Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1840-08-31

have sated admits the opposition 10 the lanl p'H !
by the administration and by the locotocos Of Yer
mont; and attempts to defend them We are glad
that the locos place the matter upon this ground;
and we will now proceed to demolish their de-
fence, and tumble their fancied strong tower upon
their own heads. What is their defence Listen
20 the Patriot:
/" How were these lands obtained We answer,
either by purch Use or 10y cesson from the States ;
aud when the States have given lands to the u.
=, whit have they given? Why, merely the
rigH 10 purchase them Of the Indians. And how
much do you suppose the United States have al
ready paid to extngush the Indian titles to these
lands? The sum of sEvENTY-Two MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS. The whole expense of the public do
main, the money paid out for these ands is $ ~
69l 1853 and the whole amount of sales is $ l0l
0000O0-~actualy leaving the lands in debt to the
United States over EIGHT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
These facts we derive from Col. Bentons
speech, in the Senate, in January last, and VIII
not he denied by any man familiar with the sub
ject."
This is the defence: and the Patriot infers AT
once that the lands are indebted 10 the government,
and therefore until that debt is paid nothing ought
to go to the states. But what is The gOuernmem?
Is body distinct from he people, that it is here
brought in n creditor, and the people turned IN
to debtors ? No democrat ever preached such
doctrine. We tell the Patriot that Tom Benton
has here made the out douby clear in Ia
vor of distribution. Let us examine. The states
first coded the lands the express condition that
they should continue to be the property of The
StaieS, and not of the conederacy or the federal
governments; making the latter merely trustee to
take care of the lands. This cession conveyed
the title; but nevertheless the Indians were in pos
session, and it was deemed more just and equita-
BILE 10 huy than to drive them Oft. Hence
there was n large amount of money paid. But
whence came it ? From the people IF The several
states; and in this instance, precisely us in the 9TH
er, the federal government was merely trustee
or agent of the people to receive and pay out the
money, it is false, then, to say that the lands are
indebted to the federal government They are in
fact indebted TO THE PEOPLE; and this con
stitutes double claim on the part of the people
TO demand that the proceeds of the lands be paid
back to them. The people ask it, because it he
longs to them by this double caim-frst, by the
terms of the cession, and second to indemnify
them for money which they have already paid
out And here remark although Benton APP
parently makes it ont that the sales Of the lands
have not vet amounted TO tho cost, yet an impor
tant fact is not stated. The Indian title has been
already eXtnguished, and paid for, to TWO HUN
DRIED MILLIONS OF ACRES which have
not yet been sold, valued at TWO HUNDRED
ANDFIFTY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS and
we put the question home 20 the Parint-why
rob the states of this immense amount, which they
are entitled to, not only by the deeds of cession,
but also because they have actually PAID Foa THE
LAND? We put the questions directly TO the peo-
CLAIM proportion belongs to you by the deeds
of cession and as Benton and the Patriot has
shown, it belongs TO you because you have paid
your proportion Of the expenses for eXtinguishing
the Indian title and experimenting the surveys and
sales of these lands: Will you consent to have the
administration give ONE HUNDRED AND
SIXTY MILLIONS OF ACRES to the states in
which they lie, for hdlC price, as it is proposed to
do by CALHOUN'S BILL? Will you consent
to REDUCE and GRADUATE the prices of all
the lands as BENTON proposes to do? vii
you, contrary to the deeds of cession and YOU
own right YIELD UP YOUR ENTIRE POR
TION to the federal government, to be so expen
ded that Vermont will never receive hundredtl
part of her share? VIII you JUSTIFY ant
SUPPORT the locofocos of Vermont, for DE
NYING YOUR RIGHTS, which, by their owl
defence, they show to be far stronger than w
have ever heretofore stated them to be
But the Patriot objects:
"The public lands are sold and where does tn
money realised from them go? Into the U.
Treasury. Have we more revenue derived iror
import duties and land sales, than is required t
defray the expenses of the government? NJ.
then the revenue derived from the land sales
taken from the Treasury, what is the consequence
Why that the means of the Treasury will he ii
adequate to meet the expenses of the government
by the amount of those sales, which, according
tho calculations ofthe Waterman, would amoun
annually, to $l2,770,860 81 This sum, the
would have to he supplied by direct tax t
duties on imports; and in either case must be take
from the pockets Of The people. And if the ia
whether direct or indirect, were equally and just
laid. Vermont would have to bear her equal share
Here is a begging Of the question at once, |
the assumption that the proceeds of the lands b
long to the national treasury. They do not beio,
tou and the conduct of the federal governme
in taking and spending the money, is direct vi
latlon of the deeds of cesson and of the 9th art
Gle of the Constitution, and consequently vio
ton of the plghted faith OF the government to II
states But granting that the federal governme
may place the proceeds OF the lands into the n
tional treasury: what is the position in which II
Patriot has now placed itself? Mark the arg
ment: the deficiency in revenue must be supple
says the Patriot, by direct tax, OR BY DI
TIES ON IMPORTS" Both Of these altern
tives it REJECTS, and goes for giving the lal
money the federal government. Its "posiu
is defined'' it sides with Benton, Calhoun al
Van Buren, AGAINST depending for the reve
ne, to meet the ordinary expenses, upon t
TARIFF. And this IS one of the great points
issue. No considerations, save the purchase
Western uotes and the destruction Of The Tar
induced Calhoun s. Co. to start their monstrc
measures on the subject of the public lands.
is part and parcel of the settled design of
coalition of Benton and Calhoun with "tbe N
thern man of Southern principles" to prostr
the free states; and So on the other hand, was
part of the design of Mr.. CLAY to keep ND
Tariff to a point sufficient to protect Americ
industry, by excluding the proceeds OF the pub
lands from the national treasury. This is
g true state of the case - and on this grou
which now seems to be fairly understood 10y
Patriot & ourselves, we refer the matter to the p,
pie Of Verrnont do you 60 with the Wings, TO
distribution of the proceeds of the public land,
the states, and as consequent thereto fora TIA
lFF, to raise the ordinary revenue and protect
Industry ofthe country? Or do you with the Il
tocos, 90 AGAINST BOTH?
In conclusion we would remark, that the I
riot contains an imposing table of what that
per supposes Vermont would have lost ()