Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1832-08-08
|day Mas Trough, memorial afser memorial, 4fomI


individuals, from Conventions and from States
until,your table can lear no more And what is
the complaint That by your tariff laws you
draw sums too large, and by measure too une-
quail, from the hard hand of industry. DO not
understand me as saying all these complaints on
this subject are wholly true, or that the system
complained of should be broken down, but 1t
would take a very sceptc irdeed, to doubt the
sincerity with which these Complaints are made.
Then let me ask, is it prudent, is it wise, under
the circumstances stated, to egisate from the
treasury the annual sum of marty four millions
OF dollars, sum equal TO onethird the amount
necessary for the exigencies If the government,
and that too in manner so hurried, as mas Deeh
indicated by majority of thu Senate; and IN a
manner wholly different from the memorials OF
the new States, who feel mos solicltude on the
subject of the public lands; AMI permit me to add
in manner, which fear will operate as an eter-
nal bar to the granting of their prayers, which
have been constant and unvared, for reduction
in price, and a transfer Of the lands to the States
in which they lie.
But we are told that this rew plan, this grand
distributipe system, IS the very best thing that
could be done for the new States. SIR, 81 fear
the Greeks even when they offer presents" L
can view no man in the hight OF q friend, or as
capable of giving friendly advice W the new
States, who denies them the humble boon for
which they have been daily supplicants for the
last thirty years. Areduction in price, e7ecial
Ey Of the refuse lands NTH preference TO o,taal
settlers, has been their incessant prayer. Ami
what are they now told? That they have already
gotten too much That they are spoilt bant
ings, prattling fools, and strangers to their owr
interests. They ask of you bread and you give
them stone.
That part of the bill giving ten per cent. is
confessedly right in principle, and goes upon the
ground that the General Government being =
large land proprietor, is in justice bound to con
tribute to the improvement of the country, i,
which the lands are situate, as every improve
ment there made adds to the value and demand
of the unsold lands. Twas one of the Commit
tee on Public lands who thought the ten pei
cent. too small for this purpose, and so did
think as to the fifteen per cent. proposed to be
substituted; but as majority of the Committee
thought otherwise, acquesced in the sum Of
fifteen, being the highest amount to which ma
jority would agree. And do hope, as both the
committees, which have had this subject under
consideration, recognized the principle upon
which the appropriation is to be made, that when
the Senate should be advised of the fact thai
nineteen twentieths of the lands, IN large por
ton of these States, are still held by the genera
government, that they would have most readily
assented to the amendment; and still more did
hope, that to this sum of fifteen per cent. there
could be no serious opposition, when it was recol-
lected, that by compact, the new States canno,
tax the the unsold lands, nor even the lands sod
until five years after the date of sale. And lot II
not be forgotten that this compact was the price
YOU made them pay for admission into the Union,
entered into in the days of their minority, when
groaning under the CALLING shackles of Terrific
rial government. And at the very time they
fondly thought, that they were rising to the proud
and elevated station of independent States, on
equal terms with the original members of the
Union, they we're despoiled of one of the princ
pie attributes of sovereignty; the right of taa-
alton. My objections to the dsiributive princi-
pie, as proposed by the Committee on Manufac-
lures, are many; few Of which will take the lib
erty to state.
Its operation will be unequal between the
slave and non-slave holding States. There is no
reason why one of the former, as distrbutee
should receive as much for five slaves, as one Of
the latter Tor three treemen; nor is any answer
to be had from that par Of the constitution which
fixes the ratio of direct taxes and of representa-
ton, because this is neither. Again: it will op-
crate unjustly between the old States and the
new states; for example, Illinois is increasing in
population at the rate Of eighteen and a half pc.
cent. per annum, whilst in some of the old
States, Delaware for one,) the increase is less
than one-third Of that rate, and yet the division
is to be made under census taken two years
ago.
1t is certainly serious objection to this or any
other system which makes the States so depen-
dent on the General Government. By this bill
there is scarcely State whose dividend will not
be equal to its ordinary current expenditures;
and it is worse than idle to say, that the money
will not he used Tor any and every expence Incl
dent to State Governments. Once establish this
system of pensoning the States, l care not for
how limited period, and my life for it, it be-
comes perpetual: and so soon as that is the case,
4 6g for your State sovereignty. Already are
the guards against consolidation too few and too
weak, and instead of adopting policy calculated
to diminish and weaken them, they should be in
creased and strengthened.
Another objection is this; if the General Gov
srnment is to furnish the means for colonization
and internal improvement, (and to do SO when
expedient and convenient, am entirely willing)
either of these great objects can be more effect
sally as we'll as more beneiciaIly accomplished
without, than with the agency Of the States.A