The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1854-06-14

Hender.on,ils<. N. c. Msy 10. 1854.
DEAR SIN as-Yoer request to be fur.
nished. in writing. with the views en-
trrtained and expressed By me 10 the
late Wing Convention st Raleigh, on
the 2ad Of February last. in relation TO
the Public Domain Of the Federal Go
vernment. overlook me in the mislst Of
my professional engagements upon the
circuit. which prevented an earlier re-
ply. But the question is as iull Of in
!, ierest now. as at any former period
and though the fund is being rapidly
sqaandered with an estraysgenf and
partial hand. North Carolina may yet.
by united and vigorous effort. secure
from this source part Of what justly
belongs to her. Atleast no injury can
result from trying.
Now to the subject. Originally. the
| Federal Government owned no public
lands whatever; but having. incurred
a heavy debt in common s<suggle fpv
the independence oil the States. at .
period when her resources were few:
She called on the States, IN. caroli o
included for ccssion of their unap-
propriated lands. To be applied to the err
/ tingnishment Of the liability. Agener-
Gus patriotism responded nobly TO the
call aud the present State Of Tennes-
see was ceded by North Carolina;
Kentucky and Ohio. BY virginia ;while.
other States made similar donations.
out Of which have sprung into cristenee
most of the States Of the Mississippi
Valley. But these cessions were all
made upon the express condition III; {
the lands ceded should be held and
appropriated for the common beneft
of all the States. Subsequently. as
the General Government grew strong.
out Of her Treasury. filled BY q tar
levied upon the property and industry
Of all parts Of the confederacy, she ap.
propriated money for the purchase Of
Louisiana and Florida. and for the er>
tinguishment If Indian titles. in amount
over. SIPS 900, 900. California and
New Mexico were obtained by the late
war with Mexico and the treaty Of
Guadaluupe, al . cnst OF over sr00, 600.
900, exclusive of the valuable lives sa-
cri6ced in the contest. This sum was
also taken from the Federal Treasury.
and paid in part BY YOU and !.
In view Of these facts. no one in
NoIth Carolina is hardy enough to
deny that we are equally entitled. with
the citizens OF other. States, in all the
benefits that my result from fair and
impartial administration Of this fund.
In the assertion Of this principle. both
Wings and Democrats agree-diilering
only as TO the means BY which this end
is 10 be.acconplished; the Wings con.
tending for the principle Of MIR. CIay's
bill, to wit, distribution of the pro-
ceeds of the sales Of these lands among
the several States, while the opposite
party insist on IFS going into the Fedc-
raj Treasury, and being applied to the
ordinary expenses Of the General Go.
vernment. AS between two PROPOSE.
tions, | have always preferred the for
mer, for the reasons so fully and re-
peatedly given by the eillustrious author
Of the measure. But entertaining pre-
ference, and warmly attached to Whig
policy on this question, I am ready to
admit that North Carolina. in common
with all the States, would share the
benefits If this fund, were, the Demo-
cratic policy as ayowed in their con-
ventional resolves, party platforms.
newspaper editorials, and political
speeches, fairly carried out. This, how.
ever, has not. been done. Our rights
are admitted, as it would seem, but to
make manifest the injustice Of the po-
licy pursued.
For the support Of this allegation.
let US recur to the record. From the
beginning Of our land system TO the
present time, there has only been sold.
aud granted for military services, of
the public lands about iSO, ZOO, 900 of
acres. while there has been given TO
the States OF Ohio, Illinois, Missouri.
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Mich
igan. Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Wis.
csnsin, California, Minesota, Oregon,
New Mexico, Utah, Connecticut, Ten
nessee aud Kentucky. leg, 900 900 Of
acres, worth sl6l 900, 600, for educa-
tional and internal Improvement pur.
poses. With funds realized from these
appropriations, canals and rivers have
been opened, McAdamized, plank, aud
railroads have been built, and common
schools. Academies and ColieSes esta-
blished, thus offering facilities for edu.
cation, travel and commerce, which 10
constantly draining the old States Of
their wealth and population.
Under such invidious Legislation. the
wilds Of the West are made TO " bloom
and blossom as the rosc." commercial
cities spring up as il by magic. agri-
culture fourishes. enterprise reaps a