Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1842-05-09

I
WHO deem the msrpr,scnled and sanderc measures OF
the Extra Session a of unqualified abonlna
tons will admit that they have been more than atonol
'of IN TIE benefits conferred upon the country by brca,
M up forever that horde Of sNnders who, under the
colorac pretexs Of perverted laws have stolen millions
from the National Treasury
Tie Rictnod Ea14rer- PlJHc Lands" jefferson +"
We hayerri fur very able Essays in tho Lyme :
oafe Ii pnolicah under the signature Of jeiIcrson
addressed II the Editor Of the ''Iynchburg Nroinian
ald exposing the gross sopisns into which he has fallen
upon me Distribution Question. Another No prom,s
gu. he author is perfectly fat upon the subject
ana SHOWS ihr hand o maser. He tears the pn'lns
IONS OF MI Richard H. Ioer to flinders. and his argu
nents equally dlss pate the vapld dwelling aronmcn
(no they have .retrnsIons to such a ie1 poor sonh
ist'' OF last Int Ebay 5 Richmond Nhig On ..'rhe
'"''i' ufla' hictmood Enquirer.
- sa'h the Solomon ofthc Richmond Fnuircr-
VIII, we need hardly remark 10 tls, who have had an
opportunity OF reading that paper. is at loss for
ep'ino hts t" his friends. however .forcbly feeble"
inc may be, n"r Tor snccrs for his opponents houg
'eH arguments were as lucid light and as inlprcrna
be 10 IN ada,n@ntine chain We d. not mean. by FMS
remark 10 say that IN the present instance ei,hcrieen
igy or'he sareasa Of the Enquirer sundcscryed On the
c@hry' The Editor Of that paper appreciate more
iHghiy NE talents 4" the author Of Ietcrsln than we
do nor any one more willing than we are Ia concrr
liai but lev men N Virginia WELD more graceful ar \
ihere puugeni pen Bnt. permit To Whislrn ,our ear
vi tjteae that HAT gentleman LIo,rs non Tao ,rrH Ia
ee Hat cred by Your cncumGms; Tor he knows that bc
time WIS., when san affected 10 his Arguments with
the same seorn aud deiision that You now exhibit 10
wards ours-WhcnhjS '',lc essays were scefc datapd
deuGcd, as characterized ty " l,adon dullm SIS. md
other dcrogaiory efhcts applied to them, by tie use
OF Which You well known how To cvade the force
Of Arguments which YOU have not capacitv I, nm
swer, Why. any jack-a-napcs, who cannot sirn,r
together dozen sentences without offending good
taste by the violation Of every rule of rhetoric and
logic, can secure puff from the bellows blower Of
the Enquirer, which the snple,nn marinea is = sure
passport 10 immortality; while the gigantic efforts of the
nas'er-InndS OF the country consigned 10 oblivion
by Llast from tie same convenient instrument, Com
Picnls from such quarter and nsiigated by the pitt
nl motives which inspire them, are not worth the paper
upon which they printed and sarcasns and sneers.
even If they be pointed nlase venom into the skin
deep puneurcs they may make
While this subject we hcr leave 10 aay 10 Ii Fl; rson
himself. that al convenient scason" we shall take
occasion to reply obe most prominent points Of his ar
ton Law. Our engagements recently have Eccn such
as to prevent ii. For the present We content ourselves
with saying that either he grossly misunderstood
the true Interpretation ofthe term ''conmoa find. used
IN the deeds Of ccson If his construction OF that term b,
correct, why, Of course the Argument is in his favor
and shall be compelled 10 surrender the whole qles
lion: but il ours be correct, then his Arguments fall
the ground and our position Is llnpregnabc. We con
tend, that the words common fund. applied To the
Public lands, do not negative the idea that it is there
fore dstri5utabe fund if reference be had only
the strict meaning Of the words themselves. Til,
captain ofa Join, stock company, or Of partnership is
"a common fund b1t are not the ploEis distr-
butcd, il profits there be. while the company or the
partnership exists: and, upon it's expiration is not the
'conmon fund.- itself equally divided according to the
interest Of each Of the individuals Of which il NAV
be composed, I'm the general charge and expenditnre
Analogy, therefore, in favor Of our construction of the
meaning Of this term. by which many minds seem tc
be bc"ldercd and mislc while we arecerainly sustain
ed by the Of the contract that bound tie States TO-
geicr at the time the deeds of cession were executed
That compact mere league Of independent States
bound together, not by constitution but by treaty.
were, IN no sense cfthe word, people, How car
J'ncrsoh" contend that 81 term '.common fund.- was
used for the purpose conveying the idea that the Lands
were to be set apart for the and benefit OF the States
composing the coniedoracy in their United character
when III truth there was at that time nion save
that rope Of sand' which too weak 10 Keep the
eeblcst If the planets in lis orbit, when disposed
sl,oot mady omitssphcre?' Our reasoning from analo
gy, therefore, is confirmed by the state Of things that eais
ted coemporaneousy with the execution Of the deeds Of
cossion and both together fix the meaning of the
common fund.- in accordance with the Interpretation
given to by the advocates OF Distribution, beyond all
controversy
jefferson, as well as his friend? Of the Enquirer
may deem tllsa ''vapid and dwelling argument. OF
gross sophisn;' but shall nevertheless regard it as
conclusive until the contrary he shown by more forcblc
reasoning than we have ycteecn employed IT the rur
u. ,trn,-1