Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-04-01
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.


rants to It's first honors, and adjusting as well as
we can such a comparison of evils we are obliged
to set OIL on the part of Buchanan, his identity
with the corTuptions of past intrigues-mitigated
by some administrative ability and concealed
frlendlness to the cause of home industry-against
the odlous and wasteful profigacy nregard to the
public lands which makes the boast of Douglas,
and his only title to national distinction, unre-
lieved by single personal quality we have ever
heard of TO fit him for the seat of Washington
The aversion of the Wings to see the dignity of
the place debased and cheapened by its bestowal
on Douglas, has only procured for his rival, on
their part, something of a vague and ambiguous
sentiment OF respect Still, the gods of old
We're thought sometimes to make sport of the af-
fairs OF men, and for sheer amusement, to leave
their desnes to the frolics of fortune so in such
an alternative might we regard ourselves as the
victims OF a Fate, whose mockery would be scarce
" less bitter and sarcastic. Nor can we hope for
refuge from the ills which it has been the life OBJ
Ject OF this small Beer Politician to infict upon
Virginia and the other spoated States, from the
hollow professions of his probable supporters here,
who, with abstract and idle pretexts against the
moments party warning to exalt him into de-
mi-god as blindy and reverentially as an ancient
Egyptian would decree a frog apotheosis.-
One OF the resolutions of the recent Democratic
Convention in this city reads thus sthat Con-
gress has no power to appropriate, directly or in
directly, the proceeds of the sales of the public
lands or to grant, directly or indirectly, the public
lands to the purposes of internal improvement"
No one is so fatuous think that this resolution
will debar the resolvers from the support of Doug
las. No one dreams that in the event of his nomi-
nation it will Cypress in the slightest degree the
plastic capabilities of the Democratic conscience
For are not all its 'platorns' re-adopted "as ap-
plicable to the present condition of the counry?"
And past experience assures us that between De-
mocratic faith and practice upon many points,
there is about the same connexion as existed be-
tween the text and the sermon of distinguished
divine, ofwhich it was said that if the text had
the smallpox the sermon would certainly never
catch the infection. Even upon this very subject
OF the public lands, we know it was Democratic
once to think, flor General Jackson said SOY that
the revolutionary debthaving been discharged, sit
was time that the public lands should cease to be
nue., composed OF land money and taxes, was I'M
der the same auspices received by the States.
Virginia inclusive,) without a murmur. But
then came the land bill. 1t twas Mr.. Clay's mea-
sure, not General Jackson's. That was enough
The memorable Jealousy of the latter,
LIKE the Turk could bear brother near the throne
Ihencetorward it became a measure fraught
with frighttul consequences,--the corruption of
the States-the debauch off political morals "a
violation of the Constitutional breach of public
enng its RESOURCES, cfippIingshe sinews Of war
and other descriptions drawn from the exhaust
less vocabulary OF Hu'nbug. Jeoksonism. if iS
true, (the fruitful hot-bed of that pe1.:o;o,.
weed) has in some sort past away. The nation
has, in degree, recovered from its delirium; but
like the patient convaescing on al bed of nervous
fever, with whom the disease may have abated,
but the morbid nervous impressions yet remain,
the national understanding has not yet got quite
right This subject of the public lands is one
about which those impressions have been most
firmly established. But let us not despair of re-
storinga healthy tone. There are some causes,
| in which perseverance, is to be rewarded with
success, and some subj ects upon which reason will
certainly be triumphant provided she return with
sufficient patience to the charge, and resolutely
repeats the argument which had originally failed
OF effect. This result may be most safely reck-
oned on, where expectancy and justice are on
one side and mere prejudice and established habit
are on the other. Is it too late then to say or to
do any thing to arrest the spoiation of the public
lands at least to retain them within the con-
| troll Of torp atin
feet justice may be hoped for, in regard to them
Three considerations connect themselves in the
solution of this question. The original abstract
justice and right of the claim of the old States.
particularly of Virg inia, who gave away an en-
pire of these lands in EXTENT the wants of those
States, especially Of Virginia, at the present time
and the immediate necessity of action if any inter-
position be successful As to the first of these
a mere statement OF fact puts down all objections |
These public lands belonged originally to the sep
arats States, who coded them. Each had its share,
perhaps of underlined limits, but as al united in the
cession which made them common fund, that
circumstance was unimportant. The act itself,
was, the part of the ceding States, one of sab
lime national sacrifice. 1t at once composed the
rivalres, the apprehensions and dscords which
threatened to preventive contemplated union, and
provided source from which the debts of all the
States without distinction, incurred in the Reyo
utionary struggle, might be in time certainly de-
frayed. The very deeds of cession bear evidence
OF the Intention to make the lands of each State,
before aseparate State property, thencetorwada
joint property of ALL subject to the payment of the
existing debts of all. That of Virginia, cedira
| lin March 1884 the Northwestern territory, pro.
vides, as yesterday that shall be consider
ed as common fund for the use and benefit of such
| of Sfotn ho,a hon ol,.JI