Washington sentinel., 1854-06-20

| favor of some change of any change which will
| relieve them from the evils to which this would
tend I?
| Why, sir, what is the cause of the wonderful
| prosperity which we have already achieved? Has
II not been due 10 the distribution of powers which
| the Constitution makes between the States and
| the federal government; 10 the division of labor
between ihetwo governments, and TO the fact that
this general government has been able 10 coniine
itself, or nearly TO confne ITSELF TO those interests
which are Identical 10 matters in relation which
| the feelings of our people are homogeneous, and
thai the States have taken charge of those inter.
| ests which are peculiar 10 themselves and thus
| all have been enabled 10 proceed in harmony to-
gether, and each has attended 10 that 10 which it
was its peculiar duty to attende
| Ii our government has shown an unlocked for
capacity TO exteid itself with the growth Of our
! erlpire aud the increase Of our numbers il has
/ ueen because, by fortunate concurrence OF
causes, 1t has been enabled 10 confne itself to this
federal idea--to those interests which are identi-
| cal and homogeneous. has been enabled 10 do
so, because public opinion, owing TO The growing
| lights of Christian civilization and the increased
| means of intercourse, has been enabled 10 take
| charge OF subjects which heretofore il neces-
sary 10 consign 10 the care of the government
because discoveries in political science have de-
veioped the fact that there are great laws of trade
| which are competent 10 the regulation OF certain
| matters which heretofore have been confided 10
| government. The doctrines of free trade alone,
since They have been established, have done away
with the necessity of at least volume in your
statutes at large. Above all we have been ena-
b!ed as our empire extended, 10 confne this gov
@ernment TO homogeneous interests, because expe-
rence has shown that the States were competent
10 take charge of all those interests which were
peculiar 10 individuals States, or to systems Of
States.
Mr.. President, il is well for us that il has been
so because, in the growth OF our empire the fact
has been developed that we have interests which
are peculiar, not merely 10 individual States but
TO different systems of States, in our confederacy
We have northern and a southern system OF
Atlantic States. In the greet mediterranean val
ley we have northern and southern system of
Mississippi States. We are dislined 10 have on
the Pacific coast,a northern and southern system
OF Pacific States. Yet, sir, the interests which
are peculiar not only TO these States, but TO these
systems of States, under the operations of the
great laws OF trade, and by means OF combinations
known and provided for in the Constitution, can
all be regulated and cared for by the State govern.
ments themselves
We have thus seen our way through all diff.
Guilty, so far the internal concerns Of this con-
iederacy are concerned If there be difficulties
likely 10 arise in the future whose solution we do
not now foresee, they exist in relation 10 our for
egn affairs. The different systems. OF States may
have different, if not opposite interests, on aues
tons arising out of our foreign relations. and in
regard 10 them we have but one government
whose action must be uniform Here sir, may
arise questions which will require all the wisdom
of our statesn.en and all the patience Of our peo
pie, 10 settle satisfactorily. Happily none such
have az yet arisen. there any Of that char
acter of which am aware, near al hand; but no
man can be blind TO the possibility Of their occur
renee.
Should such questions ever arise, trust that
we shall then be provided for the contingency and
be able 10 adopt some scheme of American policy
which may enable US TO meet fully our responsi.
bties To The rest of mankind, and satisfy all the
Just wants Of our people, in regard TO their affairs
abroad, as well al home. But of this feel
perfectly certain: that five 10 expand, aud if
we are 10 grow, we cannot expect the capacity of
our free representative government 10 extend with
ii, unless we econfne ourselves to this federal idea
and restrict the operations Of this government to
those interests, which are Identical. So far from
retracing our steps, and at this late day seeking
to attract tc this government jurisdiction in mat
ters, which have been heretofore cared for by the
States, il ought 10 be- the effort of every American
statesman, TO see how far he can diyest this gov
ernment Of superfuous jurisdiction, and confne
il 10 interests which are identical and homoge-
neous
But the Senator from North Carolina SAYS,
that these are mere distractions, and he says he
rejects these arguments both with his heart and
his hand, because if il Were not for such argu-
ments, North Carolina would have had some
100000 or 100000 under the distribution act
of lS4l, and he goes for the money. In order 10
excite the feelings of the old States TO something
like his own condition of mind, he exhibits a list,
taken from one which was furnished in the House
of Representatives TO show the UNEQUAL distribu.
ton Of the public lands as between the old and
new States of this confederacy. | have not the
time. nor have the precise information, 10 take
that list TO pieces, item by item, and TO show how
erroneous il is; but the chairman of the Conx
mlitee on Pubic Lands in the House Of Rcpresen-
tatves Mr.. DIsNsTl has made speech in rela
tion TO 1t, in which he has done that work, and
has shown 1t TO be a tissue of the most remarka-
bic errors that was ever presented to public in
specton.
Why, sir look at it. We have a column Of
grants for deaf and dumb asylnms; and there we
find charged for these grants, Alabama, Arkansas,
Florida, Connecticut, and Kentucky. There
would seem TO have been FIVE grants for. such
asylums, if this statement is to be trusted. But
in point Of fact, am told there never. were more
han two--to Connecticut and Kentucky; but
they having no public lands within their limits,
the grants were located in those three other
States, which We're then Territories. Instead of
those States having received grants Of land for
any such purpose they were lands which were
given 10 those other two States for asyluins. So,
too, we have Ohio charged with grants to the
amount Of several millions of acres-ien millions
| think. The chairman of the Committee on
Public Lands in the House dssected that state
ment, and he found that those grants which are
charged 10 have been made 10 Ohio consisted of
the whole of the Connecticut reserve, over three
million six hundred thousand acres, which be
longed TO Connecticut; next, the Virginia militia.
ry lands, over three million seven hundred thou
sand acres; and the Ohio Company's purchase Of
one million one hundred and torty -iourlhousand
acres. Thus .he table charges as grants to Ohio
those reserves which belonged to other States
and some Of which were not even granted to the
United States at all So, sir, in relation 10 Flori-
da, he says
Take the Of the State Of Florida He has charged
to Florida five millions eight hundred thousand acres
under this same head Without wang through all the pa
pers to be precisely accurate will state to the
House, In general that about four millions these acres
were grants for private claims whose protection spu
lated for In the treaty with Spain"
he says that he wrote 10 the Commissioner Of
the General Land Office to send alm an enumera-
tion of the errors in this table, and the commits
sioner replied TO him: II is idle 10 attempt to
correct il, for it is all error.n And that is the
table which is paraded for the purpose Of showing
the inequality of the distribution Of these lands as
between the new and the old States
But suppose that the fact existed and existed |
even 10 the extent which the Senator from North |
Carolina presumes, ask what would be the rem. |
edy! II the Constitution has already been yo- |
lated in some instances, and if propriety has been /
outraged in such a distributions, shall we 20 on |
with this evil policy, shall we continue il, or shall |
We retrace our steps, and abandon oil such viola.
tions OF the Constitution for the future? Would |
II not be better 10 return to the right road rather
than TO plunge on obstnately like the strong man