Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-01-27
state 4 snRiiI,.

the State Of Illinois has gained halt a-milioh "
/. population in the last five years. The popniai'H'
Of Iowa has ,ripled in the same time. shn'aI
results. it tells US apparent in Wisconsin ano
Minnesota There is no difficulty says Tue
Republican,. .'in arriving at the cause which has
produced these results. The construction Oh
vas, chains of railway. leading to the banks 81
the Mississippi from the Northern seaeoard, has
rendered emigration now far cheaper md easier
than formerly. SO that The migratory family. IN
stead Of marching YEARLY at the tail of a wagon
over n long and toilsome road, now goes by rail-
way in a couple Of days The Republican has
indicated one, and that not. think, the chlei'
cause of the immense additions to tho populations
of the Northwestern States. A much more po-
| ten, cause, we think exists in the policy pdrsued
with reference 10 the public lands Not only
have these States had the advantage of having
the better portion Of these lands within their linz
i,s-a con stant and powerful attraction.a at govern
| ment prices, to INN gration-but superadded TO
this Congress has from time TO time made large
donations Of them for purposes Of internal i'm
proyemeni aud education, thereby giving them
an incalculable advantage over the older States
and adding ncalculable impetus to their do
velopment. The mere fact of the location of
these lands in those States and their sale at the
low prices asked by the Government gave those
States an advantage over others in respect TO
this common fund" which it would have been
difficult to compensate tho other States for, by
any equitable system of adjustment and indem
nity--but when that advantage has been height
oned by gifts of millions of acres for The purpo-
ses specified, the inequality produced has fallen
as a wrong upon the older states unequalled by
any sectional grievance from the North TO the
South ever yet perpetrntcd attempted or CON
ceived. Enough of the public lands, it is proba-
ble yet remain to reimburse the old states, and
restore the equilibrium; but it seems 10 be tho
fixed determination of the Southern Democracy
to prevent any thing of the sort. They know
full well that they cannot prevent these free soil
States from gorging themselves out of this com
mon ireasure--and becoming year by year more
formidable in power aud more arrogant in pro-
tension, and yet they obstnaieiy refuse to allow
Virginia and other Southern States TO be- put
upon an equal footing with them. and share in
the influences which sending those States,
by an irresistible and increasing momentum rap
idly ahead of tho slaveholdlng states. We learn
frcm tho Republican that over forty mil
lions of ncres of public lands have been
disposed of in the last fifteen months
This is equal TO an acre aud a half TO every man,
woman and child in the United States. II they
had been equally distributed. Virginia would hnvo
received about two millions and quarter aeres.
What has she recciyedl Except few bounties
to old soldirrs-not an acre Well may the Re
publican, IN view of the iniolerabe injustice done
Virginia and the other States by this mode of
managing the "coinmon fund oxeluim This
source of corruption and speculation should b"
stopped. III some way or other, OF soon the whole
public domain will be consumed by the grasplng
rapacty of spectators, 10 the dcirimont OF tho
country and the government" "ln some wayor
oher'-sny you neighborl Aye, therein lies
the whole art of the thing if you and your party
would but see it You haye long tried the some
way of Democracy-nnd The evil has gone in
creasingly ON. Why not now try the other wny
of ordinary business proceedings aud common
sonsrl Call tho States ia a settlement: charge
eneh with the amount al lands received, and
mako up the deficiency to those ihat have fall'n
short, until equality il restored aud justice dome.
Then, if il be Thought eSpedient 10 fall back up
on tho policy of the Virginia Democracy and up
pose all grants to State. or individuals well g.
nough! We shall not object. But first and at
once, let equity be enforced. Let the Southern
States have the same benefits That have already
been conferred on the free soil States. Let Nlr-
gna. under her southern government. not be
compelled, at the next national reckoning, to fall
back and give place 10 Illinois, under her Black
Republican government. What shy you, Neigh
hor.