The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1854-06-07

Ia thsa there can be No ehieetieh b.
giving 81 fair share ~ them. III they
are held IN trust fuF The common bene-
81 " ell. how. IA the name of eOmmOn
sens.. eanitbe possible mar IL Is wrong
% give AT share' lhase heard II laid
pftea, that his trust is discharged BY
ceiling the lands and patting the mo-
ney into the Treasury; bat. I repeat. IL
is not -. When the msney goes inta
the Treasury. IL is not Distributed
among the States a. fund belonging
to them A. States. Tor their equal and
common benefit. Not at all; bat IL
is expended BY the General Govern
ment iust where the Government plea
srs. and in what amounts IL pIeases.
| cited an instance to show how pre-
posterous and absurd this argument is,
in the comparison which made be-
tween the State Of Delaware and the
State az North Carolina. Suppose.
now, which have right 20 suppose,
thar all these funds had been produc-
cd By sales of the public lands; aud |
have right TO 90 further. and sup
pose. for the purpose Of illustrating
nv argument. that all these funds had
been produced BY sales Of land coded
by N. Carolina herself. and expressly
ccded for the common and equal ben
eft Of all the States, herself included |;
and then suppose it should turn out
that between four and five millions Of
dollars had been expended in The small
State Of Delaware. aud only about
es00. 900 in N. Carolinas Is il not
plain to demonstration. that if you an
mex such "a trust to the grant, this would
not be carrying out the trust at all.
but would be ignoring the trust, and
violating every principle Of integrity
which should govern Us in the admin
istration nf funds which we hold in q
liduciary ehara,tcr.
WHY, Mr.. President. what q spec
tacle We shall present this day to the
eyes of the world. We are 10 consider
IL as established that this Government
has no power to apply any part of the
public domain-whether coded By the
individual members Of the Union for
the common benefit Of all, or prncured
by the common exertions Of the whole
for the benefit Of the whole-to these
institutions. for WHICH j. is pow sought
70 provide. appealing a. they do. to
every heart and to every head; equal
ly enIisting the best feelings and the
best judgment Of psnkind in their IA.
yor. Congress can give lands for rail-
roads, for canals, for colleges. II can
give them for every purpose except
the purpose of relieving that class OF
the community which has the strongest,
aud highest. and hottest claims upon
our assistance! And all this, sir, upon
tie idea that We bave formed a Con.
s,itution Of government. which prohi'
bits its being done! IL our forefathers
had fermed such constitution vi 60
vernmcnt, instead ofLescrving the name
of.ages, they would have deserved ann
ther epithet, which have ton great 1
respec. for their wemories to apply
ersa hypatheficllly. To them. Sages
indeed! to have given every power ful
mischief without limit or restriction
TO put under the possession and con
trol 0f this government an immense
public domain in terms, to give tn,
power to dispose Of that domain. and
at the same time. to intend that il shoul,
only be disposed Of for sectional pur
passes in distinct and separate portion
of the country and that the people o
the whole of the United States. an,
the States &c the Union generally, shoul,
be cut off IRON receiving any part o
it! have 20 potiop--none on eartl
that any such Interpretation Of til,
Constitution can be sustained.
Another objection taken BY the mes
sage to this bill. is the pledge contain
ed in the act of January 90, iSi7, o
the sales of the public lands for tn,
payment of the stuck created by tina
aci. Mr.. President, soon after came
into the Senate, when qqr debt wa
larger than it is now. when the Trea
surs was not full, aud when the public
creditor might deem the pledge Of SOM
importance, I urged in debate this yer,
pledge as reason against these larg'
dispositions of the public domain. III,
reason was ,lisregarded, grants numer
Gus and vast were made, for donations
to soldiers Of all wars, besides the us
nal grants for local purposes in th,
new States. Now when the Treasury
is overhowing. when the stock is in
high credit. the Government buying i
up at high premium, and the holders
care nothing about the lands as a Sc
curity or a means Of payment, thu
pledge is vainiy urged against the pre-
sent bill. Besides, sir, does any on,
suppose that this pledge will suffice t,
prevent the passage Of the homestead
A.. - 49,. ..tbo.. .,l,as,sn sf ovfrayn.