Washington sentinel., 1854-05-20

ceeds into the treasury and thus each ofthe States
derives an equal or proporonate advantage from
them. That idea is falacious We were 10 have
the benefit of these granted lands as common
fund upon terms of equality. WE'LL you say your
put the proceeds into the treasury, and they go TO
our benefit. How 500 Why, sir, there have
been four times, yea, eight times as much money
appropriated, since the establishment of this gov
ernment, within the State which my friend in my
eye Mr.. CLAYTON represents, than has ever been
appropriated IN any way by this government for
the benefit OF the State of North Carolina Now,
with regard TO the lands ceded the rule laid down
in the deeds of cession, if we TO advert TO and
be governed by them, was plain one, that the pro-
ceeds of the lands should be fund for the common
and equal benefit Of all the States, according TO The
usual and established rate of charge and expendi-
ture--according 10 the compound principle upon
which we liable 10 contribution, or according
10 federal numbers. Then, when this money which
is received from the public domain, goes into the
treasury: and paid out in the ordinary expendi-
lures of the government, il does not return TO the
States upon the principle of the discharge of the
duty ofa trustee according 10 the terms ofthe deed
under which he holds the trust. General jack
son says these lands were ceded originally at the
earnest instance of Congress, first 10 enable them
TO pay the war debt. That was paid. Then, he
says, the lands remain 10 be disposed of for such
purposes of general utility and advantage TO the
whole people as Congress may deem right. am
willing TO take that ground. ] am willing TO own,
if gentlemen please, that we not 10 regardtthe
further purposes expressed blythe deeds OF ces-
sion. If we are 10 lay that out of view, then, be-
yond all dispute, we have power TO do as we think
fair and right with the lands; but If we are 10 say
that the provision of the deeds of cesson is still
binding and obligatory, that the lands are 10 be
applied as common fund, for the benefit OF all
the States, according TO the rule by which they
are charged in contributions TO the United States,
then it is impossible TO perform that rust If you
put the money into the Treasury. When the gov
ernment makes an appropriation, 1t makes II
| according TO the general necessity. If the State
of Delaware, from its position, has required that
immense amount of public money should be ex-
pended there, ! admit they are well expended,
and expended for the public advantage; but then
that is moi disposition of this trust fund, if il be
a trust fund, for the equal and common benefit OF
all the States. North Carolina claimed, Virginia
| claimed, all the States which made cessions OF
land claimed, that the proceeds of the lands should
| constitute fund, for the equal and common bene-
| fiji of all the States, the ceding State included
How is she included, if you take all, and appro
| pirate il 10 State? Is she included upon an
equal and common footing if you give more TO an.
other State than you give 10 her in proportion to
| her population, size, importance, and contribu
tons to the common treasury ofthe nation?
Sir, TO my understanding il is clear 10 demon
straion; either there is trust attached TO those
lands or there is not. II there is trust, and the
United States own them as property, absolute
properly, in perfect ownership, then the power oil
disposition on the part of the United States is not
only legally but morally complete and full. That
power, whatever il is, the Constitution of the
United States vests in Congress and, therefore
Congress has power 10 dispose of the lands as it
shall think fix and proper. Thus, in this view OF
| the case, all constitutional objections must disap-
! pear. But it. with regard TO the lands ceded 10
| the United States by individual members of the
Union, tie trust subsiss, why, sir, it is paltering
| with us in double sense TO say that you dis
charge that trust by selling the lands and putting
the proceeds in the Treasury You do not do il (;
| you apply the fund 10 purpose and in manner
which was not designed. The debt that it was TO
enable the government to pay has long ago been
discharged, and therefore the money, instead OF
| being mixed with the general funds in the treas
| ury, ought, according TO the principles of equity
and right If you annex the idea ofa trust for the
! common benefit of all the States, 10 go 10, and
ought always TO have been distributed among, the
| members of the Union, so soon the previous
| pledge was satisfied That would meet not only
the law, but the equity and the justice of the case.
That is what, if it were the of private trus
tee, any court OF equity on earth would decree
and il is what, therefore, if we assume the princi-
pie of trust, the Congress off the United States,
| in my judgment, is not only at liberty to do, but
| is bound to do.
Now, MIR. President, see the situation in which
| these old States have placed themselves. We
| have granted TO asylums in Kentucky and Con-
| necticut each twenty-three thousand and forty
acres and those two grants, believe, constitute
| the whole amount of grants made for the benefit
| OF any OF the old States of the Union while we
| have granted 10 the new States quantity which,
estimated at the ordinary low price which we fix
! on them, the value Of 81 25 an acre, would be
worth Sl33.165,75l. Sir, this cannot be right
Gentlemen may have logic for it 4; but il is impos
sble that it can commend itself to justice; and
may say that any system of reasoning which re.
! suits IN such conclusion, is obliged to be fala-
/ clous. The States are equals in power and dig
nity They have proportional rights in the public
domain, upon the supposition of trust. Bu,
whatever be the amount of The right, the right is
perfect; and should be ashamed to stand up and
tell my constituents, you have no ground OF com
piant II is true more than three millions OF acres
| flands ceded by you for the common purposes
/ OF the country have been granted by Congress tc
| an individual State. Mere than S13000000
worth of land situated in the new States, has been
| granted to those States for various internal i'm
provements and other local purposes. Not an
acre has ever been appropriated for your benefit
! yet II was held that the United States were trus
! tee for your benefit in common with all the other
States fthe Union; you can never have acre
/ appropriated for your benefit you can never have
an acre OF any public land which may be obtained
by treaty or by conquest at any time hereafter ap
propriated 10 your benefit; yet It is all right, 1t is
| all just. There is logic for it, The Constitution
is against your having any Of it. The Constitu-
ton says you equals, but you must have
| nothing The Constitution says il is common
fund for the benefit Of all but il must all be given
10 some anu, therefore, althouBh you get notnng,
and they get all, you obliged, by irresistible
| process of reasoning, TO believe, for you cannot
dispute the Constitution that you have had all the
time your full share, logically and constutionally
considered
/ Sir we not to be gulled in that way in my
part of the country. The idea of principle is a
4 very good thing; but principle, 10 be of any
value, must work out some practical and benef-
cial results. To tell me that man holds my prop
erty for my benefit as well as foi the benefit Of
other people, and yet it is against the law of the
trust 10 let me have any OF il, is 10 assert prin-
| ciple that would not commend itself either to my
judgment or my interest; and, therefore, should
reject il both with my heart and with my head
Hence, Mr. President, | say that, taking this SUBJ
Ject in any view, the notion is faacious. If these
lands belong to the United States as property,
without any trust, all the lands we have ac-
qulred from foreign countries by treaty or by
quest--if we have ever acquired any by con-
quest--do belong 10 us, then there be OBJ
Jecion 10 giving us fair share of them. If they
are held in trust for the common benefit Of all,
how, in the name OF common sense, can il be pos.
sible that il is wrong 10 give all a share! have
heard il said often that this trust is discharged by
selling the lands and paying the money into the
treasury; but, | repeat it is not so. When the
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