Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-04-01

!. Tur rurrRrsr OF THE OLD STATES IN TEE PrBLIc@
LANps-In all the discussions that have recently
been had in Congress and elsewhere, with respect %
the disposition Of The public lands, marked lea'
ousy of the old States toward the new States has
been manifested, it having been uniformly assumed
by the advocates of the interest of the former that
the latter were mOnopozing an undue share Ut the
pubic domain. Hence all the strong opposition to
all grants Of lands for rail roads and other Westcrn
improvements This feeling came out very distinctly
the other day in the Senate, in the remarks OF MIR.
Bell of Tennessee, his proposition for securing
to all the States greater equality in the distribution
# the proceeds Of the public lands. lie c'teo
many instances of prOfuse appropriations ior Tic
benefit of rail roads ia the States while the IN
terests and the rights of the old States seemed 70
have been entirely overlooked or ignored. ~ ne ~
thought it was quite time that the Older States Oh
the Union should awake to just appreciation nov
only, but to an enforcement of their equal claims IN
the distribution of common domain. ot"er"'se
the time might come when they would be as power
less as they now seemed negligent 10 ihs's' "po"
their rights.
There is no probability of the adoption OF Senator
Bells proposition 1t belongs to an obsolete school
in politics. and is predicated upon very mario"
view OF national interest Nevertheless u may serve
as theme for passing comment. The question o'
the disposition Of the public lands has Tar broader
relations than the amount of money thcir SAFE
NAV bring into the Treasury, the right which par
tt ular States, old new, may have to share IN IT.
There is too much money in the Treasury already.
These relations more important even than any
prospective advantages the States could hope To reap
from the public lands were they to be reserved ior
distribution after their value should have been IN
ere lsed as in the case of those which have oeen
granted to the Illinois, Central and other railroad
companies The States, as States strictly speaking,
have no right in the public lands. They are tue
heritage of the people, irrespective OF State ilnrs
and should be used as to l'ire TO thelr greatest
possible advantage In no way can this DC done 50
etfectualy as to adopt that policy which will favor
their most rapid settlement aud that has been sub
stantiaiy done In making homes in new country,
people soicitous fist of all In relation t. the
facilities for getting to market, and to the social adj
vantages furnished by railroads and other improve
ments. The mere price OF lands is of small conSe-
Quence compared with these. Ga. prairics along
the line of the Central Railroad being settled
much more rapidly now when land is selling at II ON
ten to fifteen and even twenty-five dollars per acre.
than when it could be had at the minimum govern
ment price. And 1t is to be noted that large minority
of the settlers in the West from the older States
which said to be injured by the SD called mono
poly Of the pubic lands. The nation large also
benefited aud strengthened by fresh acre thus
brought into profitable tiage, and more prosperous
citizens added to its population Senator Bell is al
together behind the age.
Chicago Democratic Press.
M
the curse set upon him by the Lord. was in 1.-The
land of Nod on the east of Eden" II Eden repre-
sents the whole district between the Indus and the
Nile, then this must have been in the wild, noun
ia nous regions of Northern India and Western Tar
tary. The exact country our geography cannot
define. Two pcculiaritics have clarac, rz,d the in
habitantS of that region in every age. 1t has been
a land of Nod, that is "wanarring, unsettled,
to large share of its population; ard yet it has
beer, strange to say, land remarkable for the mag
nitude, grandeur, wealth, manufactures, learning
and commerce of its CT les just the carly cult,
walton of the arts by the descendants of Cain might
suggest. Nowhere else in the world has been seen
the minging of such contrarieteS aid Of such OK
tremes. And to this day, it is wonder The
traveller with peril penetraes to the centres Of these
" Id and grand landscapes, where even Nature coli
lects the highest mountains and deepest chaSms in
the world-the most savage sterlty, aud gardens of
the very primeval Parad>ac fruits. But when he
does So, he is amazed by the Notifications, the pal
aces the libraries the foundries, the bazaars, the
temples. He meets there with men who seem the
genuine offspring of Cain prodgics Of learning, that
wander over the continent like vagabondS: speak
ing many languages, poets. Philosophers yet muir
derers and thieves; claiming descent from Israel,
from Alexander the Great. yet lying, alrct, knavi>h
beggars pcddiny in the same hour diamonds, pills,
manuscripts, garments, pearls, antiquarian relics
musk shawls or cutlery, which they have carried
immense distances, but with dStruSt of every one,
they keep concealed till opportunity for their dis
po>al presents itself; the acutest, ha>cst. unharcs
of mankind. The temper and the banc of the first
murderer's family remain with them, after all the
changes Of six thousand years, till this day.
Oriental