Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-05-01
The Pmbi,e Lands.


the general government. were not Designed 10 De
held by federal authority as perpetual source
of revenue to the Central government out 'hat
tn were pledged for q specific "igfei only we
cited the act Of Congress wherein The trust was
recognized. in proof Of this fact, aud we come
now 10 other authority that may not be cues
Toned. In 1925. Rufus King. OF New YORK.
then member of the L. S. Senate. introduced
info that body a resolution, having in view the
.morcina,ion and colonization of slaves. with the
cansent Of their owners. out of the proceeds oil
the public lands. which were to be aisir'ou'eu 10
the States for that purpose. he iahEuhee ="
the resolution is as follows: - That as soon us
the portion of the existing funded debt oil the
United States, for the payment OF which The pup
lie land is pledged, shall have been paid oil &c
or this resolution Chief Justice Marshall m let
ter 10 Secretary Gurley. of the American Coo
niz,tinn Society, Gays; Il have always thought
and still think. that the proposition made by Mr.
King In the Senate, is the most untfeept'ona6@
&c" The term, unexceptionabIe' employed here
has reference solely to the righf 81 the states 10
the proceeds Of tho lands, as recognized IN the
resolution. Mr. Madison, also, IN n letter 10 the
.ame gentleman. dated Decemher29, i53l' says;
MY thoughts and hopes prospecting colonial
toni have long been turned to tho 'ieh fund pre-
,entea in.,he Western lands OF the nation which
will soon Entirely cease to be under pfedge for
another object"
In his message of December l152, Gen Jack
son meets the question fairly and iaY ana set
Ties il in a manner that should carry CONVICTION
10 the minds Of those who have been accustomed
to regard his opinions us law lie says
:. Among the interests which merit The consider
ation Of Congress- after the payment Of the pub
lie debt one of the most importnn'in my 'lew' is
that Of the public lands Previous TO the lorna
ton of our present Constitution, 1t was recon
mended by Congress, that n portion ni the wast"
land o,rned by the States, sholld be eedcd to the
United States, for the purpose q general h'r-
mony. and as q fund 10 mtei tie erpfaSes o. me
,ear The Recommendation was adopted md
at diferen, periods OF time, the States OF Massa-
chusetts, New York. Virginia. North and south
Carolina. and Georgia, granted their Fncnnt soil
for the uses for whieh they had teen asked. as
the lands may noie be eonsidfrcd as feiered from
this PLEDGE, the object for "hieh they nere ctdfd
hasing been accomplished, tits in the discretion
of Congress to dispose of them ia such why as
best to conduce to the quiet, harmony. aud gen
eral interests of the American people.
Il seems to me to be our true policy That 'he pub
lie lands shall cease as SOON as practicable, TO be
a source Of revenue" Gen. jackson had rre'l'
ousy said.in his first message toCongress IN ls-o'
in ausion to the different opinions entertained
relative to She power of the general government
TO carry on a system of internal improvements
the Importance Of which he acknowi, dgcd-that,
ITO avoid these evils, it appears II me, the
most safe. just, and federal disposition which
could be made Of the surplus revenue q {, the
proceeds of the ands) "wonld be II. oppnrnon
mens among the strerdi States according 10 the'r
ratio Of representation" Upon thl- subject, the
present President of the L. STATE, l. ids the foi
lowing language: A distribution ct The pro
ceeds Of the public lands among the States would
rem edy all these evils. and correct all these
anomalies of our systrm. 1t would secure 10 us
a settled policy upon which the country nigh
rely. 1t would draw off from the general gov
eminent this eccentric source OF revenue, and
distribute i, among the States We would then
be left where the Constitution iattaafd 10 place
us. The government would then be administer
ed Upon its original principles in The well
known Louisa speech of our eccentric Cover
nor. there occurs the following; After endors-
ing Mr. Clays Land Bill Throughout. oar Gov
ernor SAYS: ~ nd TO enable he States 10 inter
upon the system fully and tFsc:aa3g, hetNrClay0
proposes his great Land Bill.-greaf, say. for
all the old States especially, without injustice or
u 1i.tri Nut tl4l 81
the public lands among all the States. to be mp.
Piled by them they see proper, q AL tho grea,
objects Of moral and physical improvement
measure which insures equal beH,fts 10 oil ht
States and benefits NOT TO be c1icalutfd in ertert
or pdiue, uifhom the least VIOLENCE TO TIT
CONSTITUTION. AND Is EXACT CONFORMITY II
THE PATRIOTIC GRANT OF vRGlNlA 81 TINS HER
ITAGE OF DOMAIN FOR THE coMMa< B.NEflr on
THE Union" Thus .ayeih Mr.. Nisei \ greG
ter than all these or rather one whom the De
micracy have invested with a'nnst aravU'ar Nj,
dom was in favor of the prncip", and drc'are,
in biz second inaugural address, that; The re
denpton Of the public debt once effected, th'
the revenue thereby liberated, may, by iu-
re. partition among he States, aud correspond
ing amendment of the constitution. be applied i'
rivers. roads, canals. arts. manufacture. educn
ton, and other great objects within the States
It is true that Mr.. Jefferson had some scruple,
"a 10 the constitutional authority for making al
unconditional surrender If all the surplus reve
nas to the States. though e,'nvinord Of the i'm
portance of the measure--so much "a ~ To b,
willing to modify und change the orgauic law
yet it is more than probable that ii he had live,