Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1857-04-07

fpuDIlC lanuS was COtlleiiSNfNu OSAS'NS~S
and / ask. is Impossible that any man can
maintain tie proposition that as they
were placed in their hands. rs belonging
to the,whole people Of the United States
they could transfer the general DISPOSE
tiVn Of them. 1tappears TO me That they
might just IS well entertain this ,Propcsl-
ton a. to farm out the custom house III
New York on certain terms. =.
'rNor do know that Congress has any
more authority 10 give uacoy these laRds,
! than the proceeds Of custom house on
particular stipulations; nor can they sur
render the control of il any more than
they can assign tol others the power Of
collecting the revenue of the custom
house in : Boston, or elsewhere. |
see therefore objections insurmoun,able,
whether they assume the shape Of agra
tttmioas cession or trust. In either
ease ii transcends the power Of Congress.
What is the real duty Of Congress? II
is 10 make The pu6iicldnds a common .fund
for the benefit of the whole people of the
onion. The great object is to sellit. the
public lands, gradually; and whilst it is
in a state Of ownership. have always
held that Congress might make it more
valHaJie>6y the creation Of RAILROADS, can,
ais, and other improvements Of this sort.
/ have felt no difficulty. therefore. in sup.
porting grants to accomplish these OBJ
iects; because it was a very efficient mode
OF increasing the value Of the public
domain" \
Nowrgfntlemen, old-Line Wings.
such is the opinions Of your great ex-
pounder, Daniel Webster; and he says
plainly your Land Bill is unconstitu;ion-
Al. He says more-that the granting Of
portions Of the public domain 70 con-
struct railroads, &c, through the public
lands, and thus make them more. valua-
bic, is wise and constitutional 2 =.
But what is the use to speak Know
Nothipgs about Webster and the Con.
slit Hon, You had as we'll speak to a
set of bastard children about father
These people have never known a father,
and never will, so long as such molun-
geeus are their leaders. Their existence
is the fererish existence OF the bpothel,
betrayed by the very political +pfocur-
erst to. whom they are ready to sell,
without. any earthly consideration, the
citadel of tho country's liberties-the
Constitution itself. Envying the beauty
and the glory Of the virgin States Of the
Republic they are clamoripg to make the
cid Sat os+gaudy with the fragments of
the Constitution; not caring though they
expose ting y 'acT"m of their country's
honor. T.. -, Il 4
It is true that Congress has granted
to the new States alternate sections Of
land, for the purpose Of constructing
roads, &c, but this was done to increase
thefvalue of the residue and for the pub
lie good, and has had. that effect. And,
again, while Congress has been granting
the public lands for these purposes to the
new States-the young daughters of the
Republic that same Congress has given
moro than hundred millionof the mo-
ncy, paid into the treasury by the ne.c
States for tlfeiimprovement Of. the ports,
harbors, forts, &C., Of the old States,
and for many other purposes. i And We
assert, with perfect confidence, that if a
balance wero struck to-day, il would be
found that the new States had contributed
MORE mo noy, through the Legislation OF
Congress, to the. improvement Of the old
States, than the value Of the lands that
have been sold; yes,.-we say SOLD, not
donated, to the new States by Congress.
Wsdenounce the Know Nothing land
Bill as fraudF d cheat, a esnd a SWIM
die; as the dictate of low meanness, rs
envy TO the new States, unjustiablc and
derogatory to the character Of all honor
able men in the old States We denouncc
itsas the low trick of mean. a-eorruPt
and bastard set Of party leaders, that
beset the land, like the; lice of Egypt,
corrapting and defling every clean thing
We aenounce it in the name 81 honesty,
of gco cd faith, of the Constitution. We
deuounee. it in the name Of Webster,
Calhoun, Jackson-of all the great sires
If the Republic, living or dead and in
the name Of all their honest sons. We
denounce it.as a measure too dishonorq-
bic to be treated with decent argument,
Too loathsome 10 touch and not be de6led.
Wesdepounco it as a fgtlded bride, which,
when ouched, reveals nothing but name
less vermin and Kissing serpeuts. We
dehounce it as a monster, with the head,
beast; the tail, a serpent; the middle,
a scorpion. 4 Give to it power and vitality,
and that head and tah.will derour and
sweep away the genius Of our, Constitu-
ton; whilst that awful middle. will i'm !.
preguate, with the seed OF dealt, the God
dess Of American Constitutional Liberty!