Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-03-26


States, from the dates Of these deeds down to the
dayot this modern refinement upon them
| Inc pubic LANDS became, by these cessons the
common property of the U. s.. to be governed ike
the TERRITORY and other property" Of the u. s. arc
governed, by the Constitution OF the u. S. And.
| Or, IL Is no little amusing TO hear gentlemen who
arc constantly IN the habit OF reasoning from such
| phrases os I'VE the people OF the United Sts:esn-
| 20 snow That the Constitution is not compact be .
tween States but consolidation of Statos-to hear
these same gentlemen from like phrases in these Cd
deeds, reasoning to prove that the public lands are
ceied to the States, and not to toe Union for the
common benefit oil the Statesl-ln this instance,
where they are for State Rights [ am for Federal
construction And, Sir, the worst OF il is Ms w IN
show directly, their State Rights construction of
these deeds precisely conforms their consolidating
construction of the Federal Constitution; whilst my
Federal construction of these deeds exactly con.
forms with my State Rights construction of the Con-
s'tuton. But, before proceed to show this, let
me ask gentlemen what they will do with the
spanish and French ceSsions of Florida and Loui.
siana, embracing now the States of Arkansas and
missouri and the Territory of lowa7 There is
no DOUBT but that these lands, acquired since the
Constitution was framed, by the treaty-makins
power oil the nation, paid Tor out OF the Federal
treasury, are the property ofihe U. S.-will gem
'e"'eh Keep separate bags in the Treasury-sepa
rate accounts OF expenditure and of proc,eds--so
much from customs, which cannot be distribueC--
so much from Spanish and French lands, which
| cannot DC uistributed-so much from Virginia lands
|
trioutedi No, Sir, no. They will heed none of
these nice and Troublesome distinctions They will
distribute the proceeds OF all the public lands with
out discriminating between the power under this
or that deed; and, notwithstanding the sales of
the public lands up to 1888, think, amounted. to
only " millions, whilst they had cost the Govern
ment, IN clearing Indian titles and in SURVEYING
ana selling them, upwards ofl02 millions, besides
lhu'ah wars, which had amounted to 81 millions
more--noiwnhstanding there were in fact no pro-
ceeds OF public lands, but a dead loss on them of
~ millions, which was paid by customs of course
though thus balance against them may never be
paiu by the lands, gentlemen will distribute their
proceeds. And though these proceeds are nll in
s,s uue 10 supply customs which hsaEs 9sep taken
30 supply lana uencIcnces already TO this amonG;;
oil ~ millions-gentlemen will, il they cannot dis
tribute, depoSi;e customs themselves as they did in
1886! They will, rs they have, deposi,e--ato thai
bourne whence no traveller returns" Gentlemen
smile at the very thought of ever calling for the re-
turn oil any part OF the 2S millions deposited with
the States IN 1886!
And now, Sir, let me show YOU that an, copsis-
tent with my Staie-rights construction OF the Cor.
sltution, and that gentlemen are perfectly consis-
.ent aso win thelr consolidating construction Let
me see, too, whether am not in all this arourne,,
consistent with my oft.repeated Whis professions
Nhat do we Wings profess TO be one Of the main
Objects, not the very chief object of getting into
poweri 10 curtail and abrdge Executive power
and TO diminish the patronage OF the Federal Co.
eminent. Will the distribution of IN. revern. 80
the public lands not add to the patronage of the EY
ecuive and OF the Federal Governments.
SIR the patronage Of the Federal Government
whatever It be, wherever it be found is the ptrona
ase, OF t1e Federal Executive. In point Of pat
ronage the Executive is ''the Government, - Gene.
al jackson proved ii be So and therefore called
himself 'the Government" Congress may usur1
or acquire powers, but the Executive absorbs 4ben
az. In discussing the Patronage the Federal
Government, therefore, | am at once DISCUSSING tho
power of one man-the patronage of a President
Let that ever bc borne la mind.
Have gentlemen ever surveyed the heisbt md
tie depth, the length and the breadth of the noysr
OF the public domain Since the days of I79s and
lsol,iwhen they were strong enough 10 overthrow
the elder Adams, to eeet Jefferson and No.
ana Keep them IN power through wars FOREIGN ard
domestic, the doctrines of strict construction and
State rights have been gradually declining mil =,
tUs utle tney nave iaHen INTO by word and be-
come the Jes; OF the scotIer. Why, what is tbis |
owing to! Every gentleman no doubt has his tbsn. |
ry, cut my reason is one peculiar to myself and b,
never yet been assigned. Sir | attribute This II,
mentaole decenson OF State power and influence Io
the land ordeance Of 1887. Its effects are denoon
strabe.
