Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-02-02


AS to the circumstance Of Texas costing money to which
Senators have REFERRED Texas had purchase the boon Of
admission into the Union What money paid for Texas
ask honorable gentlemen. She gave her al-her arms,
her ammunition, her properly her and her nationality
to the Union, and she stood independent of thousand jar
ring influences to which honorable gentlemen have alluded,
and which will view in appropriate place but will not
aude to subject sufficiently disagreeabe in ITSELF when
deem unnecessary But Texas cost money the Unons
and for the which grew of her annexation
she ID not responsible. Though independent contracting
party, she was not the principal Others sought her
nexion yet when wooed by the nations of the EARTH proud
to guaranty her independence and make perpetual on
dlon that she would not become annexed her steps
onward They drawn by the cords of affection and
fraternity, and great not Inundated, but firm she entered
nis Union ior the purpose OF beneng and not of disturbing
AS 70 the consequences for which she Is not acoounts
be which have resulted she is ready take her share
hem and to meet manfuy the contest whenever may arise
connected with her admission into this Union.
Mr. SEWARD ask the indulgence Of the Senate for one
moment in order that may reply some Of the remarks Of
my honorable friend from Georgia. who has alluded to the
motives which may be supposed operate upon members Of
this body in bringing before it questions of this character
And my reply, sir, which will be exceedingly brief u.s. that
am here for public measures and for private ends and
that no impuaon which be made by friend whom
esteem and respect highly do the honorable Senator
from Georgia, shall put before this body or any
ohe upon defence Of myself against aspersons
plants Of this kind.
elected the most severe rebuke Of friend from Georgia.
the suggestion that had always opposed applying the
current revenues arising from the public lands odna-
y expenses of the Federal Government And the Senator
persisted in supposng that intended TO affirm that they should
be applied to no other purpose than constitute cafv
fund will illustrate, for the information Of the Senator
from Georgia and others, what by the application Of
these revenues to constitute great national fund for the adj
vancement Of bene6cent national purposes.
The distinguished Senator from Kentucky several ys6is
by his in the councils Of the naon
ed the distribution among the States Of this Union portion
those, with other surplus Iwas at distance an
humble admirer and appove of that policy The result Of
u In other States know not but you testify with me-
the result the benecent result in the State Of New York
from which we come The share that allotted that
State was SIX millions of dollars the received was
four millions and half Every dollar of that four millions
and hall was devoted ten years ago to the foundation Of
common schools and academies preparatory for higher ins
tutons OF learning and the foundation and endowment of
Libraries for the common people, And, sir, will
to the Senate and proud behalf of the State Of New
York, and proud that here this day to state, to the
praise and honor Of the distinguished statesman from Kenuc
ky the condition in which the State of New York. the peo
e bond and free there were any Of the conservative
born and regn have been brought by this great of
tonal JUSTICE will not call it benefcence.
Sir the State of New York numbers three millions Of peo-
pe and owing to the application Of this fund.- there is
be found in that State chd-either the child Of citizen
the age of FIVE yess to the age Of twenty
years. who not the public cost and
expense.
Again, sir at the distance of every mile and half upon
every mail route Railroad canal and road separated by
distance of only mile and half from each other are our
school houses in New England and the schoolmaster is
at home IN New York, every where and all the time and
New York is thus made to initiate the blessed example Of
Massachusetts, and Connecticut That is what has happened
in day and in your day. sir that what has happened
within experience. And, than that in every one
OF these school houses public library consisting Of hun
dred and fifty Volumes containing all that is interesting in
ancient history, in modern science in literature geography
and every branch Of human knowledge open and accessible
to every CITIZEN to man, every woman and every
child in the State Of New York.
Yes sir, this four millions and half Of dollars has sup
piled with libraries which contain, collectively more than
one million Of volumes. And, sir than that there
scarcely left in the State Of New York blind person who
has not been taught to read bis bible there is not left deaf
mute who has been taught give expression his
thoughts and to render praise God and his acknowledge
ments to the State which has brought him from the condition
of ignorance and degradation in which he placed by
birth accident of disease More than that sir there that
unfortunate class has not been neglected to which reference
has been made by my friend from Georgia who asks me, why
not consider the free negro Sir the free negro has been
considered; part Of this fund derived from the public land
has been appropriated to their advancement, to their inn
Provemen prepare and qualify them exercise the rights
OF sefgovernmen and to carry the great work Of the
emancipation Of their wherever they may be found in
bondage Yes sir there this day five thousand
ored children children Of the African race, who being
educated out of this great fund Of national benefcence
And now sir what becomes Of the reproach in which this
is called charity What would have been the disposition
of this fund had been left here Sir il would have been
left to be expended the revenues Of this country, too
large too LIBERAL always have been expended, in mproyi
dence and it s therefore that have always claimed that
they ought to be distributed among the States. Since this
Government has renowned all enterprises Of internal inn
provemen and especially all works of education and pro-
gress they should have been distributed among the States
that they might be applied those works Of benefcence and
humanity.
And now sir, during all the time we have enjoyed
this four million and half Of dollars, there has been no
waste of it. there has been dmnution of the amount
given every dollar ,hereyet The four nions and
half Of dollars still in the treasury Of the State of New
York And what has been done, has been done only by
Of the interest accrung upon the fund Will gentle
men tell me, sir, that is not wiser to make such dispose
of these funds than would be to employ them in
couragng prodigay the part of the Federal Government
in encouraging spirit Of This lust
conquest in which the Mexican had its origin, and by
which brought into the national domain these
hundred and sixty three millions of acres be added to the
thousand million Of acres we had before
Sir, what has this acquisition brought US According TO
the argument Of the learned gentleman from Georgia. it has
brought but Pandoras box Of evils and are, day after
day, entertained here with the intelligence that the Union
must be dissolved, is actually dissolved, and all this BY
Of employing the from The public land in
Sir, it is because want Mexican wars 1t Is be-
do want encourage this lust Of conquest this
sezng Of the unrpened fruit which, If left alone, would fall
Of ITSELF that opposed to swelling the revenues of the
Federal Government from like these and that claim
that the Federal Government should be brought down
sponsibiy to the people, and that the people shall know
what il costs to indulge in wars Of conquest.
Sir, the Senator from Georgia and the Senator from 1l
nos agree that there is peculiar dement, in considering the
rcan citizens And my honorable friend from Georgia sup
poses that he found in the proposition which have submitted
henot ct all in conflict with that of the Senator from ll
no have before remarked, with that of the Senator
from Massachusetts, that Of the Senator from Texasa
peculiarly Objectionable feature, because provides distinctly