The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1841-07-29

terest Gpon the loans they had contracted, they
would never have suffered their Represents
tves to proceed the distance they have plnIg-
ing her into the debt which now hangs about
her neck like a millStone; and which is now
made the excuse to bribe her people al home,
and her Representatives here, into support Of
this iniquitous measure.
Mr.. Chairman, my feeling Of State pride
would preyentme from supporting this meas
ure, Pass This bill, aud what would be The
spectacle presented here2 You would see,
sir, the once proud and independent Suites
ofthis Conlederacy coming here, year after
year, and begging (by their Representatives on
this floor for WHAT Why, sir, that this Gov
eminent, which was created by them, would
be so generous and condescending ss to give
them few paltry dollars! q little money topay
thsir debts with! Whata spectacle of humiIl-
alton! Wha; descent from the once proud
height of State pride and Independence! For
one, although may stand alone in the delega
tion from the indebted States, will rot sub.
mi. to this humiliation, this degrading position
And should it be my lot to fall in this conflict,
J shall have the proud satisfaction of knowing
that fell in the last ditch, contending for the
preservation ofthe dignity and character of my
State. If this prlnoiple be adopted, where is
it to ends Will you stop distributing the mon
ey ofthe General Government to the States,
when this fund is exhausted No, sir, no!
Once set the example, and there will be no
end to the policy except in the total destruc-
ton of all State pride, and The consolidation
of this Government, What is it that has hith.
erto kept up our State Governments, in all
their efficiency and vIgor. ltwas not the ide-
al boundaries of the State Governments, but it
was feeling Of State pride, sir; State pride
which led men to regard the Offices and hon.
ors conferred upon them by State. equal n
dignity and rank 10 those Of the General Cow
ernmeut; which made man as proud of being
the Governor of State, as the President Of
the United States-as proud Of being mem
bs+ fthis body. This, sir, was what kept up
those State Governments, which our foretath'
ers thought, and labored so jealously TO teach
us, were the palladlums Of American liberty!
What, Mr.. Chairman, is the point to which
we are now tending, and the courses which, it
seems 10 me, we have been lately pursuing in
hot haste? It is to consolidation! For, as
said before, destroy State pride, make men
forget that they are citzens Of State, and
|
which divides one S'ats from mother. have
Witnessed, with deep modification, the power-
ful strides we have for the last few years been
making towards this goal of State subscrvien-
cy. Why, sir, il hast been the case, more or
less, in all The States for the last few years,
that if any person was candidate for Stale,
county, or even township office, he was
first asked what were his views of State polls
cy; not who are you for President. or for seat
in Congtessl But now all is swallowed up in
national politics; no man now-a-days seems
TO think II worth bis while 10 have any State
politics. Such is now the tendency of things,
Blu, pass this bill; say that the States shall
come here for all the funds they receive; come
here to have the taxes levied 10 support their
State Governments, and you give the finishing
stroke TO State interest and State pride. which
have hitherto preserved their sovereignty
aud Independence; an6 predict, that from
that time forward, whatever this Federal Gov.
eminent may be in name it will be, in fact, a
single, central, consolidated Government from
which maythe God OF our Fathers preserve up
The gentleman from Maine Mr. CLIFFORD
has shownus statement from the proper De.
partment, that the General Government has
expended, in The purchase and sale Of the pub
lie domain more than il has received in return
by some fourteen millions Of dollars. and con-
seqnently there is nohing to distribute. Will
these statistics the gentleman from Michiger
| Mr.. Howard falls out, and attempts 10 prov,
by Gen, Jackson's veto message, that the gel
tenan from Maine is in error. This vet,
message, Mr.. Chairman. is a curious quartz
| for the gentleman from Michigan 10 seek h i
nformatioul But he seems entirely 10 forge
that, since the year 1882. when this caIcua
ton was made, there has been purchased fror
the Indians and sold 10 the citizens, a vast a
monnt oilands, more than at any other psrlo
OF the same length in the history ofour Gov
ernment, and that in that time the price of tn
soil and the expense Of sale has vastly accum
ulaled, whilst the land has been sold at tn
same price of 81 25 per acre. The gentle
man SCENE 10 think that the statement of tn
gentleman from Msne was erroneous. We'll
Mr.. Chairman, this may be the case; hav
not examined il. Butt have scarcely eve
found Yankee mistaken 10 his figures! w
of the West, who speak off-hand, and from .-.th
impulse Of the moment,- and fror
the impulse Of the moment, may sometimes b
wrong in our statistics. But, when you see
Cool-headed New Eugsnder cit down an
make up his table Of figures. he is mighty az
s 10 be right.
[Iero MIR. Howard said hO was Yanke
I tool