Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1843-03-23

Gut whea the Natienai Debt WAS paid OF the
tate of the case and the situation AZ the country
we're cbsng~d. ihete no longer existed the same
motive Cor silence and aranescence on the part Of
The States. TO this disposition Of this fond: Ihs
reason Rad ceased, and the lar should hore csased
rish the reason" In The language of Cen JACK
son, ''it seemed then true policy that Inc puo-
lie lands shsll cease, soon ssPfseifsbie' 10 De
a source Of feyenue' 10 The General government
the change Of the political eelstion o. the states
after the adoption Of the Federal CONSTITUTIONS and
the creation Of a new Government with augmented
powers, especially in ,egsfd the means oi raising
revenue by laying and collecting taxes, dates, I'M
post, and excuses" dispensed With the further ne
e-ssty Of The lands IS ), source oi revenue. hese
nowef.. under the confederation, belonged exei'i-
.yely TO the States and constituted part OF THEFT
means for proyidiog the revenue necessary 10 de-
frav their own expenses and 10 answer thu requisi
lions Of the confederate Government. The rein-
ouishnent thrreiue, Of these powers by the States
supplied the defrci 10 this particular, 10 the con
ieteraticu, and supeiceded the necessity Tor iiIe
former rrqasitious tof contributions OF money IL
Gamma, be supposed thai the States intended TO
yield up the power to raise revenue by me"hs oi
impos, duties. and TO part also forever and abso-
niely from ali individual benefit resulting from the
public lands To suppose this, is to impu'e TO Ihe
States owning these lands deg,ee OF weakness and
folly which neither facts, the intelligence and
sag acity, which distinguished the Statesmen olhat
dny, viii at all justify The fair aud only conciu-
sion rten. is that they stl booked to the lands as
a fund to which they had a separate interest," ana
from which they expected To derive resulting
benefit IA soon "a the national debt was discbarg-
ed And from the moment this desirable otJect.
was accomplished, the proceeds OF he sHirs OF
these lands should have ceased to go iaio the rea
sury as nart OF the revenue, aud right instantly
acerued Ia III. States TO demand execution OF
The trust, "faitAJaRy and bono. fde according to
the term. and coudiuons Of the deeds. ANY o'hef
dispusi,ion of them is faithIes> and dishonorabe
abse of the trust and base and lndetensIble spoil
iatjou Of the proper and equitable owners IL we
are right in these views. can there be longer any
doubt as TO both the Authority and duty OF Congress
TO adopt measures for the immediate distribution
among the States, according TO some equal and just
rato
IL resolves itself then INFO a simple question OF
pxpediency. to be determined BY such c"nsidefa-
tons Of policy as each Stale may decide Tor Itself,
or Us Congress may deen imperative IN regulating
its action Upon this poiat there is no discrepancy
of opinion in the great Wing party. The measure
we believe. stands upon impregnsbie grounds, and
will continue TO gain strength aud friends until its
ultimate triumph is secured. Indeed, the truth is
obvious aad cannot b. longer suppressed-the land
fund belongs 10 the Stotes-they cannot do ruth
out 10, and they must hare IL. Party spirit may
dpcry il, and stigmatize the Wings with opprohri-
Gus epithets Tor their support OF the measuie-out
it is impossible that the sagacous judgment oi the
people, whose interests are vitality affected, can
any longer be deceived, or blinded to its impor
tance. Ii comrs home 10 their business and bosoms
lit concerns the credit aud honor of The inhabit.
ed Siales-and il behooves every citizen to pro-
pound to himself the enquiry, whether IN order to
sustain this CT edit and honor, he prefers onero.
tax to be added to his other grievous euibarras'-
ments and burthens, or whether he will relieve him-
self from il by receiving fund Id which he 10 just
ly and egitmately entitled
A plain statement of facts will serve 10 illustrate
and present more fofcibly to the mind the instant
propriety Of adopting this measure. The debts oil the
States are now estimated al something over 500 :
600 900. The annual interest upon this sum would
be $2 000 000 the far greater part OF which Is due
to foreign capitalists. This, it must be admitted,
is an immense amount of money 10 be drawn by d.
rect taxes TOM the pockets of the people and car
ried to foreign countries But tho proceeds oi the
sales Of the public lands for the last thirteen years,
amounted to S84 455,7i6 Had the land hill Of
Mr. Clay, after having been passed by large major
tiles in both Houses OF Congress, received the sig
nature Of Gen. Jackson, this vast sum would have
been distributed among the several States and II
applied TO the payment of the State debis, would
have reduced il nearly onehaf. And in ten years
more presuming the law to be so long in force and
the sales to continue at the same rate. ever. dol
lar of the Stare debts would be paid Off aud the
money thereafter accruing from that source couio
then be appropriated by the States 10 the purposes
OF education, internal improvement, the reduction
of the taxes and to such other objects ut benevo-
lence and charity the several STATE Legisls,ure'
might deem wise and just.
I'VE address ourselves more particularly Ia the
people of Virginia, and we beg that every citizen
Of wharever party, will lake the matter maturel!
into consideration, and ask himself the plain ques
tion--whe,her he is willing accept the benefit OF
this fund whether he Is resolved steadiasy TO @
fuse II, Before he answers, We request h'm care
fiy 10 examine the financial conaltlon OF the State
We owe IA debt of nearly So 900 900, the interest,"
upon which must pay annually, aud uiiimatel,
the principal. Besides this debt and the Interest
annually accruing thereon, our civil list demands a
large sum for is support. The interest upon ou'
debt and the civil list together. amount al present
to upwatds of one million Of dollars, to be raised
by taxes upon the people We have this year. in
order to supply deficiency in the reveuue and tt
provide the means meeting our Liabilities, TO in
crea.e the taxes than fifty rer cent, snd this
at n moment the most unpropiIious in our annals
when deep distress and embarrassment pervade the
whole State-when properly OF every description IA
reduced its lowest value, and selling every where
at the most enormous sacrifices Had the distri
button of the land fund taken place ten years ago,
this condition ui things might have been, in part
avoided The quota to which Virginia was emil
tied, would have amounted 10 about $500 200 per
annun, whrh. wiselv administered, would have
saved our finances from their present state ut de-
pressinn, and The people from the imposition OF
high and ruinous taxes. Let him, moreover, con
slider what might have been the further effects OF
this measure or what they still would be, were II
10 succeed--how many other benefits would result
to our people from the bounteous stream of irea'
sure flowing into our Golfers from the inexhaustible
sources of hi. magnificent don,ain-how the bur
thens of taxation would he reduced-how the bless.
ing. of education would be dispensed to INDECENT
children in every neighborhood in the State-how
Asylums would every where be provided for the
deaf the dumb and the blind, and for those sacred
objects Of charity whom misfortune has deprived
Of reason-how, in fine, the moral, intellectual and
physical resources of our State wou Id be developed
and the light of cultivated and refined civilization
liz IN in our land-and then let him answer the
question: If be be willing TO sacrifice all these in
estimnbe and uncounted advantages Mt the unholy
shrine of party, lot him take the dreadful respon
sibility Let him obtain forgiveness, il he can
from the thousands of destitute chdren-now rear
ed in ignorance and vice. and suffering for want o.
the commonest rudiments of learning Let hin
vndcate his patriotism and state pride to the peo-
Pile the credit Of whose Commonwealth les nearly
PROSTATE for the want of means 10 relieve its ne
cessities and who are themselves already ground
to the dust with the load ortsxes-and reconcile tt