Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1839-01-28
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''''.' 10 anu DfgS leave To sub
NIT the following report:
The subject of the public lands ftom the earliest
moment OF the lndcpendeut political existence of the
states composing the Union, has been REGARDED by
each aud all ct them with deep and abiding inter
est. Such, IN an especial manucr has been the case
win nglnla. Belote the ot tie revolution,
her territorial limits embaccda vast tract of couutry
out OF which numerous states have already been
created and which, from the incXhaustlble fertility OF
ITS soil Is capable OF containing an almost countless
number OF human beings. Her ripht 10 that extern
sEo region rested upon the same rrants from The
crown OF England, IA the territory now embraced
within her acknowledged limits. In the progress nt
thai war she still further fortified her clam tn cx
elusive DOMINION over what called the North
western territory, by planting her victorious ban
nels upon ITS soil To hef chartered rights ahr
thereby united the ieht of conquest. In the pfn-
sceunon of that saneunary war size had no allies
Htr af2RitS led on by herbrave captains, fought and
her 0r1gjfS conquered Your committee cannot
conceive ola tile more complete than that with
which she was invested. EVENT. that valuable re-
ZION had been conqHefedb by the united means OF all
lhe confederate states, HAT circumstance could IN
no degree have affected Ter title The whole tern.
tory had hern annexed asan uppendago 10 tue crown
OF England by the rght Of FIRST discovery, u reht
universally acknowledged by all civilized nations
aud was by grant from the crown conveyed to her
IN the solemn form OF charter under the great seal
Bul her coni'dctates furnished no aid towards pro
scouting the enterprise which resulted ~ the con
quest. She alone pad, fought aud conquered. BE
fore the war of the rrvelut,,o had cud,d .hc Ia al
proceeded 10 exercise nights ct sovereignty over
thar lcnfuly by establishing land offices Tor tho saIe
of the lands 70 her alle, ,iobts .l,. fh,,,h, ,lIl
the fleht OF actual pnssessinn What titic rouId
be nlnfe eompletc =. It prnrr, could b,ye lccn "a,
looted from the hmlly of civilized nations, who
would have hcsilatei = moment in deciding her
calm Il be perfect Had size retained the mastery and
possession over it 10 the nlc.ent d,y her wi, vonId
he the law 10 Others He4 Influence in the affairs of
the MON would be resl4le,s and almost immortal In
view ui this necessary result several Of The Siptcs NJ
an early period REGARDED VIRGINIA and other States
similarly rrcumstlnced with her villa wise ioaolIsy
TWAS proposed as eafly as October 1757 Will, Con
grcss engaged in framing the articles OF conicd-
er1cy that the I'uted States in Congress assem-
bled shall have the sole aud exclusive riphf and now
ascertain aud fix tie western boundary of such
States as claim 10 the Mssissipui on South sea, and
lay out the land beyond the boundary SO ascertain.
ed, iulo separate aud independent States from time
to time, as the numbers and circumstances Of the
people thereof shah require" This proposition
was rejected aud in consequence offs rejection Ma.
rylaud although with noble and panioiir spiit she
continued 10 give her important and 10 the common
cause, refused to adopl the articles of cop(edc,acy
until March ISL Other states also eNlnalcd eyi
dcncos of much dlsaniotnde upon the same subject.
In The PROGRESS of Tie war the interest laen in The
subject Il what was called ''tlc waste and uuupprn-
pri ted lands" became more intense Cannes re
sorted to pafcutaI adnonifiuus in order Ia calm the
public mind aud finally The proprietor states were
induced to surrender those extensive domains ms
sacrifice on the altar Of harmony and union; thus
furnishing to the world an example of devoted at
tacbment to freedom, uneqnalled by any previous
example TO be found recorded in the annals Of man
hind. The CcSslOu made by Virginia of Lands "
ing within states already created, and constituting
hounshinr ANA important members OF this Union,
exceeds, according TO the published estimates 100
100000 OF acres To shy nothing of her clam to other
lands stretching 10 the shores Of the Pacific ocean
This muufCent grant was made by her and ac-
cepted by the other states on the 1T day of March
l75l Ia th, noble act Of dsinterestedness, she was
followed by Massachusetts, Connecticut South Car
ulna, North Carolina and Georgia and thus these
extensive domains Which if held by The ORIGINAL
proprietor states would constitute elements 10 each
of greatness and power have long since become oh
ects OF primary importance to ali the states united
The oth,r pi bic lands held by the United States
aud lying within What were formerly the limits Of
Louisilnl and Florida, we're acquired by purchase
from foreign nations, aud have been paij for our Of
a common treasure, to which each oil The states had
in It's due proportion contributed
From the foregoing brief, but your committee
hopes satisfactory sketch OF the manner ~ which
the United States IN then corporate capacity have
come 10 be invested with proprietor rights over by
fWthe greater part OF the domains now held BY
them II cannot iaii To be set down as among Their
highest moral q political obligations TO observe with
fidelity the terms and conditions by aud under which
forth in the eompacis cessjon they have ac-
CURED their fi,hs of nrarrietofship Those terms
and CONDITIONS are SO plainly SET fo1Il IN said com
pacfs as In leave no rom Ia, c,vI as ,lc. t,no
meaning The deed OF ccs,ion from New York
which preceded that from Nupnia contains il,e lnl
lowing distinct stipulation, that The lands coded
shall be and erure for the use and benefit Of such