Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1853-07-27
THE TWo-FACED CANDIDATE.

MT. Sena0le, we learn, Is endeavOrlng to pro-
duce the impression among Democrats, that he is
in favor Of the acquisition Of Cuba, while to Wings
AS for example, to Robert F. Morris-he boasts
that he is with the Wings on Cuba and the public
lands, and ought therefore to supported by that
party His speech in Congress, of January last,
shows that he is against Cuba, except in con-
tingency which will hardly ever arise; and even
then, though he would advocate action by the
United States, he does not consider the acquisition
of the island as at all desirable.
He also strives, we understand, to produce the
impression that he is with Gen. Jackson on the
question of distribution The extracts we publish
ed in our last from Old Hickory's" land bill veto
of 1888, are conclusive on this point. Gen. Jack
son was really State rights man, and therefore
opposed to distribution in every form in which it
was presented, because he saw that it was but
another name for increased tarifftaxes, and would
end in concentrating all power in the general gov
ernment; Mr.. Venable pretends to be State rights
man, and showed that he was on the compromise
measures" and yet he voted for Rennett's bill one
of the strongest federal measures-the alien and
dition laws perhaps excepted-ever introduced into
the House of Representatives. Mr.. Venable also
declares, we understand, that he is with Judge
Douglas the land question, or rather that Judge
Douglas is in favor of giving away lands to the
new States. The speeches and votes of Judge
Douglas will show that he is as sound on the ques-
tions of dividing the lands or their proceeds as
Gen. Jackson himself He favors the granting of
alternate sections to States in which lands lie for
purposes of improvement and the result of these
grants has actually been beneficial to the govern
ment as a landholder. That is, one section has
been granted and another reserved along the lines
ofproposed Improvements; ; the Improvements have
been made by the sections granted, and forthwith
the reserved sections have advanced to the full
price Of both the granted and reserved sections.
In such cases the people of the new States have
been greatly benefited, and the wealth of the
country has been increased, while at the same time
the government has not, to say the least, lost one
cent. To this policy,a we have heretofore stated
we are not disposed to object. The idea of ex-
hausting the lands by these grants is absurd--the
sections thus transferred to. States for wise pur-
poses and the usual quantity of FIVE hundred thou,
sand acres voted to all States when they enter
the Union, are no more when compared to the
fifteen hundred millions of public lands than rill
is to the ocean.
The truth is Mr.. Venable shows Wing face
on both the Cuban and the land question and
knowing this, it is not surprising that gentleman
of his ingenuity should seek to create a different
impression in Democratic District. But he vii
find, large as he is in his own estimation, that the
masses of tue Democratic party are just as capable
Of judging of public questions as he is; and tina
they are not to be driven about or deceived by dis
organizers and pretended Democrats.