Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-04-08

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Mr.. Dodge, one of the Senators from the State
Of Iowa, has recently made long speech on the
subject of granting alternate sections of the pub
lie domain to the new States for railroad purposes,
and readers will feel gratifed at learning that
that gentleman highly approves of the plan. But,
feeling safe in the Democratic majority by which
he is surrounded, Mr.. Dodge has grown confden-
tal and laid before the country the entire system
of public plumber which he and his party propose
to operate upon.
AS the false motives and dishonest pretexts
which we charged in the outset, lie at the bot
tom Of the scheme turn out to have been truly
charged, we wish to lay before our readers the
proof of it as found in the disclosures made by
this land-pirate from the State of Iowa. He says
in the speech alluded to, that sit is in his humble
judgment an eminently wise and just policy, If
uaaccompanaed Nth any increase of the price Of the
1eseroed tamds.' If the reserved sections to
remain unchanged in price, if Congress is to sell
them at the old rate, what becomes of the induce
ment, by which we were at first cajoled, that Con-
gress was to be more than reimbursed in the value
of its donations in the increased values to be con-
ferred through the instrumentality of railroads
upon the remaining sections!
So soon as we SAW the proposition brought for
ward to gue farms out of the public domain to &C
tual settlers we knew we'll enough that some fraud
was contemplated upon the slave States-a fraud
into which Southern Congressman seem not un-
willing to acquesce.
If Congress is to build roads running like a
gridiron over the new free-soil States and keep
the market price Of the land at the old mark of
Sl.50 an acre, or which would be scarcely worse,
give them away to actual settlers, we should like
to know what more effcacous scheme could be
adopted to increase the population and the power
of the enemies of slave institutions ? Under the
mask of honest professions, these Western aboli-
tionists are playing game as false as it is Deep
They stick together like burs, and moving in solid
column and unbroken phalanx, they carry victory
In their train. When bent upon public plumber,
they know no difference of party-Whig and De-
mocrat march, in that cause, shoulder to shoulder,
and though in minority, their combined action
is irresistible. If the majority from the old States
demur to their exactions the spoilers lay hold of
the tremendous engine of party and batter down
all opposition. The new States are to be kent
firm in their alegi lance to Democratic opinions
and the halls of Congress are converted into mar
ket overt in which the nearious transaction is car
ried on.
Is it n OF little singular that men, who are too
deeply imbued with love for the South to vote for
the Compromise and who were willing to tear the
Union into shreds to prevent the great accession
which would accrue to the abolition forces from
having slavery excluded from the Mexican terri
tories, should be found ready to cooperate in such
schemes And yet we find that such is and has
been for years the policy of the Southern rights
party. We append, in proof of this assertion, the
following extract from speech of Mr. Calhoun
made in the U. S. Senate in 184e, on proposition
to make grant of land to Michigan. He is speak
ing In reference to the canal connecting Illinois
river with Lake Michigan, when he says: IL have
seldom given vote the result of which gratified
me more than the vote which gave on that occa-
sion. | then presided in that chair which YOU
now occupy and gave the casting vote | take to
myself therefore, share of the credit of that
magnificent improvement" So that the reader
sees what in reality, the gigantic love for the
South was worth, when her Daniel O'Connell
would not only lend hand in developing the
wealth of free soil State by the application of
rule held inapplicable to any of the slave States,
but would, after the work had been done and the
slave institutions been found giving away before
the pressure of majorites, look with pride
and compacency upon his work. Pas coliseum,
John c. Calhoun, and we wish through your acts
you had pronounced the same benediction on your
country.
We informed that the recent the middle and
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