Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1841-08-12


tvo.hirds Of both Houses oil Congress, il
had been nsceriained, would have voted
for tie bill, and il would have become a
law, bad the President obeyed the Cons,i-
luton by returning it.oihe House in which
It originated. Urtil towards the break Of
Gay On Sunday {tbe 81 Of March) cid they
wake and watch for the rtture Of tina,
bill. They might have waited i'll, The
break Of tire day Of Judgement. Gen.
JACKSON had LEFT the Capitol and retired
TO his SAUNDERS before the Members could
behere, that he meant thus to Houi the
Legislative authority.
Upon this statement Of the case, we
cannot doubt that il is the solemn and sa-
cred duty Of every friend 10 the Compro.
mise Act, and Of every foe to tyranny in
any shape, TO give the force Of law to tina,
provision for the Distribution OF the Pro.
&c, ds OF the Public Lands, which icoa}d
hare Teen lar eight years ago. (and would
have presented oil The disaster and de-
rangement which have within that time
overtaken every interest Of the county,
had not Congress been placed under re-
stralnt by the President, as effectively as
II he had literally tied the hands ard gag
gid the mouths Of the Members. Let the
the friends Of the Compromise take heed
TO this, and stand by its principle in this
hour of need, with all the fidelity with
which they would stand by the Constitu.
ton itself.
We now desire to esk the attention OF
our readers to the consequences Of per-
mitting the present opportunity OF settling
the Land Question TO pass unimproved.
No one can have shut his eyes or bis ears
to the frequent intimstions which have
been thrown out in the Halls OF Congress,
and which have even assumed the form
of regular propositions for the reduction
of the price Of the Public Lands, and for
donations TO the States within which they
lie of what is called ''the refuse" land
that is, Of such as is not entered at Ger.
tam nominal prices a, the Land Olics-all
propositions OF which character are but so
many schemes for alternating the Public
Domain, and wrestling from seventeen
States OF the Union their equal right Of
property therein, for the purpose Of be-
slowing it upon the nine States which
have been ad nltted into the Union from
the territory within which the lands lie.
These temptations, held out to the cupidity
of the new States, have been hitherto re.
sisted by their patriotism and integrity.
The bill which has passed the House Of
Representatives, whilst it confers upon
the new States great advantages lnciud.
ing the permanent prescription principle,
(the most favorable to the speedy settle
ment of the vacant lands within their linn
It's recognises tie unique stioaabie right
of the other States to their share in this
great domain. The occasion is most ia
vorabIe for concentrating the measures
embraced in that bill. The cons quences
IN prospect, should this occasion be per.
mItted to go by, are such as cannot be
contemplated withou, apprehension and
alarm. Already We have seen the ma.
Jorlty in one House in favor Of the men.
sure of distribution dwindling down from
more than two-ihirtls 20 lean majority
of the whole number OF members. Who
can say that there will be at the next or
vor Of it? Who will venture to perdict
what will be the effect, under the new ap
portonment, OF the influx Of members into
the next Congress upon this question Is
any one sangune enough 10 believe, if
this measure be deferred. upon any plea
or argument concerning the compromise
act, tho state Of the revenue, or what no.,
to the next Congress, that an occasion Will
offer more favorable TO lis success than
the present? Ii there be such a man.
upon whose vote this bill depends, we en-.
Wy him his high opinion Of human nature,
his confidence in the sway Of abstract
right, his trust in d' s;iuy For ourselves,
we have already lived long enough to see
the right of the United States to dispose
of the Public Lands lying in any State
openly quest onej, in the teeth Of the pro
vision at the Constitution which gives to
Congress the power I" TO make all needlul
rules and regulations respecting the ter.
ritory belonging to the United States. 4"
We have seen the Governor OF new
State, in message to the Legislature
of his State, Gin December, 1928, ella
borately argue that "the United States
have neither the right. Of soil NOR Of jpris-
diciIoa to The lands in question 1.-The pub
C domain within any Slatel nor to any
part Of them, but that they all belong
10 The STATE" We have seen the same
Governor, in the same ms ssage, boasting.
ly predicting "tblt twenty-five wears,
probably not more than i,geiue, Mark
time or even less, If the Western coun-
Try continue to populate as ii has done,
will not have elapsed before it the above
doctrinel becomes the common sentiment
of a majority Of the nationr" We have
seen thisdoctrlne and this prediction copied
with more than appreciation with exuta.
ton and d-ligh,-into the journals OF the
party lately in the ascendant in the Gene.
raj Government, accompanied by the fol.
lowing significant menace IN an editorial
notice of
'wever variant opinions may now be in rela
tnn the positions assumed by GOV. Edwards
the period il perhaps raridy approaching when
they will neither be considered unreasonable nor
untenabe." "Ihis NEW ORDER OF THINGS
may he accelerated by liberal and wise course Of
legislation. or retarded by an ayaricions and selfish
pulley on the part Of the Eastern, Northern and
Southern States; but no system that can be devised,
however grpng and parsmonisus. can prevent The
West from URrAiEING THE scEPTRg--ihe pow er 10
redress her grievances. HER DAY TO RuLe MUST