Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-06-17
Political DIscassIOns


TER F LEAK Esq, addressed the peor lie of this coun
IT, at the Court House last Tuesday afternoon, did
also Hon. WIN. 5. AsEE, in reply. The speaking
commenced little after three o'clock, and closed
between six and seven, each gentleman having spo
ken about an hour and half, with short time ia
ken up in brief rejoinders.
Mr. LEAK stated at the commencement, that he
had not made over four political speeches for the
last fifteen to twenty years,-a fact which some
what surprised US, since We know that his
upon our last electoral ticket and should really
have thought, that gentleman like Mr.. Leak
would have felt sufficient interest in the election of
General Pierce. and the consequent triumph of his
party, to have mlde a vigorous effort in his
electoral district,-in which, by the way great
est falling off took place from the August vote
Mr.. LEAK then proceeded to speak of the influence
of eiques and of his having been ruled out of the
Gubernatoral contest in 1886 and James B. Shep-
ard put forward by the Raleigh clique He also as
serted that, in advocating distribution of the pub
lie lands he stood upon the old democratic platform,
and had not changed; and that he was as much de-
mocrat ever and that any person, be that person
Whomsoever he mi ht, who asserted the contrary,
asserted what was false. He remarked, that those
acting with him in this district, without
gan-the presses Of the district being opposed to the
issue made; but predicted that in eighteen months
time, they would be converts to his theory. His re-
marks on the public land question written out
and carefully prepared, as he deemed it question
too momentous to DO hastily approached.
He then proceeded to give history of the acqui-
sition Of the lands by the General Government
through their cession by the States owning them
and the various Stipulatons accompanying such ces-
sious. These lands so ceded by the original States
to the United States, however, chiefly disposed
Of but, nevertheless, the public domain still
amounted to fourteen hundred millions of acres
The revolutionary debt had been paid, and he
longer any necessity for retaining these lands for
the purpose of discharging that debt, since it was
already paid nor to meet the current expenses of
the Government since the accruing did that
He contended that matter of courtesy. the
States in which the lands lie would not tax the
lands belonging to other States, and that there was
no justice in arguing against the use of any policy
from some abuse to which it might be subjected
He was not in favor of cession of all the lands at
once but would go for say fifty millions of per
annum, in which all the States ought to partake
equally, and not the new States exclusively COM
pairing the United States to parent who to d.
vide his property equally and not give all to a few
prodgals. He considered the present debt Of the
General Government too trifing to interpose any
serious objection Had Mr.. LEAK been in the last
Congress he would have fought Benefits Bill 10 the
last, with view of getting better one, but would
have taken it at last on the halfloaf principle He
contended that there was difference between the
distribution of the lands and that of the proceeds,
since the objection upon principle to the first was,
that, becoming mixed up with the other money in
the treasury, it lost its identity and could not be
separated from the money raised by taxation, which
the United States had no right to collect or dispose
of for other than national purposes but that this OBJ
lection did not apply to the lands. W did not un-
derstand Mr.. LEAK to be in favor of the issue of
land warrants to the States, we believe of
his advocates are he appeared to 90 for the actual
cessiOn of the lands. Perhaps should have stated
before that Mr.. LEAK charged Mr.. AsHE with acting
contrary to the usages of the party in announcing
himself in advance candidate for reelection
MIR. LEAKS enunciation throughout was calm and
distinct and he fully sustained his reputation as
public speaker.
Mr. AsHE remarked that it had frequently been
his fortune and his duty defend the principles OF
the Democratic party against his political opponents
but that now he was under the painful necessity of
defending them against member of his own party
He had canvassed the district as elector, with MIR
Baker and Mr. Davis for Wing opponents, and had
maintained and defended against their attacks the
same principles and policy which he was now called
upon to defend against the attacks of Mr. LEAK
Never before this canvass had he dreamed that any
Democrat differed from hm-never before had hi
heard of it, but that now new issues unknown tt
the Democratic creed were preached and he felt call
ed upon to maintain the position which he had Away
held, namely: that the public lands were funt
to be sacredly applied to the payment of debt ant
the reduction of taxation, and that if, admitted
this applied to the proceeds of the public lands
with how much more force did it apply to the land
themselves. For his own part, he could no
understand the fine drawn distinction which
would apply the proceeds to any object, and a
the same time consider the principal from which
these proceeds must arise, as having nothing to d
with it. It would be like sacredly, and upon prin
cipe, pledging all the eggs that hen might lay
and then killing or giving away the hen. The chic
ceding States were North Carolina and Virginia
The cessiOn by North Carolina had taken nothin
from the State but burden in defence of the terri
tory ceded and had not produced over half a mill
ion to the national treasury-North Carolina havin
reserved great portion of the lands for the ocato
of her revolutionary bounty land ;-Vrginia, whic
ight be looked upon the State which had tn
most right to complain, and to demand distribr
ton Ofthe public lands, had not done so but on tn
contrary this very land distribution issue had bee
made at the recent Congressional election in tn:
State, all the democratic candidates taking til