Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-05-08

East and the West Why may not constitutional power
be exercised In ssuary in opening the forests
OF Missouri and iowaf Why may not give literally
70 these enterprising States who endeayorng,
with the aid Of the General Government to make the de-
scrt blossom the rose Why may not cooperate
in all these grand schemes, and yet retain control
over them and participate IN the common welfare and
benefit which they dihuscf We must as National Le-
gislature, exercise national discretion no advo
cate for wastefu expenditure Of MEANS and adopt
the construction Of Mr. Calhoun when he said that as
proprietor y was our duty 70 bear part Of the burden
OF the States hold that this Is the rational
Of the powers Of the General Government
over them | do not find IL In that vague imitable
power which would 6nd under the term general
welfare but hold a proprietor Of the public lands
bcrai and national feeling In the promotion Of works Of
national improvement, and all others would exclude
Let say Lat this principle Is mot democratic 1t
!: ns.is = We - sa:sr ofo vho% the Dsmosra :,
d psssiss, s sisssy y - vSIeh n.y. srsr-
asA vsiA my = srssssassiy carried sst vishoat any
lands 70 every occupant sssms ne be surrender Of
the whole. Il Is tite and trus syiag thaa should
be Just before We are generous have the nuthority
Of the honorable gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr
CHASDLEn for saying that must not only be satisfied
with this bill constitutional and legal but we must be
satisfied that ii Is expedient!
Mr.. Chairman, ask gentlemen 70 look cursoriy over
the condition Of the United States asd having surveyed
and mpregnabe position which entities to dispose Of
our treasure who is about lie down and fold his
arms TO pleasant dreams Have we finished course
Is our career closed? Have We debts to pay? Are
we impregnabe against enemies Have provided
in peace against the dangers of war; Have we no rivals
now to compete with All of these questions be
swered in the negative We have large debt unsatis6ed
the debt Of the lastwar Sixtytwo millions yet be
paid for our Mexican acquisitions. We have five
millions to be paid to creditors who have been throngng
the doors of these halls for nearly fifty years The suffer-
ers by the French spoliatons yet unsatisfed We
have not less than ten or fifteen thousand private claim
ants now suing at your doors for redress These all
these unsasfed We have unfinished Notifications
which will require sixteen to twenty millions Of dollars TO
complete and which essential to place this country In
position Of equality with her natural enemy we have
natural enemy Yes let gentlemen look into the report
of the Secretary Of War; let them look the naval
power of those with whom contendng for supre
macy on the Let them look at England and France
and see the immense destructive power they command
and ask themselves if their country is securey Will
the strong and brave hearts of the that
you send into your forests be protection against the
steam nayies of Europe? No. you must have fort6ca-
tons you must have navy, armed at all psints, and
equal to cope with them, the history Of this Republic
may be written in two words, Hum t." Our oldest and
most yenerated statesmen warned in peace prepare
for war. But, in the judgment of these gentlemen
are SO panoped in our power secure are SO
independent OF the world capable of repelng enc
mics, that we give that away which is literally the
fund of the county that which pledged for the
redemption of the debts of the Revolutionary that
which stands pledged for the debts Of the Mexican
war; and that which may be wanted-because We are
yet but In nfancythat which may be wanted in less
than twenty years What national dementation, then
what national madness, sayto strip ourselves of the
of defence and impose ourselves the necess
y OF additional taxation, and take away twenty fh
part of the for the purpose of giving gaes "a
the poor and suffering Of Europe may be that in the
great national peace convention such policy would pre-
vail bat among men instructed by the lessons
i amor sner
capable OF looking upon events which evolving IL
Europe in my Judgment it would be the grossest improv
dence How long has it been since distinguished Pres
dent Of the United States had postpone the Just claim
of the creditors of the Government for the exgences
war How long has it been since those bills essential to
protect human life in the great West have suspended
for the want OF means One years income from these
pubc lands would hundreds and thousands Of lives
upon your lakes and your great rivers put the ques-
on to the phanthropic and benevolent whether it
duty to save those who, in the and necessary
course OF travel and trade exposed to imminent dan
ger and hazard, or whether should first relieve the
lanes and alleys Of cities Of their crowded population
II IS noticeable fact that this bill recommended
by no report comes to us labelled with two ominous
words no report, upon the face of it. The gentlemen
VINO have sent 1t to full Of these sentiments and preg
nant as the Trojan horse with evil have given argu
ment In Its support They have not shown how it viii
anect the finances prospective internal improvements
how will affect all the necessary Notifications which are
on hand Nor have they shown how it win enable to
meet the deficit in the Treasury if there be one for we
have surplus of 1884 565 Of income over expendi
ture onya mere trife, compared with the contingent
wants Of the Government and with large national debt
yet unsatised nothing be certain to result
paralysis of all those projects dependant upon the gener
Gus beray Of the Government however necessary they
be for the national character national safety or ma
honal credit than the adoption of bill which has almost
the necessary tendency Of taking away the of
public lands
Let lock, Mr. Chairman, at another aspect of the
subject for moment. You have but just now passed
bills remunerating the warriors of 1872 for their services
There is no man in this country scarcely, excepting
small portion Of the navy who has not been amply repaid
for his military services say, class there are no
not provided for by bountes But many of these
warrants to be worth any thing must nd SALE you
propose measure which will at reduce them one
half their present value. For, sir, who will purchase
bounty land warrants when by occupying he may have
quarter Why have you kept the word of pro-
mise to the ear, but broken it to the hopeg All those
who have just now, with buoyant hearts and swelling
bosoms, acknowledged the gratitude of the country in
paying them at this late day. after the lapse Of quarter
Of century for the exposure Of life and limb, will be
TO say You have given me but the shadow
and taken away the substapce asked for bread you
have given stone The people Of the old States
not embrace the benefits Of this bill the Of the old
States reach these lands the citizens Of the
States will have the advantage Of vicinity of acquaintance
with the lands and their value and they win settle upon
them and pre-occupy them. understood honorable
gentleman the other side of the House, who addressed
The committee in favor Of the bill yesterday to say that
the poor whom he expected to benefit but that
he middle classesthose owning two three four hun
ired dollars-woud occupy the lands Kths be the fact
hen all those appeals Of my honorable freni from Penn
ylyana in behalf of the homeless and houseess were but
mere pictures of the fancydle chmerns Of the brain
The public lands have already subserved che great ma
iona purposes before indicated They have contributed
extnguish revolutionary debt and that incurred
our second war of independence They now pledr-
d in support Of the public loans contracted in prosecu