The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-02-24


IS fair and full consideration. not to tax the oub
0 lands, unequal in point Of dignity, power or ar
8 viege to their confederates! Ii is mara mr.
II perty arrangement, made with their own consen
and affecting not their political rights, but the
! wealth. Let Us suppose, sir--what might we
9 happeB---that the lands were their own, and aol
: to companies or individuals, upon the condtio
a that they were 10 be exempt from taxation for
! term of years: wouldthat place them in con
! dition of inferiorty as compared with the co
l States? How, then, does it vary their position
(. II this compact be made with the United States
and especially if 1t be made upon consideration
} which are valuable in moral, political and
} pecuniary point of view? II is to be observed
J too, that the general government does not fore,
, them to come in as States. Ga the contrary
it says So long as you choose to remain in
J territorial condition, We will support your gov
ernment, and you shall be at no expense; but i
you choose to come into the Union as a State
when you have population enough to entitle yor
to one representative in the House, we will I'D
NIT you, on the one representative in the House
and two senator's on this noor--in fact, with
more political privileges than majority Of the
i old States possess, and with far larger share
OF the patronage OF the general government for
OF the frontiers the larger portion of the army
is generally posted, and there, too, a large por.
ton Of the machinery is 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 I'm Hing 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 repudate the charge that we have treated
them with injustice, or that In particular, would
sanction any course which is unjust in relation
TO them.
But, Mr.. President, win not follow the Sem
ator from Massachusetts any further. know
that the honorable Senator from Kentucky r MIR.
UNDERWOOD is preparing broadside Of math-
ematics laughterl for him from Massachusetts,
Mr.. SUMNER and think lean foretell 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 careerng past US on the
wild horse of Burger; or feeter 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 pretensons 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 riderr [Great lau ghter. The Senator
from Kentucky may not figure quite so well in
poetical numbers as the Senator from Massa
chusetts, hut these old Arabic numerals are fa.
mar instruments in his hands. Renewed
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 a moments daiance, 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 treod down these gay parterres as re-
morselessly as SO much wild heather, IL they
stand between him and his object. Laughter.
| But sir, have word to say to the Senator
from Kentucky. He said in the course Of his
remarks, that he had found me in a constitu-
tional hobble." 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 me no friendly thread
10 guide me out Of that labyrinth Of error, but
marched off with rs much complacency as IL he
had left me the captive Of his own good bow
and spear. Sir, at time when had not read
his amendment, and supposing that ii was mere.
| ly proposition 10 substitute a general for a
partial system of distributing the proceeds Of the
public ands, | 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! Il pro.
poses 10 establish the old States as landlords in
the bosoms Of the new States measure
which could not fail 10 SOW the seeds Of dissen-
sion and discord between the several States Of
the eonfederaey. And what then, sirl Why,
he undertakes 10 say how the State legislatures
shall apply these grants--that they shall devote
them 20 pu poses Of education or internal i'm.
provement. lie not only proposes to make the
States benefciaries Of this government, but he
also proposes 10 determine what shall be their
domestic legislation In regard 10 these grants.
Now, upon this principle, IL that Senator should
have fancy for the law Of primogeniture, he
WOuio Rfe away Lnese Xmas upon the cOnoltlOn
that the State legislatures should establish
such system. Or, " he should have fancy
for the abolition Of slavery in the States, he
might make his grants upon the condition, that
the Safe governments would agree 10 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 10 this view Of Out
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 heexhibited for my situation
as should think he would look with something
like feeling Of coatempt upon any man who
would permit the Constitution 10 hobble Of
impede him.
But, Mr. President, Il was reserved for ths