Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-09-13


through the lands of the United States, twelve
sections are directed to be reserved from gen.
eral sale, within twelve miles on each side Of
the line, and the State is allowed the privilege,
as pre-emptor, of buying the lands so reserved,
upon condition that il applies to the construc-
ton OF the railroad, or canal, so much of the
funds derived from re-selling them as may be
needful for that purpose.
BY this provision all future Congressional
legislation in reference to railroads, or canals,
through the public lands, becomes unnecessary.
All such enterprises are referred to the States.
The federal government says to the States,
"charter what road you please; you may buy
certain portions of our lands along their lines
at fair price; you must then manage the
sales of these lands, and apply the funds arising
from them to their Improvement, as you think
proper; when you have paid us, we are willing
you shall enjoy for yourselves whatever in.
crease your labor makes in the value of the
purchaser"
Is not this fair and right? It true the bill
allows the States to purchase these lands so
reserved, in some cases, at rather less than the
price asked for other lands, but in other cases
it asks more. In other words, the scale of
graduation, in these reserved lands, is rather
more rapid in the early stages and rather
slower in the latter. 1t may often happen that
such lands would not sell at the regular price
without the railroad, and that they bring as
large prices and at an earlier time, in this
quicker sale of graduation But if there be
any loss here, government is more than paid
in four other particulars. /. 1t finds q cash
purchaser in the State. 2. There can be no
farther graduation, after the lands are once set
apart, during the ten years prescribed as the
period within which the State has the option
to take them. 3. The building of the road
will greatly quicken the sale of all lands within
a considerable distance around, which are sub
ject to private entry, and it will largely enhance
the price OF such as are yet to be exposed to
public auction. For it is worth repeating that
all United States lands are offered at public
auction to the highest bidder before they are
subject to private entry, or to the operation OF
the graduation, or modified actual settler clauses
of the Hunter substitute. A. The United States
secure fair bargain with these railroad COM
panies, and are saved from the enormous and
extortionate prices usually demanded for the
transportation of the mails.
1t has been said that, in prescribing the use
to which the States shall apply the proceeds of
these reserved lands, the Hunter substitute
violates the Constitution in the same manner
with the bill recently vetoed, which distributed
portion of the lands, and prescribed their
application to the relief of the "indigent in.
sane" But this objection betrays total mis-.
apprehension of the question. The latter bill
was unconstitutional, because the relief of the
insane is not a constitutional object of federal
legislation, either directly or indirectly through
the States. But here the very purpose and
justification of the presumption rights given to
he StatQg "a N on hapaa ha yolpa ~
domain by promoting the construction of rail
roads through it; and Congress only stipulates
that the profits shall be so applied as to ensure
the objects Of the grant, and compensate for
the privileges it confers, so that the federal
landholder shall receive full value for his prop
srty.
We believe we have Travelled over the whole
ground. We have shown that the Hunter bill
quiets dangerous conflict between the old
and new States, while it secures the interests
of both. 1t increases the federal revenue from
the lands; it hastens the progress of sales and
population, and converts the now unsaleable
wilderness within the hearts of our States into
habitations and settlements; it relieves Con-
gress from vast deal of legislation on local
interests for which its distance from the locality
renders it utterly incompetent; it saves the
large amount of time and money which such
legislation consumes, and frees us from the
and demoralizing scramble for plum
der, which it has begotten. 1t gradually and
rapidly reduces the federal patronage; the
lands of the new States are rescued from an
landlord, and placed in the hands of
citizens; the States themselves at |
last become sovereigns of their own soil, lust
as Virginia is of hers; and, from condition
Of almost vassalage, are placed on the full
equality guaranteed by the Constitution. But.
above all, the bill converts the new States into
warm friends OF conservative policy. Hith-
erto they have been the champions Of all that
we, of the old States, thought most destructive
Of our property interests in the lands; and. Il |
must be confessed, they have not been very
nice in their constitutional scruples Their
fast growing power threatened our interest
with complete overthrow. But pass this bill, |
and their interest is identified with ours, and. |
instead Of foes, we shall soon find in them
powerful allies against the plunderers and de. |
structives.
Nor can we wholly pass by the party view of
this question. The Northern Wing party is |
now completely sectionalized All their votes
in Congress, and nearly all their papers and |
are taking ground, which must
ehectually prevent any reunion with the |
oouthcrH wings. we VIII not deny that q Dor
ion OF the Northern Democrats, especially in |
he eastern States have freesoil tendencies.
put We affirm, without fear Of successful con.
radiction, that the only chance of uniting a I
party sufficiently strong to control the Union
according to constitutional principles, is in the
alliance Of the South with the Northern Dem
'cracy, particularly the Northwestern Democ-
acy, which has stood so true to us in the Ne.
,raska struggles. There or nowhere, are the
lilies with whom we must fight the battle for
Southern rights and the Constitution. The
reesoilers Of the Northeast see this, and they
'ourt the Northwest by voting for every scheme,
however unconstitutional, which is popular
With them and serves to divide the Democratic
Republican party.
And now, when we can settle this great land
question, in which the northwestern States are
o deeply interested, and which concerns our
'wn southwest yet more deeply--when we can
ettle it without any real sacrifice on our parts
md strictly in conformity to the letter and
pirit Of the Constitution, and thus bind these
states TO our alliance by bonds of gratitude and
4 interest, shall we reject the chance? Shall
Ve blindly abandon so noble an opportunity of
Constitutional reform, of purifying con pressional