The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-04-07
From the Baltimore sun.
THE COUNTRY THE PUBLIC LAND BILL.

greater apparent anomaly could hardly come
within the creative scope of the active imagna-
ton, than that the business of this country should be
In state Of prostraion and the national credit below
par. That such is the fact is undenable; and yet
have within ourselves all the elements OF national
prosperity We respected by all nations, either
sincerely In appea In fact, our rank IN the
family of nations is high one, else We would not be
loved here hated there feared In tins quarter courted
in that, and yet externally respected everywhere-
But Notwithstanding all this, credit is below par
| How Comes it The answer is a hand. We have
gone mad in various way-in politics. In business, In
the hot house system of folcing resources, If we
may the preston, into premature maturity, In
private and public extavagance, and IN the manufac-
of all so,ts of currency except that which Is con-
stuonal; which has been perhaps the most prolific
| root of all the evils TO be complained of. Our
private extravaganza, stimulated and sustained for
time by inflated credit system resting upon
issue OF paper money hled our land with the pro-
duce and manufactures of other countries and brought
upon a commercial debt for the Liquidation of which
unprepaIed. The consequent embar
rassnent acting upon the baseless sources of
credit Iesorted to- In time reached those which
and real subsi antia and abundant, and thus
rendered them useless for present purposes. In add
ton to this we have given of our time and our
eoi to the personally ambitious, for the advancement
of their ends than have devoted TO he interests of
ouI country, which are to be promoted through the
maintenance of the national honor credit and nde-
| peDdence. We have in fact been payn every game
but the right one and we now reapng the conse
quences; and how long shall be engaged in gath
| erlng IN the harvest than predict.
We had lately some hopes that Congress would adopt
the plain and obvious means of putting the county
| into a condition to at maintain her credit, and
prepare for defence against the hostile aggression that
may come-that probably will come, however much
| Its advent may be regretted, but we have no such
hopes now; if we have any, they faint TO
be hardly perceptibe. We had supposed that the soil
itself was to be considered legitimate source whence
to draw the means for It's own deence-that the pro-
ceeds of the sales of the public domain ought to be
used for ''the common delence"-the defence Of the
United States; but that party politics in Con-
| gress have decided against conclusion.
On Wednesday, in the Senate, Mr.. Rves's amend
ment proposing suspension of he distribution por-
ton Of the Land act, of the last session. mega
tved by majority of one vote and in the House a
proposition suspend the operation of the act
| was negatived by majority of twenty-seven votes
being majority much larger than that by which the
Distribution act passed at the last session in the
House of Representatives. So the public domain,
which held liable for the expenses of the " COM
mon Defence in time past, is to be held exempt from
that charge in future Now, all admit the necessity
of putting the country into condition to meet the
worst that may come, in of failure to settle
difficulties with England by friendly negotiation
yet Of them would give away the legitimate
means, knowing at the time, that the necessary,
the inevitable increase of the duties imports must
by the very distribution act ITSELF if faithfully carried
out in practice, bring those back to the united
of the States for the maintenance of the national
credit and independence. But then the matter seems
| to be decided, and whether there be honesty, COM
mon sense or patriotism in the decision we leave to
the unpreudiced portion of the people for their udg
ment.