Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-02-27
TIE PUBLIC LANDS.

If Congress should be so lost u all sense of what is
right, as to pass 4 law to distribute the avails OF the pub.
lie lands among the several States, at this time, when
the Treasury is nearly empty, the Government would
he compelled to run in debt, or lay a direct tax! TO keep
the wheels OF Government in motion. This would be
a pretty business indeed, to receive one dollar from the
Government, and pay il in taxes one dollar and twenty
cents; for ii would cost about twenty cents on a dollar
to collect, &c. A wise Wing scheme indeed. Be-
sides, these lands were purchased Of the Indians, &c,
at the expense of the IT,. States; there would be Just as
much ~propriety in dividing the revenue accruing from
imports, as that received from the sales Of the public
lands.
Mr.. Crittenden, who introduced resolutions into the
U. s. Senate, to distribute the proceeds Of the public
lands, made a speech on the subject; and his colleague,
Mr.. Clay, supported the propositions, of course, taking
the ground that it was :" paying Il dcbt to the States
which the General Government owed them! = VIVA;
debt does the Government owe them We had, IN
common with others, supposed that the L. S. was fee
from debt. But it is left 10 Mr.. Clay and other Wing
leaders in Congress to make the astounding discovery,
that she is indebted TO the States S5,00N. 600 anna.
ally from M. now v until mt c the end ar Of r! !da%a s plea made
-S,mplv because several OF the States have become
so deeply involved in an onerous debt by embark
ing in a variety of extravaganza projects, that ih"i.
credit is at so low an ebb, that they Ind 1t d!hicult or
IMPOSSIBLE to raise more money without ruinous sacri-
fccs: and the Wing leaders, in hopes to make capital
out of it bring forward a proposition to divide a portion
ofthe Government re venue among the individual States,
under the plea of paying Il debt! This ground IS pro-
baby taken, weak and untena5!c as it is, because they
could take no othcr-knowing, rs they well do, that a
direct proposition TO take 81, 900, 900 annually out OF the
u. S. Treasury, and give it to the States, would stand
no chance of favor, when the receipts are annually be-
coming less under Mr.. Clay's compromise tariff law.
In fact, ii is doubtful If the receipts Of the present year
will equal the ordinary appropriations made BY Ion-
gress.
. This subject will undoubtedly be the fruitful subject
of defamation in the Senate, for some time to come.
The Wings will make a political hobby OF II; but We
trust that the Democrats will, like John {. Calhoun, n
his speech ON the 9TH inst. expose the iniquity Of the
plan which proposes TO tar the whole Union to enable
n few of the Insolvent States to pay the interest on theIr
foolishly contracted debts. As well might it be pro.
posed that this State should pay the debts of its CT.
ties and towns by a djrsct tax land to meet the cxpcnd'-
tures, The Legislature that should propose such II
nIan would he thought a fit subject for the Lunnlic
hospital. And yet the Wing plan IN Congress is equt-
valrnt To 1t.
lfthey wish to help the L. $. Bank, the Earrings,
and other foreign holders OF State Stocks, why not
come forward boldly and propose that the General
Government should involve herselfin a debt of s2c".-
GEO 900, to relieve the individual States from their OPP
pressive burthens. And not take the sinister cours,
Of proposing to divide the proceeds of the public
lands, But let the course of the Wing leaders in Con
rress, be what it may, to involve the Union in anc.
Their National Debt--from which we are now so
hnppily iree-thc Democratic members should meet
the question frankly, boldly, and expose it to the
LIGHT of day. Let the people understand that all the
chicanerv and sophistry about the Public Lands, with
which the Wings are seeking to bind their eyes, IN
plain English means, that they desire that the country
should again become bnrdcncd with a heavy debt,
that would require the people to be iared, directly or
indirectly, heaciy, TO pay the interest. The move
men,s of such men should be narrowly and constantly
watched, to see that their tavorite no.ion-.liat a Ma
tional debt i a National WeSSiag"-be not experiment
ed mon to the serious and lasting dr;rinIcnt Of the
great mass of the People. The Nation is free from
debt. Let it be the constant aim Of Democrats TO
keep it ever free. Let our watchword be, NO Ma
ITlONAL DEBT!
IHIdieforn IIcrmonD S~cninci, Feb. ~.