Washington sentinel., 1854-05-04
Wasbingtnll gentinsl.
VETO n1HSsA-GE.
Message from the President of the UHited
fate

Message from the President of the uhiied
states,
Returning TO the Senate The 6W entifffa - az aet
anakiue a grant of public lands 10 me serefGt
STATES for the 6enet q 'nafge'n itsan5 %, -.
,rith a stafsmaent of the objections achtch mare re-
ouiyed him 10 withhold from n ms apPfor@.
r. - Srx,rr OF rHE UNITED STATES:
The hill entitled 'An act making grant OF
,LEo lands 10 the several States for the benefit
pf;ndipent insane persons, which was present
ad 10 me on the 9th ultimo, has been maturely
oons;dared. and is returned to the Senate, the
honsa in which it originated, with statement
of the objections which have required me to
withhold from it my approval.
In the performance of this duty, prescribed
bv the Constitution, have been compelled to
resist the deep sympathies of my own heart
in favor Of the humane purpose sought TO be
accomplished, and to overcome the reluctance
with which l dissent from the conclusions OF
the two houses of Congress, and present my
own opinions in opposition to the action OF
coordinate branch of the government which
possesses SO fully my confidence and respect.
:. If in presenting my objections to this bill,
should say more than strictly belongs to the
measure, or is required for the discharge of my
official obligation, let it be attributed to sim
cere desire to Justify my act before those whose
good opinion SO highly value, and to that
earnestness which springs from my deliberate
conviction that strict adherence to the terms
and purposes of the federal compact offers the
best, if not the only, security for the preserva-
ton of our blessed Inheritance of representa-
tive liberty.
The bill provides in substance:
First. That ten millions of acres Of land be
granted to the several States, to be appor-
Toned among them in the compound ratio of
the geographical area and representation OF
said States in the House of Representatives.
Second That wherever there are public
lands in State, subject to sale, at the regular
price Of private entry, the proportion of said
ten millions of acres falling to such State,
shall be selected from such lands within it |;
and that to the States in which there are no
such public lands, land-scrip shall be issued
to the amount of their distributiye shares re-
spectively, said scrip not to be entered by said
States, but to be sold by them, and subject to
entry by their assgnees. Prortded, That none
of it shall be sold at less than one dollar per
acre, under penalty of forfeiture of the same
to the United States.
Third. That the expenses of the manage
ment and superintendent of said lands, and
of the moneys received therefrom, shall be
paid by the States to which they may belong,
out of the Treasury Of said States.
Fourth. That the gross proceeds of the sales
Of such lands, or land-scrp, so granted, shall
be invested BY the several States in safe stocks,
to constitute perpetual fund, the principal OF
which shall remain forever undiminished, and
the interest to be appropriated to the mainte-
nance Of the INDECENT insane within the several
States.
Fifth. That annual return of lands or scrip
sold shall be made by the States to the Secre
tary of the Interior, and the whole grant be sub
iect to certain conditions and limitations pre-
scribed in the bill, to be assented to by legisla,
tive acts of said States.
This bill, therefore, proposes that the federal
government shall make provision, to the amount
of the value of ten millions Of acres Of land for
an eleemosynary object within the several
States, to be administered by the political au-
thority of the same and it presents, at the
threshold, the question whether any such act
on the part of the federal government is war
ranted and sanctioned by the Constitution, the
provisions and principles of which are to be
protected and sustained as first and para
mount duty.
1t cannot be questioned, that if Congress
have power to make provision for the INDECENT
insane without the limits of this District, it has
the same power TO provide for the INDECENT
who are not insane, and thus to transfer to the
federal government the charge of all the poor
in all the States. 1t has the same power t.
provide hospitals and other local establish
ments for the care and cure of every species o
human infrmity, and thus to assume all thai
duty, of either public philanthropy or public
necessity, to the dependent, the orphan, the
sick. or the needy, which is now discharged BY
the States themselves, or by corporate institu.
tons, or private endowments, existing under
the legislation of the States. The whole field
of public benefcence is thrown open to the
care and culture Of the federal government
Generous impulses no longer encounter the
limitations and control of our imperious funda
mental law. For, however worthy may be the
present object in itself, it is only one of class
1t is not exclusively worthy of benevolent re
gard Whatever considerations dictate sympa
thy for this particular object, apply in like man
ner, if notin the same degree, to idiocy, to ply.
sical disease to extreme destitution. If Con
gress may and ought to provide for any one oil
these objects, it may and ought to provide for
them all. And, if it be done in this case what
answer shall be given, when Congress shall
be called upon, as it doubtless will be, TO
pursue similar course of legislation in the
others? 1t will obviously be vain to reply that
the object is worthy but that the application
has taken wrong direction. The power will
have been deliberately assumed, the general
obligation will, by this act, have been acknow
lodged, and the question of means and expe-
uency VIII alone De lett 1or consideration. i he
decision upon the principle in any one case
determines it for the whole class. The ques
ton presented, therefore, clearly is upon the
constitutionality and propriety Of the federal
government assuming to enter into novel
and vast field of legislation namely-that of
providing for the care and support Of all those,
among the people of the United States, who
by any form Of calamity become fit objects Of
public philanthrophy.
| readily, and ] trust, feeHngly acknow-
ledge the duty incumbent on us all, as men
and citizens, and as among the highest and
holiest of our duties, TO provide for those
who, in the mysterious order Of Providence,
are subject to want, and to disease Of body OF
mind; but ! cannot find any authority in the
Constitution for making the federal government
the great almoner of public charity throughout
the United States. To do SO, would, in my
judgment, be contrary to the letter and spirit Of
the Constitution, and subversve of the whole
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