Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1846-09-10


like Ia be better founded Just the contrary.
Were We no, "n the eve of a war about them?
Certainly. Yet were not they, too, some
thirty wears old? Dates ssy 90. But had
Congress repeatedly had favorable reports on
them? II b d ue,-r looked io'o them
Were we under anv special pledge OF faith
To the claimants (? Not the least. Had the
President .'rxam,nrd into all their details ?"
The President was General Jackson, whose
turn lur iaborlnus Investigation was not re
msrkabc. But, at any eytnt. why did The
claiin which he tn u set mp and would have
f,ugh, for. stop sfar'iy al this date Of Sspfen
Der 3Oih, is00? Nniorousy and avowcdly
because The United 81 iales had already recelv-
ed cn,nplete compensation. ~ the acquisition
ni Louisiana, for sll claims before lsOo.-l
Have we made this clear
The mex, "r.asons" run as follows:
"rhc present is period particularly un-
favorable for the satisfaction of claims of So
large an amount. and, 10 say The least OF them,
OF 80 doubtful a character. There is no sur.
plus III The Treasury. A public debt OF sew
cral millions has been created within the last
few years. We are engaged IN foreign
war, un, erlnln AZ To its duration, and lnv0v.
ng heavy expenditures: to prosecute which
var Congress has. at It's. present session, ou.
thurized further loan. 80 TINT, in effect. the
Guvrrnmcni should this blll become a law,
would have 10 borraw money and increase the
public debt Ia pay these claims
"A pprllcmarly nniavornbe period" quotha?
How IL that 4 period when The fonrlshng
rcprnne system of the country can be pru
Renlly upsci-a period whcD a fresh hard
money experiment can be veniured on, Is
surely period when We might pay debt So
old 50 wrnngiullv withheld. The measures
1T the Administration are bad. indeed. II they
tnbl,. oar paying debts ns sacred as thus.
What next, Alas series OF arguments
whose shaIlowncss and Inconsistency lnt
nate "a ly the dearIh OF any deeper or more
cnh"rcnl ones:
at Is true" said the Message, "that, by
the provisions of the bill, payment is directed
tp he made ~ land scrip instead of money,
but tic flee, upon the Treasury will be the
same. 'fhe pubic lands constitute one OF
i've sources of pablc revenue, and if these
claims be pnId III land scrip, 1t will, from the
date "i the Issue Ia great extent, cut Oh
from Tho Treasury the annual income from
The sale oi pub &c lnnds; because payments
Tor he lrudA sold by ihc Government may b.
expected Be- b. made ~ scrip untll It is all re
dcrmrd II those claims he just, they ough,
Ia b. papl ~ money, ann nothing less valua
bic. ! he bhl pro,ldr that they sholl be paid
IN !and scrip, Whereby they are IN effect Ia
be- mortgage upon the public lands IN the
new Stntes-a n"rigagr, too, he'll IN grcni
part It not wholly. by non residents OF the
States ~ which the lands he who may sc
cure tn 'sc lands 10 tho amount of severn
mliluu> of acres, and then demand for lhem
'xorbltGn, prices IIom cltIz"ns OF othe! STATES
who may desire Ia purchase them for settle
mcnl, or they 0a! keep them ont OF the mar
Ret. md thus rclard the prosperity and growth
st The States IN which they are situated
Why this uansua rhode ni satisfying clal-
mnuts upon the Treasury has been rcsorted
~, does not APPEAR. 1t - not Consistent
with n sound pubic policy. II II be done IN
Tins ease, II ,n,y be done IN all others. II
vii form precedent for the satisfaction OF
al other stale aud questionable cluImS, and
Nodld undoubtedly he resorted by all claim
ants who, after successive TRIALS, shall fall to
have their claims recognised and paid IN.
money by Congress"
Did any one ever hear of such reasons a.
these Tor not paying debt! AS 1t well
aware that the previous ones can have con.
tInced nobody that the debt ought not to be
satisfied, the Message now proceeds 10 quar-
rot with thr mode of payment which Congress
has devised as that which is easiest for the
government, aud will slowly, and, not with
ont tss. eventually reimburse the claimants
1h" Guvcrumcnt-we need not say why
carnni pay N cash n loan for the purpose
thr President has declared himself opposed
to; and lis prOperiy-is lands, OF which 1t ha>
sp great drufth--he does not choose 10 parl
with foe II occurs to him thnt they might
sCl md III" moury not go into the pubic
pnckai Now, is not here n loe 10 the Crpd
s;ysicm. patron of Hard Money, that Is al
rxatupln to all debtors OF Il sudden, j.
strikes hIm that the claims are perhaps JUS,
and 80, not having my money, he Is shocked
ut VI" thought oi paying them ~ amy thn9
Lu irhm is mol 10 be had! Now, really, itth'
claimants, So loug mlsused, are at last con
tent tu take laud SCRIP, we cannot SEQ why
Va" President should object, unless meaning
to give them something better. Such talk T.
cruel mnckery. AS TO all the rest, about
tna,r becomjuI "noH resident landhoders IL
,hr S:a'e,," asking cxorbiant prices iol
inrul," and "retardmg settlement by keeping
lh,m ou, OF market," II were to be WISHED
that The Pr, sldent had tod why his lane
scrip IL to be used so differently from any
other ur why all others who buy or get 'ht
lubIc lands do hot make the same dreadful
use 81 lhrm2 Are you not afraid TO let amy
pubic lands Oe sold:
Ia bali this Paragraph the President con-
sdrrs TIE ciains too real and too valuable t.
allow people 10 get them ~ the tnGdfqudtt
shnpo oi land, lest they shouH ask erorb'tant
prices for IL! BuI behold before the end, he
prunounces the claims, into which he has not
time TO look. "stale and questionable" Oh
mighty Daniel! hast lhuu second time
'cunc 10 Judge? ?" And Is it thee we have
in the Presidency?
Yr plundercd Americans, whom the Gae
~ your couutry dad not save from outrage
whom It's faith dcccIyes--whom It's Che
NJ lgIAlrnte insults tor The very length O
your wfong- aud poveny-go! your rights
are srALt! And. no doubt, like other things
~ that CONDITION. they stink Ia The nos,rs o
PrcsIdcnt-whn snys be has not had time l'
examine into them,
Bat. Illuminated by this review, We tutI
away from all further commentary on th,
smal' reminder OF tho Veto, begging only
lpir attention to the two first Of the closing
paragraphs:
" The bill proposes TO pay five millions o
dollars, 10 be paid III land scrip. and provides