The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-19


siderable amount, that Ohio ever applied for any
grant of lands in aid of any of her works of in
ternal Improvement. Unassisted, her people
bought their farms, feled the Forest built their
log cabins, reared their school.houses construct
ed their churches. Unassisted they Joined the
lake to the river by the Ohio canal, and thus
completed the first internal waterway from the
Atlantic ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. Almost
unassisted, this people, energetic and intelligent,
extended their system OF canals, making, among
others, second canal from the river to the
lake, covered the surface of the State with a
network of turnPikes and railways; improved
their waterc0urses; constructed their public
edtices, among which they point as their chief
glory to the various asylums for those children
of sorrow, the deaf, the dumb, the blind, and the
insane
say almost unasisted. Ohio alone of all the
land States, except Tennessee, received no aid
in the construction of her public buildings.
Ohio, less than any other State, except Alabama,
and less than Alabama if regard be had to the
proportion OF population or OF unsold lands, has
participated in the grants for internal improve
ments. While she has received less, she has,
as have already stated, paid more to the gov.
eminent and the grantees of the government
than any other State She has, besides, borne
her full proportion of the indirect taxation of
the tariff and contributes, at this moment, nearly
one-tenth Of the national revenue.
l submit to the Senate that an irresistible case
has been made out for the grant of the residue
of public lands in Ohio to the State. If any,
thing were wanting, might urge, in addition,
the precedent Of the grant to Tennessee in 1916.
In that year Congress terminated federal owner
ship in that State, by the act to surrender to
the State of Tennessee all title the United
States have to lands in Tennessee, South and
West of the line commonly called the Congress.
sional Reservation Line" Indeed the act
went further than this. 1t released to the State
the proceeds of lands already sold.
But these case Of Ohio is even yet stronger.
Had she received as much more than her sister
States as she has received less; were there no
direct precedent as the case of Tennessee to be
pleaded; there would still remain adequate, nay,
controlling reasons for the giant
Sixty-five years have elapsed since the COM
mencement Of the sales of public lands within
the limits of Ohio-more than the period of two
generations of men. The unsold residue has
probably been in market for the average period
of quarter Of century, 1t does not, indeed,
deserve the name of residue. 1t is mere resi-
dunn. 1t very little exceeds in quantity two
hundred thousand acres. 1t is less than one
hundredth part the original domain. The cost
to the general government, Of two land offices
in the State, during the last year exceeded 49,
600; and now that land warrants have been made
assignable and receivable for all lands, and
must therefore, hereafter constitute the chief, if
not the sole currency in which payments must
be made for the public domain, it is not proba-
BILE that the receipts at these offices will defray
their cost The unsold residue, therefore, how
ever valuable it may be to the State, is not
worth keeping to the government.
Besides, no statesman who has ever discussed
the subject of the public domain, has ever sug-
gested that the United States shall hold on to
the lands with unrelaxing gripe, until the sale of
the last acre and the payment Of the last dollar
and quarter. On the contrary, all have con-
Cured in the opinion that at the proper time the
land States should be relieved from the dispar-
agement of their proper sovereignty by national
ownership of untaxed and untenable lands within
their limits, by cessions of the unsod residue.
1t was the opinion of distinguished Senator
from Missouri, not now member of this body
Mr.. BENTON, that these cessi0ns should in all
cases be made upon the reduction of the guam
tity in any State to 100000 acres. concur in
this opinion. Indeed, should be better pleased
with an earlier termination of federal ownership
But, whatever may be thought as to the proper
time, no one will question the propriety of such
cession ut some tme and no one will doubt,
think, that in the case of Ohio, at least, that
time has come.
Iforbear to enlarge upon these considerations
| know the desire of the Senate to proceed to
other business, and cheerfully submit this case
of Ohio, believing it to be impregnable, to the
liberality, to the wisdom, and above all, to the
justice of my fellow Senators.
Nj. HUNTER. 1t is not so much the amount
proposed to be given, by ceding these lands to
the State of Ohio, to which object, as that il
seems to me that the bill proposes to establish
a new principle-in other words, to give to the
State of Ohio two hundred and sixteen thousand
acres of land. 1t is true, sir, that this land has
been exposed for sale for twenty or thirty years
for Isl % per acre; but it never has been
offered for less price, Now, should be will
| ing to graduate these lands according to the
term of years during which they have been il
market. believe that would even 60 further
would allow the State to come in "a pre-
emptor, for | believe that it would be a YER,
desirable thing to terminate the ownership o.
this land by the government Of the United
States; but am afraid of beginning this prin
ciple, which appears to be involved in this bill.
| The Senator from Ohio admonishes me thai
he ia anxious to obtain vote on the bill, and
will therefore do no more than merely state thai
| have objections--that cannot vote for the