The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-02-23


lands, unequal in point Of dignity, power or pr
, vilege to their confederates! 1t is a mere pro
+ perty arrangement made with their own consent
and affecting not their political rights, but thei
wealth. Let US suppose, sr-what might wei
happen-that the lands were their own, and soIt
to companies or individuals. upon the condition
that they were TO be exempt from taxation for
term of years: would that place them in con
dition of inferiority compared with the co
States? How, then, does it vary their position
if this compact be made with the United States
and especially if it be made upon consideration,
which are valuable in moral, a political and q
pecuniary point of view? 1t is to be observed
too, that the general government does not force
them to come in States. On the contrary
it says So long as you choose to remain In q
territorial condition, we will support your gov
eminent, and you shall be at no expense; but II
you choose to come into the Union as State
when you have population enough to entitle you
to one representative in the House, we will ad-
NIT you, on the one representative in the House
and two senators on this hoor---in fact, with
more political privileges than majority of the
old States possess, and with far larger share
of the patronage of the general government for
on the frontiers the larger portion of the army
is generally posted, and there, too, large por-
ton of the machinery il placed which is neces-
sary for the disposition of the public lands.
How, then, can it be said that the land States
are treated with injustice! They have nothing
which am unwilling they should have, and do
not mention these things with any view to OBJ
ject to what they have had, but rather to repel
and repudiate the charge that we have treated
them with injustice, or that l. in particular, would
sanction any course which is unjust in relation
to them.
But, Mr.. President will not follow the Sem
ator from Massachusetts any further. know
that the honorable Senator from Kentucky Mr.
UNDERwooDl is preparing broadside of math-
ematics laughter for him from Massachusetts,
Mr. SUMNER, and think | can foretel what
is to be the result Of that contest. have some
reason to believe that he will soon be in hot
pursuit of him. Sir, the only doubt have in
my mind in relation to it is, whether the Sena-
tor from Kentucky will ever be able to overtake
the gentleman from Massachusetts for the last
we heard of that Senator he was admirably
mounted. He was careering past us on the
wild horse of Burger; or heeter still, on his own
locomotive, an engine which seems to travel
quite as well by water as by land, if we are to
trust to the march Of his own poetry, for it
dashes not only Tramp! tramp! along the
land" but "Splash! splash! along the sea-"
Laughter.
| make no pretensions to the gift of prophecy
but one thing will venture to predict Whether
the Senator from Kentucky will ever overtake
the gentleman from Massachusetts, | do not
know, but if ever he brings him within the reach
of his arm, then woe! to the horse and woe |!
to the rider" Great laughter. The Senator
from Kentucky may not figure quite so well in
poetical numbers as the Senator from Massa-
chusetts, but these old Arabic numerals are ia
miar instruments in his hands. Removed
laughter.
Mr. President, tremble at the idea, that the
Senator from Kentucky should get among the
flower gardens of the Senator from Massachu-
sets, for know him well, and feel perfectly
assured that not the gardens of Alcinons, nor
the Establishments of CALYPSO, nor the cup of
Cerce, nor the charms of Armida would seduce
him into moments daliance, if they stood in
the way of his course to public justice. Sir,
he is after his share of the public lands, and he
would tread down these gay parterres as re-
morseIessly as 80 much wild heather, if they
stand between him and his object. Laughter
But, sir, have a word to say to the Senator
from Kentucky. He said in the course of his
remarks, that he had found me in a "constitu-
tiona hobbe." Sir, had he found me in that
predcament, | would have supposed that the
least of his kind offices would have been to have
helped me out of such situation. On the con-
trary, he not only threw mo no friendly thread
to guide me out of that labyrinth of error, but
marched off with as much complacency as if he
had left me the captive of his own good bow
and spear. Sir, at time when | had not read
his amendment, and surprising that it was mere
ly proposition TO substitute general for
partial system of distributing the proceeds of the
public lands, said that would vote for his
amendment, although | should vote against the
| bill, even if amended but when | made this
remark, must confess that was not aware of
| the nature of his proposition. What does that
amendment propose, Mr.. President? 1t pro-
poses to establish the old States as landlords in
| the bosoms of the new States---a measure
which could not fail to SOW the seeds of dssen-
sion and discord between the several States of
the confederacy And what then, sir? Why,
he undertakes to say how the State legislatures
shall apply these grants-that they shall devote
| them to purposes of education or internal i'm.
provement. lie not only proposes to make the
States beneficiaries of this government but he
also proposes to determine what shall be their
domestic legislation in regard to these grants.
Now, upon this principle, if that Senator should
have a fancy for the law of primogeniture, he
would give away these lands upon the condition
| that the State legislatures should establish
such system. Or if he should have fancy
for the abolition of slavery in the States, he
might make his grants upon the condition, that
the State governments would agree to abolish
that institution: and thus you might draw the
whole system of State Legislation within the
power of the federal government The Senator
may sit here, according to this view of our
powers, and direct from this place the legisla-
ton of his own State. Sir, could anything more
monstrous be conceived in the way of constitu-
tional assumption
The Senator from Kentucky said that was
in constitutional hobble." | am confident
after this that the Constitution will never hob
BILE him. | am no longer surprised at the little
sympathy which he exhibited for my situation,
as should think he would look with something
like a feeling of contempt upon any man who
would permit the Constitution to "hobble or
impede him.
But, Mr.. President, it was reserved for the
Senator from Tennessee Mr.. BELL to bring
out a formal indictment against the State Rights
party and all who professed their principles