Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-04-16
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

The ERA OF Coon FEELING.-Our respected
friends of the National Inteiiicencer are among
those, we believe, who long for the advent OF the
. era of good feeling in politics. That is for
the time when the lion Of Democracy and the
lamb of opposition shall lie down together, we
presume. Now, while we shall always rejoice
to see the Democratic organization strengthened
by accessions from the ranks of its opponents,
fairly acquired. we are by no means anxious to
have its principles diluted with the leaven Of
Federal ideas, to which converts to the party in
the dag Of its prosperity may continue to be at
tached in spite of their desire to conform to the
policy which, from jefferson day to tho present.
has secured for it all its substantial popular
triumphs. This era of good feeling" i. q
ehimerical notlon-nOthing more-dreamed over
among Democrats only by those whose princi-
Pies IN politics are not fixed. That it should be
cherished by those who, while they are emf
nently conservative, make no professions of
identification with the Democratic party, is
natural and commendable enough Yet if it
should ever be subscribed to by the Democracy,
good bye TO the ascendsncy in their policy of
the distinctive features and doctrines for which
they are almost alone indebted for the mainte.
nance Of their strength before the people, up to
this time.
just now, the |" era of good feeling, so much
written of, seems to mean the schemes for the
distribution of the surplus revenue and the
public lands among the several States. These
schemes are twins, as intimately connected as
ever the Siamase twins were. The life of one
hinges on that Of the other, and the same
class Of politicians, in the main, support both
The opposition in Virginia have planted them
selves upon them, and are endeavoring to rally
majority there, to their support but the
cause is fOrlorn hope. very few nominal DEM
ocrats having given in their adherence to it. 1t
is clear to US that ere the Virginia State elec-
ton takes place, all who have 50 far done So
will have taken the back track, or been openly
and emphatically repudiated by the Democracy
of the State.
Our respected eotemporary, the nfelligencer,
mourns with the Charlestown VA Republican
over an alleged exodus of people from the Old
Dominion, and seeks to comfort that journal as
follows:
If j. were not too serious matter TO Jest about
the inquiry of the Republican might be answer
ed that the inhabitants who are abandoning the
States are going thither that they may share the
benefits Of the land distribution system which the
rulers of their native State persist in rejecting
IL this however, be not the real or sole motive of
the exodus which is going on so extensively not
IN Western Virginia alone, but in Eastern also il
is very probably induced by desire to 90 where
they may escape the heavy taxation which now
presses down the energies of the old Common
wealth, and which is far more oppressive in an
agricultural community than a commercial or
manufacturing one. As the state refuses the re-
a hSh loA atxI tk.,kS
fund which she herself conferred on the country
for the common benefit, and must consequently
get deeper and deeper in debt il is not to be won
deTed at If many of her citizens should seek
homes where wiser counsels prevail and where
the solid interests of the Commonwealth are not
sacrificed to aniquated distractions obsolete par
~ dogmas, traditionary party principles, or mere
party names
For our part, We do not see that undue emf
grafton from Virginia is going on While the
price OF cotton is such, as at present. that
planter in the southwest can calculate upon
clearing $500 per annum to the hand, no amount
Of bonus money that the General Government
could shower upon the Old Dominion will prove
sufficient to stop this emigration; which, even
with such an ihducement, is not as great lin
proportion to pOpulation) as annually leaves
the old States of the North for the virgin soil
Of the West
We reside in Virginia, and pay her State
taxes, and know well that they are by no mean,
large. We doubt if either of the original States
that pretend to support their local governments
honestly-thatis, by making their citizens draw,
each from msindividual pocket, bis due propor-
ton of the money reeded-levies lighter proper
ty and capitation taxes. Some of those States
View York and New Jersey for instance
manage to draw the money they spend ON their
State government from others than their own
citizens New York draws it from the pockets
Of the farmers Of the northwest, in the shape of
high tolls on the transportation of their produce
on the Enc canal. New Jersey Ieyies a CAPT
tation tax on every person not her own citizen
who crosses her territory upon . railroad. We
hold these means Of extorting money from Others
10 be snti-democratic, if not Unconstitutional
1t Is fortunate for the integrity of her State
government, that Virginia is cut of from tempta.
ton to rob strangers after any such fashion.
The attempt to coax her to abandon the oppo-
sition to distribution either Of money or lands,
can only be justified ON pleas such As must be-
resorted to to bolster up the theory on which
New Jerseys system is founded. 1t sound,
that because lands are given TO aid the con-
struction Of railroads through portions of the
pubic domain, which must be yalueless az
property Of the General Government unless
brought into market by the construction IF
such improvements through them. therefore
pubic lands In the Far West sbouJd also bo
given to aid the construction of railroad. mil,
hundreds Of miles away from any such Gov.rn
ment property. 1t will not hold water hn,
ever. Every alternate section Of such land. 10
far givep) retained by the General 6soyernman,
from going begging at perhaps nine pence no:
acre, is made to bring at least 50 so per acre
through the donation or subscription-for such
it is practically.
Let US take the Metropolitan railroad, for
instance. How much will its construction in
crease the value of Government lands in Iowa,
Alabama or Missouri! Not a work to which
such donations have been made has so far been
without the realization of greater
Increase in the aggregate value of the public
domain through which it passes, than was anti
r Al