Hannibal journal and western union. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1851-1852, 1852-01-29
VOL. 2--NO ~.

Lalnly no equity IN treating Ohio, Indiana, and
llhnols with fn,rked kindness, while you turn
away from Missouri as from a step-child.
IS, however, obierted, that the granta of
landto me new states for the purposes Of in
ternal improvement are ihjbtidas TO the cd
States. In what way9 I Inquire. Il has been
shown that those grants do NOT dsnnish the rev.
enues Of the country. but largely increase them.
They d.lg..se the comforts and c...,yeuiepoe, ~
life into many Fabitation and family that arc
hois essfsss. iiisy hey ssss4 s;i.ssss;ss ss.a
leiligence. They build up school-hslses aad
churches, and they bring into communion and
friendly intercourse distant parts Of the Repub-
lac. Surely there - nothing in ali tina oi which
any member OF the Union ought to complain.
But II tie policy OF granting land to the new
Sates for rairoad purposes IS TO stop, let justice
be done toboth sectioGs Of the Union Hereto
fore those grants have bsen confdcd almost exclu-
sivelyio the free States. Let Missouri ArLan-
sas, Mississippi, and other Sonthern States be
placed upon an equal footing with Ohio. Indiana,
aud Illinois, before you refuse ali grants. To
stop before this is done would give color. Al
least TO the charge sometimes made, skat the
majority Of this House cannot and viii not do
justice TO the Southern part of the Union.
The old States should not overlook the fact
that they have received al Tie unappropriated
lands which were within their limits at the date
lot the Revolution. Massachusetts and Maine,
even at THIS moment, possess large domain
that IS undisposed Of. Now all Of those lands
were acquired by the common blood and treas
uTe Of the nation. The lands Of Maine. and
Virginia, and Georgia, which were unsppropri-
lated at the time Of our Revolution, were as
mich the common acquisition Of the whole
upian, as the public lands in anyos the Western
States. iiat the on States, reiterate, received
every foot OF unappropriated land within their
limits. And yet when a new State asks for a
small part OF the public Land within its limits, in
discharge Of high and important services. rem
ldered BY it in the construction Of railroads
through the Government domain, we hear the
cry, Injustice TO th-eold States. Place the new
States on the same footing with the old Stltes,
and You would give them all the waste lands
within their limits. This we do not ask. We
are not so rapaciots as the Atlantic States were
when they occupied css-- ;.;aa All ts>t we
ask is 4 small appropriation, which, while Il in
t-rea<es the rsesints oe the Treasurv will afford
some remuneration FOR our services in the nation
at large.
+ No other expenditure Of public money has re
suited in 50 much and So general good as thst
which has had for its object the settlement Of the
West. Seperaie the new States from the old
ZONES; strike of the Valley of the Mississippi,
leveri an Imagination, from the Atlantic seaboard,
and you viii possibly form some small coneep-
,tion Of the benefits which the settlement and
Improvement Of the public lands have had upon
our national wealth, greatness, and prosperity.
The fortiiication Of your coast, your Navy, your
Army, are all useful; but no statesman viii pre-
tend that any one or all Of these combined has
contributed one tenth much to oEIr reputation
abroad, or our security at home, an the settle
ment Of the great West Now, while the seisle-
ment Of the West has been Of greater advantage
t0the s4isSse country than almost anything else
which has transpirel in our history il has repaid
by millions ali the expenses il has occasioncftc "a
tho Government. Your public domain has cost
you s74, ,757 s79 SO. Up TO this time it has yielt
ieh you Sl35, 1897 .093 lT--just $50, ,38I ,2l3 rs
more than it cost YOU. If the Navy, besides pro.
tectiug our commerce, had yielded 10 the Treas.
Jury double The money it has cost, how irresisti.
BILE would be an application for an appropria.
tion to that branch Of the servicei But the set.
Element of the public domlin has operated in tha
manner. II has increased the general welf4re
it has augmented resources and multiplied III,
/ power Of the country, and it has at the sans
: time repaid to the Government two dollars fo
: every one il has cost.
: Will not gentlemen be instructed by The his
tory of the past? Experiences has taught us tina
l every foot of land brought under cultivation il
q "a new State adds to the wealth and prosperity o
!, ali.
oThe current OF emigaiion, from one part o
S the Union toshe other-from the old to the nov
States-rells back golden tide Of trade an
' business. The old States now supply nearl
5 ail the wants Of the farmers of the Valley Of th
West and hence its prosperity wonderful
. promotes the welfare Of the older States, Of th
J. Union. The poor emigrant from the old States
l.. IL =. :. = Al
e tributes more tothe wealth and commerce Of IN
# State he left than IL he had remained there il
! ldependent poverty. The prosperity of the ncY
!. States reacts, through the channel Of trade an
N business, in favor OF the old States, and henc
: the wonderful growth Of the whole country.
y This is a Fair statement Of the fact. Every ma
,e of observation knows il TO be true, and stili Va
: hesitate to be liberal to the new States-no, .
e not liberal, but Just.
n Mr.. Chairman, Congress should either grad
i ate the price u the public lands, or aid in enhan
n ling the value Of those which have been for
at long time in market. All the public lands me-
IN our navigable rivers are readily sold and settle
A. SO it is with the best lands in the interior. b
J. 4tlic psss:se lands AZ poorer class remain unocc
ie pied forty years after they have been subject
n private entry, dividing neighborhoods, kcepiI
m settlements sparse, and rendering It impossibl
So very frequently, Tor our people 70 ENJOY eF'
= The blessings 81 common schools. In order
~ remedy his evil, The new States have been a
~. nIyine to Congress Tor more than qucrter oI
an eentury to gratltate She price of the public
M main. This has been steadily refased. M
as Ia order TO settle olr waste lands, we ask =
10 aid in increasing its value. by grants to -
TO- roads, which will enable GovernneDs to sell
of public domain at rs present minimum ID
,ot cases, and at detbsstks minirnuEA IN many
les stances p ioR
~ / hope renIlesnen win rot qapose sbIs poi