Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-04-15

1--WE will not stop to inquire what Uncle Sam il
to do, II he gives away his ocn Land FaHd."
Enquirer.
Will you pause and consider what Mother Tir
giHia is to do, il she suuenders her property
She has not one tenth part OF the OF I'm.
Gle Sam-an6 her debt is half rs great as his
With what proprieiy, under such circumstances,
can you ask her to abandon her rights and still fur
Their Cypress her citizensi You cannot deny, what.
ever your Federal desires may prompt, that the
Land money belongs TO the States. The unanimous
vote CT the House OF Delegates, years ago, affirm.
ed the rghl-lt has been, time after time, nd
mit,ed by men OF all parties, and it is confirmed
by the Constitution and the Deeds Of Cession. and
the ordinances OF the old Congress Of the Confede.
ration. No man IN Virginia holds his lands by
higher and ndeieasiblo title than do the States
the public domain.
Why the Enquirer denies the rights OF the States
and seeks TO strip them Of princely revenue,
we can well understand. The Editor OF that paper
is an nveterate Federalist-and to deprive the &c
dersl Government OF this fund would diminish its
patronage and weaken its means Of co.ruption.-
IL would not have SO many surplus millions to
squander on political invotos, in the hire OF steam.
hoAIs, purchase OF coal, wood and lime TRANSPORT
milton Of dollars TO remain in tic hands OF an off
Ger, known to be a deIaulter, Sc. &c BY abstract
'ns this fund from the Federal Government. this
tivo5i;e Van Buren, mode OF Pps-iaying, would snf-
Ter meietay-Nrd this, in part, accounts for Mr.
Riches extreme aversion to rendering Justice to
the States Another reason with him, il no: more
esedab'o 10 his PATRIOTISM is TO his nice and delicate
sense Of honour, has more than once been niver;ed
,o-and tina; Is, his fear for the public .,oras-He
fears this money will corrupt the dear peop,e-He
Is immaculate himself. and he wishes TO keen al
others 50 by putting 1t out Of their pcwef to be
otherwise. lie would grind the people into dust
by eXhOt5iArt direct taxes, and reduce them 10
such state Of poverty, that If they are not pursed
OF all their vicious prcFensi;es. they will not have
the means 10 crafty ;hem. The path to virtue.
according 10 ms notion, lies alone through the val
ley OF dsst;uton. In this view, he is seconded and
confirmed Jy those profound Experimental n,oraiss.
MeSsrs. Shinn, Tod, MeMullsn 4 Co.-who have
shed such us,re on modern Democracy.
For these and other reasons then. we are no, al
al surprised that the Editor OF the Enquirer who
was such strenuous advocate for Distribution
-isrow 50 bitter Il foe. His Federalism, and his
hopes OF Federal coit, consp1c with his submated
purism-instlsi into him 10y his conductors aforc-
sand, 10 MAKE HIM abhor the measure. But we caC-
not understand how any honest Republican and
genuine State Rights rolitican-not one of your
Proclamation and New Jersey stamp-can oppose
this wise, oenehcent and centrifugal measure-,s hieh
has for III object: in the first place JUSTICE To
THE STATES; IN the second, RELIEF To
THE PEOPLE from the grinding oppression of
direct axlticn in the third, the means OF dltfusng
the blessings OF EDUCATION TO all conditions Of
society. and perfeciing STATE IMPROVE
hENTS; aud IN the fourth, 10 settle this Land
DIGESTION on permanent basis-to CURTAII.
THE POWER Of the FEDERAL GOVERN
NENT, and INCREASE that OF the STATES
In view Of these great ends, contemplated by this
single measure, we repeat, that we cannot under
stand how any true State Rights man can hesitate
10 give It his Jealous support The slang about the
Federal Governm NJ being embarrassed can have
no force with such one. Are no, the States EN-
oarrassed tooi They owe upwards Of 200, OOO. 900
and the General Government about 30 600 600
which IS The better subject of charty--if 10 take
what - ones own can be 50 called1 The people
i'e bowed to the earth with debt-Can thew bear
more direct taxes upon their industry and their pro.
perjl The children OF the poor are growing Up in
gnorance-Staie improvements are going TO wreck
and ruin;-and yet, to crafty the nordnate Gu pdty
and ambition OF FedeTalisis and hongers-on upon
ederAl bounty, the States are modestly requested
TO he generous to oilers, when they are una
Die to be Just to themselves-;o surrender fund TO
the Federal Governmen, essential to the moral and
physical improvement of their own ctizsns-and
which by readJusting the lost balance between the
States aud Federal Government, would confer un-
numbered political blessings on the whole people,
Will the people Of Virginia he guilty Of this in.
et;abe iol!y-this wrong 20 themselves, without nn
e1cuse-'his lasting injustice to their posteri,y7