Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-04-22
s. The Public Lands, Gov. Wise and the Ra-
leigh Standard,


The Register of Saturday last exhausts a column
and half in rather desultory observations under the
above head. Our neighbour, conscious of the weak
ness of his cause goes back to 1910, charges that
,be Standard is following Gov. Wise the subject
redistribution rather than Mr. Buchanan; and exc
cutes generally series of advances and retreats
the music of dstrbution-all Of which very clearly
shows that beyond mere assertion, the Editor can
say nothing for his iavor,e doctrine. We have asked
for some plain and reasonable plan-some consttu-
tional mode by which the old States their
fall rights in the public domain-not th:.t not
content that the land proceeds should continue to go
into the federal treasury, where they properly be.
lony-but to test the sincerity and the strength of
the position occupied by our neighbor; and the an
swer is "gve our share of the public lands" We
remind him that the lands coded by North Carolina,
and return of which, whether in money acres,
she never thought of demanding when she made the
cession have long since been exhausted and the reply
is give us our share very poor, and want
federal bounty" We point him to the fact that North
Carolina-the public domain open to sale and to
survey for SALE having been acquire by the common
blood and trca>ure-is interested in it just she is
in the ships and munitions Of war Of the country
any other property held by the general government
as the agent of the States and that if we have the
power to divide one kind Of property thus owned,
we NAV also divide another kind among the States,
and that such division would be unwise, useless, i'm
polite and would look TO dissolution Of the gov
crnmcnt itself; and the old answer comes
back" give our sharc-we are in great distress,
anu need to have internal condition improved
by the central government" We remind him that
every dollar distracted from the federal treasury
account of land proceeds. WILL by the expense at
tendant paying in monies only to be paid out,
and bv added tariif-taxcs to make up the deficit of
revenue greatly increase, instead of diminishing
burdens; and that the Know Nothings aud
black Republicans of the free States, now in ma.
iorty in the House and rapidly gaining in the
Senate, and before whom it is proposed by our
reishbor that we should thus bow down and beg,
would never consent to distribution without some
stipulation to increase the tariff for their benefit,
some concession to their demands which would i'm
pair rights as Shareholders; yet the same answer
is made-stcreotvped and set to the same abect and
dolefu strain" give us our share-we very humbiy
petition the great, overbearing aggressive and hard
hearted North, grown rich OH staples and ready
to tax US dollars for every they may dole out
to u.s. consider case and still further strength
en- themselves and consolidate the government, by
sparing US littlejust little of the land proceeds
and as in duty bound We will ever pray" &C. AS &
citizen of the country, as a Southern man,
North Carolinan, we indignantly repudate such at
tude-such appeals for common fund, which We
have long since agreed shall be common, and re-
turn of which would be accompanied with so many
badges of degradation and dependence. Our cotem-
porary of the Register asks u.s. in his issue ofthe 5th
for "pan and policy in relation to the lands.
We have given it scores of times, but he shall have
it again. These lands belong to the general govern
men and not to the States in their separate capaci
ty Like property acquired by firm or partner
ship, they to be managed by the agents or drec-
tors of the partnership for tie benefit Of ALL Through
and by the genera, government, the States
gagged in the great business of self government and
of common pr protection and defense. They have put
certain property into the firm to meet and "defray
the general charge and expenditure" and this prop.
erty thus contributed, failing to meet this charge
and expenditure they resort to calls on the pockets
of their citizens. IN tile shape Of tariff tares, to
make up the deficiency. We would have the
government retain title to these lands, sell them
to actual settlers at fair and just price, and put the
proceeds in the common treasury. If the net pro-
ceeds should be five millions of dollars per annum,
We would reduce the tariff taxes just five millions
and we would collect no more money than was nec-
essary for economical and proper administration
Of the government We say proper as well as eco
nomical administration. We would not stint the
navy, or the army the employees of the govern
inert. We would double the navy-strengthen the
army-estahl;sh naval depots, one, for example,
at Beaufort in this Staterepar the Old and erect new
notifications for defending coast and the i'm
po'tant points upon the lakes-establsh more ma
tonal toundres for munitions of war, one for exam
pie on Deep River in this State-create, if it should
be deemed at all expedent, more naval and military
schools; and, in fine, by all constitutional means,
We would put the general government, as the repre-
sentative of the majesty and power of the States on
such footing at home and abroad would COM
nand the respect while addressing the fears Of oil
''ations,-not thus provoking war, but preventing it
oy the constant "arnor and attitude" and prepar-
alton which would characterize our government and
people Can our contemporary object to this?
Agan-North- Carolina, according to an estimate
made by Mr.. Gorrell, of Guford, in speech dev-
u III the Iast Legislature, consumes ABOUT fourteen
millions of dollars worth of merchandise, purchased
almost entirely in the Northern States, and on which
She pays tax averaging twenty-five per cent. I'D
'"orem 1t may, therefore. be safely assumed that
our people annually pay to the general government
and to the Northern manufacturers, three million.
" ""tt1rs By 'oag # tariff tares. This drain goes
'' continually Creating great demand for North
e'n exchangeO for the support Of the government
ana the benefit of Northern manufacturers Are we
10 he told that, because do not pay this directly