Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-02-18
RICH MON ID:
FRIDAY MORNING. FEBRUARY as.
TAs Disiri6slisn Bin.

The Loco Foeo Address takes position a,sins,
this great, wise ana vsne,iee Il measure aud ten.
deIs it as an Issue for the Spring Elections. We
| take 1t up with pleasure, and stand prepared To
maintain the wisdom, the policy and the justice Of
the measure. IL is just. because il di,,riba. es
among the States fund which belongs to them, and
which the Federal Government has no right to ap.
propriate TO its current expenses. Il is wise and
polite, because the States need all the money they
get to pay theirs sb,s aud relieve their citizens
and unless the old States reseivs their quota now,
they never will ge,it
Tho notion that it is anii.S,ate Rights mea.
sure, is the suarges, exhibition OF human faulty
that ever came under our observation. Such an
,dea eon,radicts tho common sense of mankind, and
ruos counter TO al. the experience, which worldly
wisdom supplies. Money is power. This uiea.
sure take, from the Federal Governmen, some mil.
hons annualy-and this subtraction it is contend.
cd, increases the powers Of that Government! by
the same moic Of reasoning, ii the Federal Go
vernment stripped OF all lis revenues-i,
would be omnipcIen;. And these millions thus
rescued from tho Federal Treasury. and bestowed
upon the States, to whom they belong, sabvert the
sovereignty OF the States! Was there ever gross
,r aesurd'tyl The man mast have face Of triple
brass who stand up in tho face OF an int gen,
community and advance such logic.
IL is said to be unconstitutional, too. II is too
late now 10 make this objection. Tue principe of
Distribution has ben supported by men Of all par
ties. tom Gen. Jackson do~n to Thomas Richie
and the power ani duty OF Congress las Trus.
tee) to distribute the fund, was never doubled
Gen. Jackson, in one OF hs Messages booted at the
| idea-Ihe Enquirer followed suit. Both Houses Of
Congress responded fNvourably, and two.thirGs
were prepared TO sanction Mr. Clay's Land Bill,
when Gea Jackson, TO deprive MIR Clay of the
sFedi oi that great measure, put the bill in his
pocket. Both branches OF the Virginia Legislature
by an almost unanimous vote, some three years
ego, recommended strongly the same doctrine. In
fact, no one DOUBTED the cons,itu,ionali,y Of the
mcasuFc-so plain and palpablc was the right
Even MIR Henry \. Wise, who i, now Quoted rs
authority against the MEASURE coute nded that there
was n,t'the / east violence to the Cons,i,ution."-
In his Louisa speech, Nov. 10Th, 1889. we find the
following remarkable passage:
ITO Unable the siaieso cutter upon the rys;e to Inter
nal improvements fully ard ciuay nc (ir Claw nr.
ores hs ssS1T lAAp biii great sav, for ON tho DIN
states especially, without Injustice Jury ic
70 distribute The proceeds Of the sales vi tho Public
20 an the great oeieets OF moral ani pnysioal
imrrovemen-Eu u asrro which nsuTcs equal ben
value without the leis, violence the Constitution and ia
exact eonio unity 10 the parotc grant Of Virginia " this
he'iasc OF domain a. the eomaou benefit OF tie unvnn
| Thatwss the strong and emphatic language Of
Mr. Wise in '39-and il expressed the sentiment
which pervaded the land. Its expci. and direct,
and covers the whole ground-fully viudicatng the
measure on the score OF expediency and consttu.
,ionsliiy.
Another objection to the measure is, that if the
/ 81.
Federal Government mus, resort to an enormous
Tariff to supply its wants. Ii il be true, rs VIC
contend j, is, tina, the Fcdcen Governnlen, has no
right 10 squaader this husi fund in current expen-
dtu'es-ihen there is no force whatever in the OBJ
Jecon-and whether the fund is distributed or not.
II additional revenue is required resort mus, be
had TO additional duties-But the bjec,ion is with
out weigh, in another aspect. By the distribution
each State receives certain aad positive benefit
the effects Of Tariff arc matters Of Controversy
some con,endins that they are injurious, and others
that they are beneficial Ely udhering TO the Dis.
triou;ion we get the certain and admitted gcol--by
dseaTding it, we reject this certain good, and ex.
pose ourselves still TO the contingent evils Of Ia.
riff.
This whole subjec, is pu! into nutshell Ivy
correspondent.
PROCEEDS OF THE PUBLIC LANDS.
Il is said by some, that the distribution Of this
fund among the STATES, will lead 20 n more onerous
tax on the people. Thi, is not my UNDERSTANDING
OF the Law. The amount arising from the public
Lands, and distributed nmorg the States, will % 10
swell our fund for Internal Improvement, or the
Literary frnf-ori' may go directly into the State
Treasury, 10 meet the current demands ayairst tho
Commonwealth, and by so much, ia either case,
diminish the taxes upon the people, generally.
IL Tie law should he repealed, m amount equal
20 that which would fail to Virginia. on the dis,ri
button, would have 70 BE- added to The direc. Stat.
taxes 10 keep PgbIic Works, a. least in repair.
TO eduoaie our unfortunately INDECENT but meritof
aus youth or TO nee: the other demands a,nins, our
Government. This tax would be laid upon persons.
indiscFininately, high and low, rich and poor-and
IN many instances, upon those who can, with great
difficulty, make bread TO sustain their wives md
children. And how is the vacuum in the Federal
Treasury proposed TO Ice supplied? Byan indirect
tax upon Foreign impOrs-such as costly Wines
AM Silks, luIuries, exclusively used oy the rich
who can use them or no., IS they please. Which
mode, would ask, would bear most oppressveiy
on the poor7
They say, too. that the Distribution Law is un-
constitutional. Not so. The law simply provides
for the distribution Of the proceeds Of certain public
lands which have been granted, without fec or re-
ward, by portion e the StatSs, TO the Union. TO
be used Tor the benefit Of the whoe-and the pro-
ceeds Of certain other lands which have been pur-
chased with the common funds OF all the S,ate,
for the welfare Of the entire Union.
Congress has rs clear right to distribute the pro.
eesds Of the public lands among the States rs ii has
TO sell them. and direct the ayails to be paid into
the Fedorll Treasury.
But have q stronger reason still in favor Of
distribution. This subiec' has been used rs a hobby
up1n which certain politicians have been mounted,
before and behind, riding and tying, on their Jour
bey 10 The White House, for years, and will So con.
iinue untiiit is surrendered W TO the original and
lawful owners, the States. This is the way the
people have been cheated end corrupted by their
own money aud property, ard no, by selling their
lands, and distributing the proceeds among the law.
ful propfe'ors n be used for the most au1abe nnd
praiseworhy objects Of educating our INDECENT
youth, preventing our Public Works from falling
into decay, and diminishing the burthens OF the
Poor.
THE GREAT DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION.
Bya MsuIJer.
We comply with our promise to lay before tho