Madison Whig advocate. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1839-1841, 1840-01-18


{ distinguished individuals, and the sub
: jects embraced in them all, are deserving
Of your regard.
The disposition of the public domain
Is deeply interesting TO the people of thi;
State. All of the new States, excep
Mississippi, have received large grant.
Of the public lands But few town
ships remain in the State to be offered
Tor sale and the quantity unsold, is gene
rally Of little value Mississippi pays
more than her share Of the taxes, indi
rectly levied. in The shape Of imposls on
The foreign goods she consumes. Ii is
our duty 10 insist on surrender of the
vacant lands 10 our borders Our State
pride rcvolts al The idea of our sister
I : afes acquiring through the legislation
I OF Congress, a right TO our soil, and to
keep ii out Of market, as long as the
! dictates Of avarice may deem meet -
i The funds Of the Government are chief
/ lv expended IN he old States. The Ma
/ tloatl debt IS ali paid. The revenue ac-
/ cr3iag from Imposts, IS sufficient 10 sup
/ piy tEe wants of the Government. The
/ sale Of The public lands in his State,
/ heretofore. exhausted our resources and
contributed much 10 the present embar-
/ rassment OF The country. The existing
/ system should no longer be tolerated,
! and the measures proposed by the old
States IN relation 10 the public domain.
will never be submitted to by he freemen
Of this State. The exigency Of the
times demand an expression Of opinion
on this subject, from the legislature at
the present junclure.
The laws now in force. are believed TO
be adequate 10 protect our citizens IN the
enjoyment Of The rights guaranteed 10
them BIZ the National compact, aud the
uucaasing forts Of the fanatics cannot
disturb our repose. Their schemes tend
TO make rs rely on orr own resources.
and I trast the time is not far distant,
when We vii BE- enabled 10 carry on our
commerce direct with those countries
that consume our great staple, and ;raf-
fic no more with those who are denounc-
ing our domestic policy.
The immense debts contracted IN Eu-
rope, bv the several States for the pur
poses Of Internal Improvement, and the
establishment Of Banks, have afforded
he means Of introducing more fore On
goods into the country, than the wants Of
trade required, or the exports Of the
country justified. Capitalists begin to
distrust the ability of the States to pay
the interest on this heavy debt punc,u-
ally. and to extingu.sh the principal at
maturity. Some of the works construct /
ed, 90 not pay the costs of keeping them
n opcration many of them do not Weld /
interest on the capital invested. 1t is |
quite probable, that several Of the States |
wli be unable 10 pay the interest pune /
q IL.
have contracted. Many years will I
Of foreign capitalists, on favorable |
terms. aud II may well be questioned /
whether we have right TO saddle our
Po~terlty with a heavy debt, tor any
other purpose, than 10 provide for our
National defence and the peTpefaity Of
oar free Institutions. Ii the debt incur
red was due to cur own citizens. its bur-
iheus would not be 50 great. The coun-
try would not be annually drained OF It's
specie 10 pay the interest, but 1t would
be expended among Us. The public
creditor would bear his portion OF the
public burthens. Two bills Will come
up tor your final action, proposing to
pied re ne faith Of the State Tor the iur-
her SUM OF six millions Of dollars Tor
he internal improvement OF the country.
These bills have already passed one ie-
yislalure, and no doubt will be acted up
)n. with the caution and deiiberatlon cai-
ed Tor. by the magnitude Of The subject
and its important bearing upon the future
we fare and credit of the STATE. Ali eX-
lerience proves. that heavy articles can
Be transported much cheaper to market
IN Rivers aud Canals, than on Rail
Roads Il is worthy oil your serious
whotherour means should
rot first bss appropriated TO the improve
neni OF those channels IN our aiaie'
OUT BY the hand OF Providence,l
or our especial use. An expenditure
e less than one million OF dollars, judi
,iously applied, would be sufficient 10
-emeve the distractions from the varl-
,us wafer courses of the State, anu TO
ring navigation TO the boruers OF every :
.oufiiv. No State IN the union, enjoys
acilifjes OF water communication TO an
xteut equal 10 ours, and we VIII be re-
.reant to our duty, if we fail to remove
he Obstacles in;erposed 10 the enjoyment
# the advantages they are capable OF
/ herewith transmit the report Of the
.ngineer appointed to survey the sea
.,ast. on the Soufhern border of the state.
oaelher With a chart showing The vari-
n1s channels and the depths OF water 70
he several borders and the channels |
eading thereto Mach time was taken
md labor undergone BY the engineer u s
making the survey, aad have full cont 9
ence IN the accuracy OF his report. Il :
; now demonstr rated that We have a line
,arbor on our own coast, and Ia due c
curse of time an emporium. Tor the q
hipment of a large portion OF the sur 7
,lns products of the State, and Tor the
reception OF our foreign supplies OF mer-
handize. will be established within our
,wn borders, and subject 10 the controi
r. our own Legislation An adsanta-
,eous position for naval station ana ..
epot OF naval stores can be obtained
ear the coast. The great depth of the {
-. oantio,,itv 10 the West India {