Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-07-03


Staies can be regarded as contrary to either the
letter or spirit of the deed
The Senator from New York, assuming
that the whole debt of the Revolution has
not yet been paid by the proceeds of the
public lands insists that we should continue
to retain the avalIs of them until a feifn-
burscment shall have been effected Of all
that has been applied to that object. But
the public lands were never set apart OF
relied upon as the exclusive resource for
the payment of the Revolutionary debt.
To give confidence to public creditors. and
credit to the Government, they were
| pledged to that object along with other
means applicable to its discharge. The
debt is paid, and the pledge of the public
lands has performed its office. And who
paid what the lands did not! Was it not
the People of the United States those
very People To whose use. under the guar
dianship Of their States, it is now proposed
to dedicate the proceeds of the public
lands! If the money had been paid BY
foreign Government, the proceeds of the
public lands, in honor and good faith.
would have been bound to reimburse il.
But our Revolutionary debt. if not wholly
paid blythe public lands. was otherwise paid
out Of the pockets Of the People who own
the lands; and if money has been drawn
from their pockets for a purpose to which
these lands were destined it creates an adj
ditional obligation Upon Congress TO re-
place the amount 50 distracted by distrib-
utng the proceeds among tic States for the
benefit and the reimbursement of the
People.
But the Senator from New York has ex-
hibitcd most formidable account against
the public domain. tending to show. if it
be correct, that what has been heretofore
regarded, at home and abroad. as source
of great national wealth, has been con-
slant charge upon the Treasury and great
loss to the country. The credit side, &C
cording to his statement. was. | believe. one
hundred and twenty Millions but the debit
side was much larger.
1t is scarcely necessary to remark that
it it is easy to state an account presenting
a balance on the one side or the other, as
NAV suit the taste or views of the person
making it up. This may be done by making
charges that have no foundation. or omit
ting credits that ought to be allowed, or by
both. The most certain operation is the
latter. and the Senator, who is pretty
thorough going gentleman. has adopted it.
The first item that | shall notice, with
which, | think. he improperly debts the
public lands, is charge Of eighty odd mil
lions of dollars, for the expense of conduct
ing our Indian relations, Now, if this
single item can be satisfactorily expunged,
no more need be done to turn large bal
ance in favor of the public lands. ask.
then, with what color of proprietv can
the public lands be charged with the entire
expense incident to our Indian relations
If the Government did not own an acre
Of public lands, this expense would have
been incurred. The aborigincs are here.
our fathers found them in possession Of
this land, these woods, and these waters.
The preservation of peace with them, the
fultilment of the duties of humanity towards
them, their civilization. education, CONVEX
sion to Christianity, friendly and CONNER
cial intcrcoursc-thesc are the causes Of
the chief expenditure on their account, and
they are quite distinct from the fact of our
possessing the public domain. When every
acre Of that domain has gone from you,
the Indian tribes, if not in the mean time
extinct, may yet remain, impIorlng you,
for charity'S sake. to assist them, and to
share with them those blessings Of which,
by the weakness of their nature or the
cruelty of your policy. they have been
stripped. Why, especially, should the pub
lie lands be chargeab!e with that large
portion of the eighty odd millions of dol
lars, arising from the removal Of the In
dians from the east to the west side of the
Mississippi. They protested against il.
They cntreated YOU TO allow them to re-
main at the homes ard by the side Of the
graves of their ancestors; but your stern
and rigorous policy would not allow you
to listen to their supplcatiOns. The public
domain, instead of being justly chargeable
with the expense of their removal, is entI-
tied to iargc credit for the vast territorial
districts beyond the Mississippi which it
| furn. shed. for the settlement of the emf:
grant Indians.
feel that have not strength TO 90
{ through all the items of the Senator's ac-
count, nor need |. The deduction of this
single item will leave a nett balance in favor
of the public lands of between sixty and
seventy millions of dollars.
What. after all. is the Senator's mo- de
of stating the account with the public lands!
| Has he taken any more than mere count
inc-house view Of them Has he exhibit.
ed any thing more than any Sub-acc0unt-
ant or clerk might make out in any of the
Departments. as probably it was prepared
cut and dry. to the Senator's lands Arc
there no higher or more statcsmanlikc