Mobile register and journal., 1845-07-22
Correspondence of the Register and Journal. LA .A

Messrs. Editors-Having seen in the Advertiser a communication under date of the 28h June, pur- porting 10 give an impartial statement of he discuss sion between Col. Dunn and Judge naigan at Bell vile and Sparta, in Conecuh couny and having had the same opportunity oi hearing and judging with this correspondent al Sparta, propose o take such notice of this discussion as all impartial statement would have rendered unnecessary. And here may say, if the impression made upon me to ihe elo- quence and ability of ibe two nen, the force and effect of their arguments. be different from that | pressed by Impartaliiy, he cannot deny that am indeed in my impressions, by all the evidence of pop ular feeling, expressed on that occasion. He can not deny that neither in the opening concluding | address of Col Dunn on that occasion, there was tlle slightest mak manifestation of approximation or sympathy wIth he speaker manifested by those who heard him. But there was throughout dull, less ndlfference-on the other hand fully were the sympahses, feeling and interest of the people enlist ed by the remarks o his opponei, hls happy and pe cuar manner of expressing them, his sincerity and candOr, ardent in every word of his address, and neament ol his counlenance which while il ryeted the attention of all present, carried them along with such tide of feeling that 1t could not be suppress sed, but manifested m continued applause through out every part of his speech; this applause eliced by anecd0te humorous expressions. but in affirmation of truth and complete triumph of argu- ment. II the shigs who were present, wishing and expecting to hear the doctrines o their party vind
 cated, were not deeply mortified and chargrned in the result of this days discussion, then l can only say their actions and c0untenances were no evidence of inward feeling or that they possess less sensibty than many democrats felt and expressed 1 in their behalf. l had thought they would at least | have permitted this day to pass without sounding d note of triumph But suppose they reason thus way. What we have failed to accomplish here, may we not accomplish by an impartial statement else vhere
 Now would any in reading lhe "impartial stalemeni' of this correspondent of the Advertiser believe that all the evidence of popular appreciation were bestowed upon Judge Dargan this occasion ! l That such was the fact, l presume no one present
 would venture to deny.
 | l cannot in a communication of proper length the speeches of both candidates occupying several huurs-atiempt more than brief summary of the | arguments from which something like just opinion of the whole may be formed Col Dunn with a bow stately as could well have been executed with all the study and practice of the closet, in
 formed the people assembled at Sparta that he the person upon whom had been bestowed Dy the | whg party, the honor and the trust of canvassing this district for in the next Congress; and af- Ter short exordium, uninporiant to my present purpose, entered upon the discussion of the lenes of his party And first, declared himself in favor oi the distributor of he safes of the public lands among the several Sta es-declaring that the only purpose of the or nal ssion by ihe States of these lands | to the General Government, was for the purpose o dIscharging the debt incurred by our revolutionary | wac--that afier that pHrDOse had ceased. ihis i'm. mense real estate should have been ceded back b, tue General Goyernment-ihat Congress could moi rightuly approprate il to any other pu, tha
 having done so for many years alter the eXtinguish menl of this debt, this time justly indebted to Ihe States in large amount of mone,-io AlabamH her share, enough to discharge every dollar of hel State debt. In this statement Col. Dunn must ei- ther fUrieit his claim to '.ee,ated candOr," the profound Knowledge and statesmanlike views accred iled 10 hm by this correspondent In the first place is it true, that in those deeds of cessn which were made by those States within whose limits the lands were situated, to the General Government; the pur pose of the grant was restricted in it's appcai ion to the pa, meni alone of the debt incurred by the war So far fiom being the case, in no one deed of cessiOn, IS this restriction made; but the lan guage employed in all is, sihat il shall be consi | dered common fund for the and benefit of such I of the United States are or may become mem. bers of the coniederacv." Previous to this cession it will be recollected, il urged upon Congress by some of the States, in impressive language, thai
 inasmucL as their joint arms had been instrumental in defending nd securing these wild and unappro- priaied lands. that it was but an act of justice that they should be disposed of for the ben eft of all. Congress acknowledged the justice oi this demand, and recommended to the several States n renquishment of their claims The States in ac- | cordance with this recommendations, without any revisionary interest, transferred their title 10 the | General Government, upon whom was imposed not only the burden of national debt but of defray- ing it's own necessary expenses-supportng the Legislative, Executive and Judicial departments our Army and Navy, and of carrying our foreign intercourse. These being all legitimate purposes, for which this pr0vis ion was made and designed to be applied, being for the common benefit of all, and within the meaning of those deeds of cession But even if the data assumed by Col Dunn had been trled did be not know that the conclusion at whic, he arrived, that the Genera! Government was just and largely indebted to the several States for the use of this fund was deceptive That though it
 looks like gift upon it's face, yet if given. the seve- ral States receiving it would have to pay back the same amount to supply the deficiency in the treasu. | thereby created, by more unequal, unjust and op- pressve mode Of la xation, in the form of duties on imports-a mode, however, congenial to the interest of the manufacturer, and those who by 'stress of wealher,' have been compelled to bring thense Ives down within the wants of the Government in protecting them. If, then, the Gen eral Government applies this fund to purposes for which the States would have had to contribute in the same amount, is it not entitled an offset against this demand of the several Staies to the exact am
 ount ofihat demand? Ifso, this deIusion vanishes
 This gift becomes as precious to the recipient the wooden hams and Yankee nutmegs. manufactured in the same latitude. If Col. Dunn knew this, then his elevated candor dhds not prevent hls attempting to work upon the cnpidity and creduitv of the peuple l IT he does nst know it, then he has received too much credit for comprehensive views, &c &c., The Texas question next claimed his conside, aon
 He declared that he had been among the first in expressing his opposition to this measure--that he | was still unable 10 see what advantage could result | from it-hat he opposed 10 because it orig in aed with Tyler, and was designed by him to secure his re- election to the Presidency. This objection I have heard hm twice urge, as an important reason why he opposes this measure, and is but the echo of the whig press. Does this comprehensive statesman, then, in deciding upon measures of Ma tional coucern look the from which it ori- gnaled, rather than the principles upon which that measure IS basedl Can it be matter of the small est moment from what source measure may ori- gnate, so 1t be right and proper in itselfl Or do men form more just and correct conclusions when they bring to their aid all the prejudices they can derive from extraneous sources7 Lastly he .declar- ed himself opposed to Il because it was breach of our National iaith-in this, that "Mr. Webster, while Secretary oi State. in letter to the Mex ican Minister, recognised the right of Mexico recon | quer Texas. IL nny in this that he charged breach of National faith for to save himself from | dilemma into which the Judge in his reply was about | to place him he discl,imed having ever said that m annexing Texas, violated any right of Mexico- to the soil. Now. if the policy thought pro l per to be pursued b, Mr. Webster in reference 10 l this measure, be considered binding upon all future prosperity, is there any thing really inconsistent | in the conduct of our Government with this declara- tion! Could the recognition o the right 'n Mexlco
 10 recohquer Texas, affect in any manner the ques- | ton of power to do soi,zand when satisfied that | Mexico has mt the pqwer to reconquer Texas. in what do we violate our National faith in treating with | her as an independent naiionl But Col. Dunn in closing he consideration of lhis measure, assured
 the people, in opposition to all he had said he would now neverheless vote for iisconsup through | a proper regard to law and order-then followed shower of blessings on the heads oi the democracy for abiding ,o the last in what they believe to be right or in the language of Col Dunn, for being op. pesers 10 law, constitution and order; instanc- ing the Dorrites of Rhode lsland-Indiana- Aaba
 ma in rentne her share of the proceeds of the sales