American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1857-04-25
MaRGANTowN:
SATURDAY., APRIL g5, 1857.
Observation-Disclosures


Congress in this District, on the impor-
tant subject Of Distribution. Mr.. D.
is sound on this, the main question
now in agitation before the people of
Virginia, and occupying that position,
and being man of unbcnding intcgri-
rity and unimpcachablc worth, though
an unassuming citizen, he challenges
the support of men Of all parties, upon
the land distribution issue. Politicians
whose unwise .log'rolling legislation
has involved our State in its present
condition of financial depression, and
heapcd up an onerous burden of taxa
ton for the shoulders Of a too confid-
Ing and unsuspccting people, may blink
the real issue, and denounce the policy
Of distribution, but the people, exer-
cising their inestimable pr,rogative Of
thinking and acting for themselves, will
certainly weigh and examine candidly
AID carefully, a subject, that involves
at once their private fortunes and the
prosperity, present and future, of their
rood old Commonwealth. Too long
already have the people confded their
interests to the hands Of demagogue
politicians, whose highest ambition
seems to have been to amass their own
fortunes by m.pit access to the pub
lie trcasury-to the Golfers of the State
where the substance of the people is
supposed to be held in trust for the
support of government-and now, in
these "hard times" with their noses to
the grindstone, and haunted with Sher-
IFS receipts which eat, like canker,
into their sweat-carned living, it is to
be supposed that they will pause and
consider their own interests, in their
own way for t4rcir own good. 7'
The two prominent objections urged
against the policy of distribution by the
politicians who rule ami ruin Virgin
ia, arc that it is unconstitutional and
immoral Now, without attempting to
argue these points with fine drawn sem
tcnces, we will just suggest q few
Aomely thoughts, to be digested by a
taX-rldden people, in which the hypoc-
risy Of these politicians, these SINNERS
Of dc people will appear manifest
Congress has been, giving away, year
otter year, millions on millions of the
public domain, to the NORTHERN and
WESTERN States, for the purposes of
education and internal improvement !
That's Somebody that knows the his
tory Of Congressional legislation will
dare to derry it. Well, now, in the
name of common sense, we ask--if it
is moral and constitutional land it must
be or these very conscientious Demo
cratic politicians would not have done
it) to give away whole leagues of the
public land to educate the children of
tho West and to build railroads, and
thus to augment their prosperity-ifit
is all right to make these new States
to bud, and bloom, and grow great and
outstrip the old ones, by appropriations
Of public lands--if it is alright to ia
ciIitate Northern preponderance of
power in our government, AMI to fatten
the land Of the Freedom shrickers "
will, yearly donations of whole counties
Of virgin soil prolific of all the elements
Of wcalth--if it is all right to make
new States great, rich, powerful and
prosperous by governmental aid in this
woy--why? Oh! why 2 yc patriot sa.
vans Of Democracy, is it not MORAL
and CONSTITUTIONAL for poor, down
troddcn, politician.ridden, 'groaniag'
yirgiria--she, who in the days Of his
poverty and need, whom his future was
bcclouded and his present precarious,
Gars Uncle Sam Farm upon which to
hu.id himsclfa habtation and home.
, 20 receive aid, in this the hour of her
need, from the public domain, now so
prodigally sqcandored. If it is con.
slitutional and moral to build up Iowa
Ivy land appropriations, it is constitu.
'iJnai and moral to build up Virginia
j., the same way. III is constitution
al and moral to save the oitizons of 10.
va from heavy taxation by appropria.
tons Of land, it is constitutional and
lnoral to relieUe The citizens Of Virgin.