Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1842-03-10
From The Richmord Wing.
THE ISSUEt


Shall the State receive or reject its
quota of the Land This is the question.
This is the issue for the People themselves
to decide. What good will be accom-.
plished by rejecting it, what evil incurred
by receiving ii The money clearly be-
longs 10 the States, and is held by Con-
gress in trust for them. Ii does not pro-
perly pertain to the ordinary expenses OF
the Government, ard cannot be used for
that purpose, without violation of the
trust. Congress has, in the exercise gifts
urdoubted right, rclinquished, by an
equitable distribution among the States,
the trust fund thus held by it. Is there
any thing immoral in tbs-any tding sub
versive of the rights of the Sta,es' Are
the powers ofihe Federal Government in
creased by stripping it Of its revenues ?
Is the sovereignty of the States impaired,
by roplenshing their Golfers with ,heir
own money!
But the distribution has been ordered,
ana the States have TO refuse or to receive
their shares. If any State rejects its
quota, it is to be distributed among the
other asserting States. Will Virginia be
one of those TO repudiate her own hefi-
tage? Win she in fit of abstract folly,
bite off her nose to spite her facel Is her
Treasury so redundant--are her people
so fourishing--have they so much mo-
ney which they know not what TO do with,
tina; they will court additional Taxa
toni These are living, practical ques.
tons for the people TO decide.
We would exhort them, before they re-
ject this fund, to consider well the conse'
quences. Unless this land fund is distri.
bu,ed among all the States now, the time
is not distant, when it will be appropriat.
ed by the new States to themselves ex-
clusively. Threats OF this kind have al
ready been made, and they will be car.
ried into execution as soon as the West
has the ascendacy in the national Coun.
ellis, or even controlling voice in the
Presidential election. In this view then,
the question with Virginia, is something
or nothing But if the fund is not distri.
buted, will il 90 into the National Trea-
sury, in mitigation Of Taxes Not at
all. The antagonist scheme to distribu-
ton, submitted by Mr.. Linn, Of Missouri,
is to squander il upon harbours, fortifca-
tons and whatever wild project the profit
gacy Of Federal rulers may be able TO
devise for the purpose of debauching the
people and buying votes. The inexhaus.
tble character Of this fund, too, is a con.
sideration, which ought not to be disre-
garded. 1t will last for hundreds OF
years and increase every year. During
the last year, the proceeds OF the sales
were small, because very few lands were
put into market and for that very rea
son, they must be very considerable dur
ing the present year. A writer in the
Enquirer even admits that Virgnia's por-
ton will exceed 5000, 0O0--it will proba.
bly, reach nearer $500, 000--a sum al
most equal to the entire revenue oil the
State. And to crafty the factious spirit
Of Locolocoism, the people are called up
on TO reject this princely income, which
will relieve them of taxation, complete
their improvements. and educate every
child in the limits of the Commonwealth.
We take issue with the Locos on this
point, and we cheerfully 60 before the
jury oil the Commonwealth uponis.