor of letting populationtake itsown course; he should experience no feeling of mortifcationif any of his constituents liked better to settle on the Kansas or the Arkansas. or the Lord knows where. within our ter ritory; let them go, and be happier if they could. The gentleman says our aggregate of wealth would have been greater if our population had been res, trained within the limits of the old States; but does he not consider popu. lation to be wealth? And has not this been increased by the settlement of new and fertile country? Such coun- try presents the most alluring of allll prospects to a young and labouring man; 1t gives him d freehold--it offers to him weight and responsibility in society, and l above all, 1t presents 10 him a nrnspeet
 of q permanent provision for his chil- dren. Sir, these are inducements which never were resisted, and never will be, and were the whole extent of country 1 filled up to the Rocky Mountains, these inducements would carry that popula- ton forward to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Sir it is in vain to talk; in-
 diyiduais will seek their own good, and
 not an artificial aggregate of the nation-
 al wealth--a young, enterprising and
 hardy agriculturist, can conceive of.no-
 thing better 10 him than plenty of good,
 cheap land.
 Sir, with the reading of these extracts
 leave the subject. The Senate will
 bear me witness that l am not aceas-
 toned to allude to local opinions, nor to compare nor contrast different portions
 of the country. 1 have often suffered l things to pass which l might properly
 enough have considered as deserving 8
 remarks without any observation. But
 ] have felt it my duty, on this occasion
 to yindicate the State 1 represent from
 charges and imputations on her public character and conduct, which l know
 to be undeserved and unfounded. If advanced elsewhere. they might be pass
 ed, perhaps, without notice. But what
 ever is said here is supposed to be enti- tied to public regard and to deserve pub blic attention; it derives importance and
 dignity from the place where tits uttered.
 As true Representative of the State which has sent me here, it is my duty, and
 a duty whichi shall fulfil, oplace her his
 tory and her conduct, her honor and her
 character, in their just and proper light,
 so often as l think an attack is made
 upon her, so respectable as to deserve
 to be repelled.
 l Mir. w. concluded by moving an in
 definite postponement of the resolution.