The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-02-22
LAND FOR RAILROAD PURPOSES.

Inc u. .. Senate seems 10 De determined 10
divide the public land among all the claimants l
asking. 1t has thus far, passed every land bill {
tina, has been reached. The schemes which
meet with such favor in that body, will be
nipped when they go down to the Lower House.
Senators dare not, from the manner in which
they are elected, oppose grant, asked by any
portion of the States which they REPRESENT but
Repre- Sc natives elected by single districts, in
such local matters, may vote in accordance
with the interests of their constituents. Gal,
JefiersoAian
The selfishness Of our Galena contemporary
is proyerb;al. Having secured an immense
grant Of the public lands for that State, the
operation of which will confer more benefit !
upon it,tl,an all previous general or local legsla-
ton ,he is ready question the policy of granting
away the public lands for railroad purposes and
the patriotism Of those senators, who dare
MOI" oppose it. That policy and patriotism
which gives to illinois 704 miles of railroad, re-
deems her from bankruptcy and elevaies her to
proud position among the most favored OF her
sister States, is eminenty proper and praise
worthy; but that which prompts to similar acts
Of justice to other new States, with the same
advantages for comforting benefits upon the
country at large, is in the estimation Of our Ell
cerdingiy judicions neighbor, of doubtful pro
priety. We do not like to complain of our
neghbor, but we submit to him, whether there
not little ingrattude lurking about his heart'
/ Not only upon the subject Of public grants is
this affection manifest, but it seems to exhibit
itself upon other questions. The subject of the
Distributing Post Office, has recently elected
from that quarter, rare collection OF abusive
epithetts applied to the Post Master General
The recent Senatorial election in that district,
wherein our neighbor laid aside politics in one
No. of his paper and appealed to local interest
and prejudice to forward the election of his ia
vorite, affords another evidence of the a6aiciton
above noted. Even now, his journal is daily
teeming with the most violent assaults upon
Senator Douglas, the man above all others
who has given to Illinois the proud position she
now occupies and to whom the people Of Hi
nois are und-r an everlasting weight of graft
tude. What would Illinois have been to-day
had not the sagacity and untiring energy of Sen
ator Douglas interposed, to drag her from thu
slough of bankruptcy, into which, by the folly
0 of early legislation, she had been plunged
She would have been the same object OF DISCUS
among her own tar ridden citizens and suspicion
among strangers that she was ten years age
e That railroad grant suggested by the sagacity @
t Senator Douglas and procured by his seerles
vigilance and energy has accomplished NOR
II for the commercial Importance, prosperity an
! wealth of Illinois, than the combined efforts Z
u every ether man in the State. And forsootI
such man, is to be sent on an everastin
cruise do,cn belou, because as Chairman Of til
: Committee on Territories, he has introduced
y Bill for the organization of Nebraska Territor,
d which does not precisely correspond with ii
n views OF few of the strait laced democrats
p, the day. His trials and sacrifices for the part
. his triumphant vindicaton Of lis principles ar
5 its ascendency, and his invaluable services rem
re cred to the State and honor and prosperity col
N ferred upon it, are all to be forgotten, becau
- Of this one act, miscaled error Admitir
n that the act of introducing this Ball with
N slavery provisions, was wrong, which we
TX not admit and the country is not likely
~ admit, where the justice Of unreserved
condemning Senator Douglas Have not Il
Al best and wises men of all ages committed e
rors' We are taught that. hey have and tn
we must not expect to be exempt from iheI
e. To condemn without stint OF measure, mi
" whose life, talents and labors have been cons,
r. Grated to the service of a State, for the con
mission of a so cdtied error, is a mode TN style
lie rewarding public merit which we cannot Apr,
- ciate.
n 1t is an ingrattude which should be discou
r aged, before it grows to be a public calamit
a. We hope to see our neighbor OF the Jefierso
=. an, q The benefit of his pen, when c
nd Iowa Bill for grant Of lands comes up in &c
gress, which will probably be in few da.
~ The construction of railroads in Iowa, espe
ally in Northern Iowa, may impair to some e
tent the prosperity of Gaena, but we can asst
him, they will greatly advance the interest
his state and IFS public thoroughfares. Ho
,s- ever severely our neighbor may feel disposed
tn, chastise our Senators, Senator Douglas, and
IS those democrats who favor the passage of I
IL Nebraska Bill, if he will only pursue as gene
els Gus course, when the Iowa B Ill comes up,
'as the people of Iowa pursued, when The Bill
ars grant to Illinois was before Congress, a
~, give us the benefit Of his support, we will el
ch deavor to excuse, what we cannot approve
his course and pronounce him good and clel
though an eccentric neighbor.