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

Il,
I man who would ridicule the principles OF free
trade at this time, must be rated chronoiogcai'y
according to the !" old style" His Ammo Doini".
must be very differen. from that OF the rest OF
mankind. And vet this too was one OF the
counts in the indictment which ne raised against
US. !,
Mr. President. have now endeayored TO DIS
pose Of the objections which have been MADE py
different senators to the remarks WHICH onefeu
on former occasion. come now 10 dineren'
branch of the question. IL may perhaps pe
asked, what would do in order 10 prevea' .,e
evils which threaten us on the one sag u ',ie
other-the evil Of having this great property
administered without just serse OF response.
bity to the source of authonty, IN a system OF
improper, corrupt, or imppe Legislation, and, on
the other hand, the evil of seeing it wasted, by
being partially distributed among few States
for their benefit. sad perhaps to the injury Of
the rest Of the confederacy? ! say there is a
mode by whah believe we may escape both
these evils, by which we may steer between
Scylla and Charybdis, ard draw to the public
treasury as much money as we are ever likely
to derive from any other system.
Sir, say if you wish to distribute the bene'
fits Of the proceeds from the sales of these
lands equally, you must apply them to the pay.
ment of the debts and expenses OF the govern
ment. Ii you have too much money in the
treasury under this process apply them 10 re-.
leye the burdens, of taxation, and thus you will
distribute them by rule which is precisely just
and which is certainly exact You thus relieve
the different portions OF the people IN me pre-
else ratio in which they contribute to its reve'
nne Rut in doing this, we should not lose
Y sight Of what Is Just to the new States within
whose borders these lands lie; you must look
not merely to the profit which the general gov
eminent may derive from the lands, but also
YOU must have Just reference to the settlement
mud increase Of population within these States
And in order to effect both these ends, would
be willing to advertise the lands at the present
price for certain number of years, and after
that time would diminish the price. In other
words, would graduate the price afterwards
and cede Mem to the States upon liberal terms
such terms as would compensate them fairly
and generously for administering them Let US
Bee how this would operate upon the old States
and upon the new
It would have greater tendency than any
other one thing can conceive of, to purify che
LEGISLATION here We should thus take away q
large public fund which, as sai6. is administered
here with proper sense of responsibility on the
part of y Sc who appropriate it, The people
having taxes towards the fund, they do not
scrutini closely enough the manner in which
we extend H. Do we not see that every wild
scheme for which projectors even would not ask
money directly, are brought here, and aid il
asked for them by appropriations of public lands!
We have seen petitions from an individual ask.
inc appropriations of land, enough to enable
him to make railroad across almost the entire
breadth of the continent Another bill has passed
here. more than once, think, to appropriate lands
for the establishment of lunatic asylums in all
the States of the Union. Suppose that money
had been asked for such purpose; what an
outcry would have been raised throughout the
country. We see, as the honorable Senator from
Tennessee has said, bills brought here, which
appropriate many millions OF land as bounties
to persons for services which have been fully
paid long since-services that have been already
compensated according to contract. Could this
have been done if the money so distributed had
to be raised by taxation upon the peopel We
see, too, proposition TO distribute these lands
among the States, and already conflict is going
on between different sections of the country
as witness the speeches of the Senators from
Kentucky and Michigan--in relation to the in
equality and injustice of the proposed mode OF
dividing them. We see, too, propositions TO
give every man a farm; proposition to give all
the exiles who may come from abroad, and who
NAV be said TO be victims of oppression; and
probably we shall soon have proposition to put
he lands down to mere nominal price. Such
schemes as these most infallibly lead TO aggra.
Ran apitations, to strife between the different
sections of the confederacy, and warfare in the
very bosom OF society, amongst its various class.
es, contending with each other for plumber un'
der the forms Of Legislation.
But. Mr.. President, these are not all the evils
we should escape, so far as respects our legisla
ton. believe that il is a matter Of cardinal
Importance TO this country, that the stream Of
emigration and population should be properly
directed and distributed. believe we should
treat the stream Of emigration precisely we
do that OF trade. would pass no laws TO pro.
hibit or discourage il, nor would give bounties
20 force Il into false and artificial channels, or
give Il an unnatural impulse and energy. ] be.
iieye this foreign element when infused in just
such proportions as can be assimiated by the
American body polite, is eminently beneficial
and useful. IL imparts a greater variety TO
American ideas, and gives new strength and
| impulse TO Amer an thought. Butifniused In
| n greater proportion than can be thus as.imila
4 led. Il may change entirely the political current
4 of our thought and action, and destroy the iden.
tty of The American system. As an American.
I am bound 10 cay that should regard such n
/ result as Injurious and mischevous.
Sir, wish TO pursue the old path Of our prog.
ress and TO follow the landmarks TO which
. American experience has directed us. am
willing 20 receive all the additional information
4 and assistance, all the new light and knowledge
A which may be derived from any source; but still
1 feel bound TO say that choose TO follow in
that path which our forefathers marked out for
M, when, IL may borrow a woodlands phrase,
they bazcd their way" through the wilderness.
/ Bot IL may be said, that il is hardly possible
that there could be an infusion Of greater
portion Of this foreign element than we could
sssimilaie in our system. ] believe this To- be
true, " no false and unnatural direction is given
10 the tide Of emigration by improper legisla-
Il lion. II il is left TO the natural laws Of pc.
II puation, to the principles of demand and sup
Div, Il would distribute itself equally over the
whole country, according 20 il wants and its
fitness TO receive such population. Under
such circumstances, ! believe all would work
woll and benefici.lv for bath parties: but IT,