The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-09

What distribution shall be made of the public
lands The States Of this Union are all equally
entitled to participate in the advantages grow.
ing out of the pubic lands. Is there senator
upon this floor who dares, in violation of his
own good sense, to get up and announce here
that each State in this Union is not entitled to
its share Of the public lands! Who dare do it
And yet they will waive that question, and
adopt course of policy by which they deny the
principle in their action that they dare not rise
in their places and disayow in the Senate They
will by degrees cede away all the public lands
They take from them, time after time, the best
land, two or three hundred miles upon river
like the Des Mones, and then six or seven
hundred miles in another course; and this not
for the general government, but for individual
States. Mr.. President, if we, the Senate of the
United States, composed Of sixty-two persons,
were partners in this great land fund, and owned
it AS we do, and it we were divided as We are
among the thirty one States, two from each
State of the Union, ii we held these lands in.
stead of the general government, and by the
same compact and articles of cession, under tho
sane treaty, would it be possible that there
would be man here who would violate his
honor and that faith which is due to integrity.
and say that we should dispose of those public
lands to the injury of some of the States by
giving them to individuals not for their benefit?
Is there one, sir ? And if they were to do so.
would not your Supreme Court Of the United
States instantly arrest this attempt to deny TO
one of the parties all their Just rights and force
them by the united power of the whole govern.
ment to do justice TO one another And vet
here we are without just cause--wilhout good
reason-disposing of our public lands in this
same inequitable and improper way
MIR. President let me make sugg ,stion to
you | say now that here is the only question
which is remaining between the two old parties
of this country. The tariff is settled, the cues.
ton Of internal improvements is settled, by
mixture of parties. Neither of them are strictly
Democratic or Wing questions, but portions of
both parties are mingled together in every d.
rection. That is settled The public land sys-
tenn is the only question now left unsettled and
wish now to present this idea: Is it right, is it
prudent, for Congress to egislate in such way
as to give dissatisfaction to any portion of MS
country in relation to their rights? And is it
not known that this partial mode Of distributing
the public lands is producing discomfort, and
that this discomfort is growing greater and
greater as the acts of taking these public land,
Il will call it by no harsher name-shall in.
crease! If this be the only question, and
founded upon such justice and such equitable
principles, what ought we to do! Settle it. od.
Just lido it amicably-do it with Justice and
unlimited liberality towards the ne States.
am one of those who will 60 as far in this dis
tribution the furthest and do more than iustice
to them AS the younger members of the con.
federacy grow up in an age like this-in will
derness and in forest-I will do for them what
no other man will do.
But do We all know what has already been
done for them? My worthy friend from the
State OF Kentucky Mr.. UNDERwoopl has told
you of the advantages they have. And have.
through his instrumentality, before me here a
statement of what the "two per cent" the
(" three per cent" and the five per cent" funds
granted to the new States have amounted to
How much money do you suppose has been
taken out of the treasury, under these land
laws, in actual cash! Four millions and some
hundred thousand dollars have already gone to
them, besides the immense quantity of land thew
have already obtained for educational purposes
and for various internal improvements. | do
not mention this for the purpose of creating dis.
content or dissatisfaction nor does it sprino
from any unkindness. What | say is this.
Here is liberality upon liberality and Won sav
you are willing to do justice When are Won
going to begin, gentlemen? Was there ever n
more modest, tf1ent, and unassuming request
made than that made by the amendment of my
honorable friend from Kentucky? He asks ONLY
fourteen millions of acres for the old States =
He says to you, Give it to us; we want it to
educate our poor people; we want it to increase
our internal improvements Look and see what
Illinois has got what Iowa has got, what Indi
ana has got and what all the new States have
got, and see how charmingly and how prosper
ousy they are getting on at our expense. Gen.
temen of the new States, will you not do some
thing? Fall back within yourselves, and act
upon principle in this distribution. DENY this
and you violate this principle, and you will have
to violate every principle upon which YOU shall
attempt to stand. What better way can Won
begin? What better evidence can you give of !,
returning sense of doing that justice to us which
the compact aud articles of cesson and the tre,
ties require should be done Then, allow mi,
amendment to pass; it is small in its character.
and limited-scarcely enough to do much good !:
still, it is the beginning of system which is
founded in equity and justice, and it may grow
ard grow until content and satisfaction would
reign throughout these States, founded upon
the business and the propriety Of your lepi.la-
ton. But if you stop now, and declare that this
distribution shall never take place, my word for
it, this public land question will be the great
question thai will disturb the harmony of par.
ties and the aspirations of individuals. For
am resolved, for one, that this injustice to the
State which | represent in part shall never be
by any set OF men that receive nv
approval II they do me injustice here. in case
where | am fully entitled to justice, shall cal
culate that they will do me injustice upon Other
grounds and | shall make it the foundation
upon which to stand to pursue a course against
even aifriend who is unwilling to do Justice when
it is claimed, and when he knows that he ought
to do it.
This public land question will not only be
made gu stion in politics, but question in
morals; for by what right are we to combine
together to take certain property om one por
ton of the people and give it to another, when
justice requires that it should be divided and
appro priated among the whole, thus acting con.
trary to the law of the land and the moral law
Are we to forget everything here and 90 into
one common melee for the purpose of seeing
who get the most, and throw ourselves be.
fore the country, aud before our constituents,
and tell them the extent of our success in talk
ing the rights of Others and claim to be poliii.