Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1837-05-13

possessed by the United States to lands north west
of the River Ohio.
Bv Treaties with Franco and Spain, Louisiana
and Florida, with many millions Of acres OF pnohc
ups sold land have been since acquired Inc cost
of these acquisitions paid Of course by the uen-
eral Government, and was thus q charge upon the
whole people. The public lands, therefore. al, ana
singular, are national property; granted to the On
ted States, purchased by The United States Pa'o o'
|by all the People Of the United States.
The idea, that when a new State is created, The
publc lands living within her Territory becomes the
property Of such State, in consequence oil her
sovereignty is too "epos'erous tor serious reiu'a
ton Such notions have heretofore been advanc-
ed in Congress, but nobody mas sustained .nem'
They were rejected and abandoned, although one
canno, say whether they may not he revived, IN
consequence Of ,ecent propositions, which have
been made in the Senate The new States are ad-
mitted ON express conditions, recognizing to the
fullest extent the right Of the United States to the
public lands within her borders; and u IS no more
reasonable TO contend that some indefinite IDEA OF
State sovereignty overrides all these stipnIations
and makes the lands the property OF the States 4
ainst the prov siOns and conditions OF their own
Constitutions, and the Constitution of the United
States than it would be that similar doctrine en-
titled the State Of New York TO the monies collect
ed at the Custom House IN this City; since it is no
more inconsistent with sovereignty that one Gov
ernmen, should hold lands for the purpose OF sale
within the territory Of another, than II is that It
III ,u!d lay aud collect taxes ard duties within
such Territory. Whatever cxiravagant pretcns'ons
may ha. been set up, heretofore, there was nor,
suppose an en!i g,ened man in the whole West,
who insisted on any such right in the States. when
the proposi,ion TO cede the lands to the States was
made in the late session of Congress The public
lands being, therefore, the common property OF all
the people Of all the S;ates shall never consent
10 give tEcmaway to particular States, or 10 as
pose Of them otherwise than for the general GOOD,
4 ,l.c cr,l uSp of whole Country.
felt bound, therefore, on the occasion Just al
!udcd to- 10 resist, the threshold, proposition
TO cedc the public lands to the States in which
| they lie, on certain condiiions.
| l very much regretted the Introduction OF such
measure as its elect. must be, fear, only TO agit
ATE. what was well settled, and TO disturb that
course of proceeding regard 10 the public lands,
which forty years of experience have shown 10 be SO
wise and satisfactory in its operation, both TO
the people of the old States, aud to those Of the
new.
! But Gentlemen, although the public lands are
not TO be gwen away coded to particular States,
a very liberal policy in regard to them ought un-
doub;edIy to prevail. Such policy has prevailed.
and have steadily supported it, aud shall contin-
nc 10 supper, it SD long as NAV remain in public
fc The main Object, in regard I" these lands, ,s
undoubtedly to settle them, SO fast rs the growth
&c our population and its augmentation by emigra-
! ton may enable US TO settle them.
The lands therefore, should be sold, at low
price, and for one, have never doubted the right
or expedicncy Of granting portions Of the lands
themselves, or Of making grants Of money, for OBJ
iects Of Internal Improvements connected with
them. :,
am in favor Of such revenue as shall be equal
tn all tho lust and asonable wants of the Govern
mcnt: and am opposed 10 all collection or accu-
mutation Of revenue, beyond this point An ex-i
traya giant Government expenditure and unnecessa-
nv accumulation in the Treasury, are both OF all
l,o tnGit
am in favor Of protecting American industry
and labor. not only az employed in large manufac
tories bat also, and more especially, as employed
in the various mechanic arts carried on by persons
acting On small capitals, and living by the earnings
of their own personal industry. Every city IN the
JInion and none more than this, would feel we're
" the consequences Of dep ring from the ancient
aud continued policy Of the Government, respect
ing this last branch protection 1t duties were
To he abolished on hats, boots shoes, and other ar
ticles of leather and on the articles fabricated OF
brass, TIN, and iron, and on ready -made Clothes,
carriages. furniture, and many similar articles,
thousands Of per.ens would be Immediately thrown
out of employment in this city, aud in other parts
of the Union. Protection, in this respect, of our
own labor, against the cheaper, ill paid, half fed,
and pauper labor Of Europe, rs, in my opinion,
duty which the country owes to its citizens. am,
therefore, decidedly, Tor projecting our own inous
try, and own labor.
In the next place, Gentlemen. | am OF opinion
that with no more than usual skill, in the aPPlca-
tion of the weil-sried principles OF d'scrmnaiing
and specific duties, all the branches Of natural in
dus,ry may be protected without imposing such du-
ties on mpcs,s shall ovsrcharge the Treasury
And a. to the revenues, arising from the sales
Ct the public lands, am Of opinion that they ought
to be set apart for the use Of the States The |
States reed the money. The Government ofthe
United States does not need it, Many Of the Ststes
have contracted large debts. for objects of internal
Improvement; and others of them have important
objects. which they would wish to accomplish
The lands were originally granted for the use OF
the several States and now that their proceeds are
not necessary for the purposes OF the General Oov-
ernment, am of opinion that they should 60 to the