The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-05-31

sTER, and that of Mr.. CALHOUN, and the dis
tinguished sons of the South, referred to by
Mr.. WALKER, as TO justify the paroxysms into
which the Press falls on the occasion, or the
solemn notice which it serves as attorney Of
the South on all Presidential aspirants, that any
such scheme will be looked upon as worse
aggression than the s.robbery of California"
But we apprehend that the Press goes too far
altogether when 1t undertakes to hold their re-
spectiye parties responsible for the views which
General CAss or Mr.. WEBSTER may entertain
on this subject We are not aware that there
has been any such development of party senti
ment in this behalf, through the ordinary media
ventons, legislatures and primary meetings, as
will authorize any one to assume that these
distinguished gentlemen have committed any
other than themselves by the expression their
individual views upon the land question.
It is well remembered that in years passed
the WINGS have been deeply committed, by all
the ordinary forms which fix party response
bility to a very different system from that Of
cession to the States or of donation to actual
settlers There was time, certainly, when
the plan of distributing the proceeds of the
public lands among the States, on the basis of
Mr.. CLAWS bill substantially, had been gen
orally endorsed by WHO legislatures and Wing
conventions throughout the country. That bill,
as Mr.. BENTON boosted, was :. trampled under
| the big foot of General JACKSON" but the policy
| ~ raconornandad ,nntinuo1 10 hx, tho fav orifa
! policy of the Wines in regard to the public
lands as long as there was the prospect Of any
revenue from them worth distributing Much
| of this domain has been given by the United
States to a class of persons who have always
been regarded as proper recipients Of such marks
of national gratitude-the brave men who have
perilled their lives i'll the service of their coun-
try, and the. descendants of those who have
persisted on her fields of battle. This may
well enough be regarded as dedication of the
public lands to objects of common benefit"
and in such view not inconsistent with the
have enured to the South as well as to the
North; for the battles have been fought by the
men ofN both sections, for the benefit of both
sections.
We must confess that our predictions have
always been in favor of the policy of Mr.. CLAY,
because we saw no other mode in which the
designs of the original trust could be carried
out, on principles of entire equality and equity
to all the States. We were in favor of giving to
the South her full share of the income from these
public lands, and her full share to the North,
that it might be applied to objects of internal
improvement, or to still more benefcent pur-
pose, that of educating every child Of the Re-
public. If this fund could be set apart and de-
voted to the accomplishment of a great scheme
of universal education, in that way perhaps
more emphatically than in any other it could
be made to minister to the common benefit of
the United States" But if this end cannot be
attained, some mode may perhaps be devised by
which the revenue from these lands may be APP
propriated to the common benefit; and we sin
cerely hope that the South wiH insist upon the
preservation of the fund, and upon receiving her
full share oft,