Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1832-01-26

lIOunuatlOn. III any PIo'isioh Vi pup
lie Revenue. Congress ought so to fix it
as to admit Of the payment Of honest and
proper demands, which its justice cannot
reject or evade.
hope too that either in the adjustment
Of the public revenue or, what would be
preferable, in the appropriation Of the
proceeds of the public lands, efiectual &
permanent provision will be made for
such Internal Improvements as may be
sanctioned by Congress. This is due to
the American People, and emphatcally
due to the Western People. Sir, tempo
rary causes may exact reluctant acqui-
escence from the People of the West, in
the suspension Of appropriations to objects
Of internal improvement, but as certain
as you preside in that Chair, or as the
Sun performs its diurnal revolution, they
will not be satisfied with an abandonment
of the policy. They will come here and
tell you, not in tone of menace or sup
plication, but in the language Of conscious
right, that they must share with you in
the benefits, as they divide with you the
burthcns and the pcrils Of common
Government. They will say that they
have no direct interest in the expendit-
urcs for the Navy, the Fortific ations, nor
even the Army, those greatest absorbants
Of the public treasure. That they are not
Indifferent, indeed, to the safety and pros
perty OF any part ofour common country.
On the contrary, that every portion of
the Republic s irectly, at least, inter-
estcd in the welfare of the whole; and
that they ever sympathze in the Distress
es and rejoice in the happiness Of the
most distant quarter of the Union. And
to demonstrate that they are moi careless
or Indifferent to interests not directly their
own, they may triumphantly and proudly
appeal to the gallant part which they
bore in the late war, and point to the
bloody fields on which, some CT their most
patriotic sons nobly fell fighting in the
common cause. But they will also say
that these fraternal and just sentiments
ought to be reciproc ated by their Allan
tic brethren. That these ought not to be
Indifferent to the welfare ofthe West, and
that they have the same collateral or m
direct interest in its success and advance
mcnt that The West has in theirs. That
it does not ask internal improvements to
be exclusively confined to itself, but that
it may receive, in common with the rest
Of the Union, practical benefit in the
only form compatible with its interior
condition.
The appropriation Of the proceeds of
the public lands, or considerable portion
of them, to that object, would be most
natural and suitable disposition. And |
do hope, Sir, that that great resource will
be cherished and dedicated to some na-
tional purpose worthy Of the Republic
Utterly opposed as, trust, Congress will
show itself to be to all the mad and wild
Ischemes-and TO that latest, but maddcst
and widest Of all, recommended by the
Secretary Of the Treasury-for squan-
dering the public domain, l hope it will
be preserved for the present generation
and for posterity, as it has teen received
from our ancestors, rich and bountiful
inheritance. In these halcyon days Of
peace and plenty, and an overnowing
treasury, we appear to embarrass our
selves in devising visionary schemes for
casting away the bountics with which the
goodness of Providence has blessed US
But, Sir, the storm Of war will come, when
we know not; the day Of trial and diff
Guilty will assuredly come, and now is the
time, by prudent forecast, to husband
our resources, and this, the greatest of
them ALL Let them not be boarded and
hugged with miser's embrace, but lib
orally used. Let the public lands be ad-
ministered in generous spirit, and es-
pccially towards the States within which
they are situated. Let the proceeds Of
the sales of the public lands be applied in
n season Of peace, to some great object;
and when war does come, by suspending
that application of them, during its con-
tinuance, you will be at once put in pos
session Of means for its vigorous prosecu-
tion.-More than twenty-five years ago,
when first took seat in this body, | was
told by the fathers ofthe government,that
if we had any thing perfect in our institu-
tons, it was the system for disposing of
the public lands, and was cautioned a
gainst rash innovations in it. Suisse
qucnt experience fully satisfied me Of the
wisdom Of their counsels, and that all vi
tai changes in it ought to be resisted.
Although it may be impracticable to
say what the exact amount of the public
revenue should be, for the future, and
what would be the precise produce ofany
given system Of imposts, we may safely
assume, that the revenue may now be re-
duccd, and considerably reduced. This
reduction may be effected in various
ways, and on different principles. Only
three modes shall now be noticed
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