Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-12-04
M Benton's. Speech.

tenhon OF the people o. Virginia 70 INC POhS4
proposed with respectto the Public Lands;
The extinction of the Federal title toIall the
lands in the new States Is as essential to their ln
terests as was the extinction Of the Indian title;
and all the authort Of those States, and all their
Members of Congress, should stand together upon
that idea. A day certain should be demanded. at
ter which the Federal Government should cease to
be the owner of an acre of land, within any nsW
State; and the speedy and certain extinction OF
that titles should commence 10 be operated by Just
| and liberal means. First, donation for home
stead of one hundred and sixty acres 10 every
lead of family, widow or single man over the
age of eighteen, Owning no land or less than that
quantity who inhabit and cultivate 1t for i've con-
secutive years. Second, graduated pnces accor-
ding to the length of time the land has been IN
market, to all purchasers. Thirdly, liberal grants
to the States for railroads and otherimprov
Pourthly, an immediate ceSSion to the states oil
all the lands within the influence of malaria from
the swamps. Filthy, an absolute cession OF all
the lands remaining undisposed OF IN each Stale
on the first day of January, 1860.
| This would be best both for the States und the
Federal Government. II would promote settle
ment, cultivation and improvement IN the States,
increase their revenue, and give homes to multi
tule of meriorous families, whose labor would be
beneficial to the whole country. 1t would give
Federal revenue, arising from the annual cultlya.
| ton of the lands, superior in few years to the
| price demanded OH them, continuabe forever, and
received through the regular operations of com
merce in the export of domestic and the import of
| foreign productions, and the duties paid upon
them by the consumers. This is an economy which
statesmen understand, and which the history OF
our finances annually illustrates. Thus the sales
of the public lands about two millions per an
mum, the revenue derived from Custom House du-
ties is fifty millions per annusn. Now this reve-
nue. is derived from imports which are purchased
with exports chiefly the product OF the earth which
cultivation brings forth. l speak OF the whole
Union; and it gives twenty-five times as much
revenue from the annual cultivation OF the lands
as from the annual sales. How much at this day
may be set down to the cultivation IN the new
States, is not very material TO know-perhapS the
one-h half; and upon that hypothesis the Federal
| treasury is deriving ten times much annually
from the cultivation of the new States as from the
sales of the lands within them; and, therefore, has
the deepest interest in increasing the amount OF
| this cultivation To effect this, the obvious way
is 10 pass The public lands rapidly into the hands
of the ENTHUSIASTICALLY to the general purcha-
ser, and gratuitously to the labonng man whose
small means would find ample employment on
small refuse tract OF one hundred and sixty acres
The Colonel allows only eight years for the
whole public lands to pass from the pos eSson OF
| the Federal Government-lnd theyare TO pass not
| to all the States, but only 10 the fortunate lew
within whose limits they happen tolie. Col. Ben
ton does not seem to consider that the old States
| have any shadow of claim to any portion of the
public domain. He does not even allude to the
deeds of cession from Virginia, by which 1t was
expressly stipulated tibet the Federal Government
| should lOlu lle JANUS III lEuSL IOL DShCh1 VI
all the States Virginia inclusive. ALI that is ig-
nored by the distinguished gentleman at lie very
moment he proclaims himself the representative
| of the whole Union, and the guardian of the in
tereSts of every portion. when one occupying
his prominent and influential position, thus denies
the rights OF all the Atlantic States, and appeals
! to the people of particular section to combine
their votes for the purpose OF Wrestling IRON the OLD
States their portion of the common tund,' II be-
comes more than ever important, that the LegISla-
ture and people of Virginia should adopt speedy
and effective measures for securing TO themselves
their rightful share of this vast inheritance:
| This unjust and sectional scheme IS little IN
| keeping with the enlarged views and national pre-
tensions which characterize the rest of Colonel
| Benton'S speech. Having received, lie says, the
| congratulations of the good men oil all parties
from the Missouri 10 the Potomac, on the result OF
his election;-and be .ng evident, since the death
| of Clay, Calhoun and Webster, that the popular
mind of the whole Union looks to him as the ma
tonal savor, it scarcely worthy OF his national
po.itonal position TO employ 1t Tor the robbery OF
one portion Of the Union for the benefit of another.
But without adyerting to the naErowneSS and in
Justice of this suggestion, is the policy, 1t propo-
SeS, that of a statesman Of Col. Benton's preten-
sionsl Wherein consists the wisdom of augmen-
ting the number OF farmers, by means oil bountleS,
at the expense of those already engaged IN agn-
culturel The country already produces more
breadstufFs than it can find a good market for.
The Tariff of '46 diverted upwards of n million
people from manufactures to iaTmlng-conVerted
| that number from consumers into producers OF aS
riculturaI pruducts. Why farther increase the
baneful effects Of that Tariff by bountes in
| land?
We acknowledge the great abilities and influen-
| tial position of Col. BentOn-and should be happp
for the sake of the country, to see him exert his
powers and influence to subserye the true inter-
| ests of this great Republic. He was formerly
friend TO protection 10 American industry-to that
great system which tends TO diversity pursuits at
| home-to develop the resources, increase the
wealth and consolidate the independence of this
country. We have not observed any change IN
his viewS-though this land policy of his tends
indirectly to neutralize the effects OF Tari, and
to minister TO the grasping schemes oil Great Brl-
tain. 1t would better comport with his reputation
and position to invoke San American feeling"
than a Western one, and he would thereby con-
tribute much 10 the wealth and prosperity OF his
country.
Trade isto reduce the price CT b-eadStuGs-those
very products 10 which it seems TO be the policy OF
our statesmen 10 confine American labor. Now, II
cheap breadstcffs be to the advantage of England,
who buys, they cannot be to us, who sell. Our IN
tereSts are directly opposed-and nevertheless all
our legislation so shaped to subserve the ends
of British capitalists.
On this point the remarks of Mr.. Macuulay to
the electors of Edinburgh should not be thrown
awayupou us. Whilew persist in policy which
destroys our manufactures and prevents the growth
of home market, we are, as that gentleman truly
Observes laboring for the benefit Of Great Britain.
We subjon an extract from his speech:
edo not imagine that our countryman who goes
abroad is altogether lost to Even if he go
from under the dominion and protection of the
English flag, and settle himself among kindred
people still he is not altogether lost to us. for
der the benignant system of free trade, he will
still remain bound TO us by close ties (Cheers.)
IL he ceases to be neighbor, he is still benefac
tor and customer. Go where he may, if you
will 1ut uphold that system inviOlate, 1t IS Tor us
that he is turning the forests into cornfelds on the
banks of the Mississippi; it is for us he is tending
his sheep and preparing his feeces in the heart OF
Australia, and in the meantime it is from us he
receives the commodities which are produced with
vast advantage in old society, where great masses
of capital are accumulated. (Cheers.) His can
dlesicks and his pots and pans come from Birming-
ham, his knives from Sheffield, the light cotton
jacket which he wears in summer comes from