Sir, that ordinance, with a ra2iditv uneY,r,-I.l
m history has built up roads and bridges and ,o, ne
and territories, and cities and States and is "a,
building up an Empire. Ii Is an institution the lie
oil which IS not TO be found in the annals of otber
nations, ancient or modern. II is All institution nsI
only to the Constitution OF the United States in ne
singular history and tremendous effects Suhor5i |
nate 70 the Constitution only, it is an imperium in
nnperio, no other nation under the sun ever be- |
lore sold It's public domain, and there is no,b;ng j.;
tne ieudal system, nothing in any thine else IN eli
history Ike this land ordinance OF l7s7 Like the
CONSTITUTION, IL was new ard untried experiment |
end yet II IS most curious TO behold how like ,be
Constitution II has succeeded beyond any svs,s,, -
comparison with II in working its yonds,f'l 60 -,
and IN acquiring It's Tremendous DO W err and natron
- Will not say strength, for strength impies dr.
9ily- lor good or Tor evil. IL was the work
am toiu' Of OLD Nathan Dane. II is now perfect
study, grand and immense and wonderful ',vb;.L
It's own authors, at the time they framsd i No.
could haVeiuIly comprehended IN all its scoDe Tia,
II has done some good, yea, much good. immens.
GOOD, there can oe 70 doubt, and do not intend .,
iI' IN US ueslgn or from It's past effects By
It's simplicity OF detail It's order and precision ii
surveys and sections, and regularity of s,Ies 81
patents, clearing away all clouds and disnntes -
aoojt title, equliIzng and facilitating the aco,;
s'ioh oil us u les and advantages, it has set /
cd no" millions of hardy, industrious I,Lo
rous, and independent terre tenants rndsr - r.
Constitution and laws, the iairest bert,cs oS 81
leys, and mountains and lakes and rivers and ~;
RES and forests, and mines, which the IN and the
run ever iructhed-cn halt a continent. OF ms<E&
'uAuflAht lana man was ever lOrded over bv N
prince or poientate. This is praise enousISll
and It's authors. for the past. But | nm loorH1E
the future, aud ask whether II is not times
was changed with the times is il likely
49, f'N' SNt DtSooi"Ss upon TINS COuntTyY
II not been working some evils with IFS preSt GOOD
winch ought now TO be arrested, and which II mo, |
arrested, VIII more III 10 cOunterb lance all s Croft
est good Look back TO its origin. Al the -
this ordinance was framed, we were two or ,b,oc
millions Of people only, scattered over wide and
WIG waste OF virgin continent, roamed bv savage
trioes hostiic TO the white man. We were In deb,
a hundred millions for our Revolutionary conouss,
We wee agricultural And 1t entered not into a., |
m nd OF man to conceive that we were TO be INV
lhing else for centuries TO come than poor ana
ourdened people, to struggle hard for ages for the
means rom year TO yclt Of supporting precnrjous
hatonal existance. The robtbiIity and the ro
uona fear then wns, that we were 10 he too NJ
When, 10! We not only left our mother Count,
at VerYear aee-the eye Of infancy and child
hoOd-Dut were found m Empires temple contend
ing with the mighty nations Of the earth Tbe,s
mas been something Miraculous, almost divine in
Tie progress Of this People. From thattime to ibis
we have been rising like god like giant in stature
pnd IN strength. Thirteen Colonies are twenty.s,v
Stltes-three millions have become near t,sysntv |
muhnns-1nd who would have imagined h,y
by 1876, IN less than hall a century we would
have pad of all the debts Of two wars. and h,ve
mad more than forty millions Of surplus reve
mue 10 distribute besides making thirteen powerf,I
hepuulics out OF the public iauGs9 And who could
~ I'Sl, have iorcseon The mighty acc,etou of royy
| er ~ the Federal Executive which has groyvn ,y;,b
| we growth aud strengthened with the strength Of
lne,e wonderful resultsi Hour fathers the rSne,s
o. tn'' ordinance had oresceo t6eae unexpected ef