The Washington union., 1857-05-21
DISTRIBUTION OF THE PUBLIC LANDS

DISTRIBUTION OF THE PUBLIC LANDS
If we may judge from the signs of the times the
distribution of the public lands, if not the surplus
revenue, will be one of the great issues in the ap-
preaching congressional elections and in all proba-
bity the next contest for the presidency. The party
which, after having tried all sorts of aliases has fo
the present adopted that of republican-which we
presume it will retain according to custom, till ithas
covered that once-honored with eternal shame
having become sensible that their war against the
constitution and the Union, their violent and indie
cent opposition to the laws their dsorganizng prin
cples in religion, morals, and politics, have brought
ON them nothing but defeat and disgrace are about
reinforcing their discounted ranks by new auxil-
iary An appeal is to be made to the pocket to the
local interests Of the individual States by holding
out the magnificent bribe-or, to speak more gen
teolly, the magnificent douceur-of the public lands
and the surplus revenues. There can, we think, be
little doubt that this will be of the great issues
involved in the approaching congressional elections,
and form of the principal ingredients in tho great
fusion Of chymical antipathies, which, by whatever
name it may be called is most correctly designated
the antidemocratc party, since, under all its dis
guses, that is the great characteristic feature it ex
hibts.
Such being the prospect before us, the public
mind is becoming more or less excited on the sub
ject and its discussion at this time cannot be CON
sdered premature. We, therefore, take this occa-
sion invite the attention of our readers to it as one
on which they will ere long be called upon to de-
eide.
The first point to be settled is whether Congress
has the right to dispose" of the public lands and
surplus revenue withoutany equivalent? In discuss
ing this shall not resort to grammarans or die
tionaries for the precise meaning of the word dis-
pose, but proceed briefly to inquire what were the
objects contemplated by the trainers of the consti-
tution and what the devised for their attain
ment. The first are thus briefly, yet comprehen-
svely, stated in the preamble to that instrument :
"To form perfect union, establish justice, in
sure domestic tranquility, provide for the common
defence and general welfare and secure the bless
ings Of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. I"
In order to attain these objects Congress- was ON
powered "to lay and collect taxes, duties imposs,
and excuses to pay debts and provide for the CON-
mon defence and general welfare of the United States
and 'to borrow money the credit of the United
States" for similar purposes is to say, to pay
debts and provide for the common defence and gen
eral welfare of the United States. No other objects
are specified, and have right to infer that none
others were contemplated. Congress was clothed
with power to lay taxes and borrow money, to pay
debts and provide for the common defence and gen.
eral welfare, and for no other purpose whatever.
As most people know what is meant by paying
Jabt o,,J borr ,nf IN,
least in theory, shall proceed to inquire whether
the public lands and their proceeds do not come
strictly within the rule which applies to all other
Of revenue, and ought not to be exclusively
applied to the purpose namely pay debts and
provide for the common defence and general welfre2
After this shall proceed to define, far as posi-
BILE, the precise meaning of that phrase.
AS to the first point we will vonturo to assert, if
on no other authority than that Of plain honest com
mon sense that there is not the shadow of reason
for distinguishing the public lands as sources of rev.
enue from any other fund Though the proceeds
may not bo technically called taxes duties, imposts
or excses, they only be rghtfully appropriated
to the same purposes to which the constitution ex
pressly limits every other portion Of revenue-that
is, TO the common defence and general welfare 1t
follows then strictly logical conclusion, that if
the revenue derived from the public lands cannot be
otherwise applied than to tho common defence
and general welfare, the source from whence it is de-
rived must be at least equally sacred to this specified
purpose.
But it may be asked, what is the precise meaning
Of this phrase, "the common defence and general
welfarep We believe every Of common sense
understands it, and yet few will probably be able to
define it with precision. Men often comprehend
what they cannot explain, and as often attempt to
explain what they cannot comprehend. We don't
pretend to be wiser than our neighbors but though
we may not be able to define exactly what it means,
we believe there is no difficulty in telling what it
does not mean
In the first place, the common defence and general
welfare cannot by any stretch contraction of con
stuction, be applied to any fractional part of the
Union for, though the good of the whole is that Of
all its parts, the good of part is certainly not the
good of the whole. The common defence and gen
eral welfare is that in which all partake equally or
at least, as much so is possible in the nature OF
things. There will always be at least some apparent
inequality, such to exist even in the general
dspensatons Of Providence. Thus for example,