American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1857-04-18
Should Virginia Receive her Portion
Of the Public Lands.

We have previously endeavored TO
establish that Virginia is entitled by the
Constitution, and upon tho principles
ofjustice and equity. to sufficient por.
ton Of tho public lands to build her i'm.
proyements, develop her rich resources
and relieve her oppressed citizens from
the heavy burden of taxation. We OK.
tract from the able circular upon this
subject, issued by the Hon. Jno. S. Car.
lille, that portion in reply to the gues-
lion, whether \ is expedient for Vir-
GINA now and at this time to assert her
right to these landsi" To this question
he replies. that "her deb, is now thirty
ty. five millions Of dollars, four millions
moro than the whole debt Of the Uni.
ted States. The whole thirty-one Stotes
in their confederate capacity owe mir
~ millions of dollars. The United
States Government could discharge its
debt without embarrassment in less than
year. When will Virginia, as ma al
ters now stand, ever BIO able to pay hor
debt For this these ,hirty.fve mil.
lions every acre of land you own and
all the property you possess, is bound
Is it rot therefore, expedient that we
should assert our right to these lands,
and assert it now
There are now left ten hundred and
seventy-seven million nine hundred and
eighiy-thrce thousand five hundred aud
eightyfour acres. You are entitled to
at least sixty millions OF those acres,
which at the Government price Of 81 20
per acre, would put into your State
treasury seveniy-five millions of dollars.
This would pay your debt and leave
you forty million dollars to complete
your public works now going to decay,
enable you TO construct others, and pro.
vide perpetual fund for the education
Of every child in tho Commonwealth -
Virginia in her natural resources, is the
richest State in the world--rich in her
soil, rich in her climate, rich in water.
power, rich in her mineral wealth, her
gold, her iron, her coal, her gypsum and
her salt. Develop these resources, and
instead of our people leaving their ma.
tive State as they now do, by scores
and hundreds, wealth and population
would flow into our borders and crowd
our very centre. Develop these. re.
sources. and you furnish the honest la
borer employment at remunerative pri-
ces. Develop these resources, aud in
stead Of our growing weaker and weak
er and weaker ut every decade, as we
have been, in Federal strength. until
even Ohio which halfIeentuiy ago was
wilderness, has to-day eight more rep
resentatives IN Congress than Virginia
we will grow stronger and stronger, un-
I'll we again reach the position in the
Conlederacy we have lost, and again
we will soc Virginia the first State, (os
she ought always TO have beeu) in the
Union in population and in wealth. in
intelligence aud i'm patriotism, and IN all
that digni6es and eDnobles man.
The policy hitherto pursued with re-
gard to public lands has built up 10 the
prejudice of Virginia, States hostile to
our institutions and dangerous to the
peace and stability Of the Union. These
lands have been lavishly bestowed upon
those engaged in sectional war against
your hearth stones and your fire sides.
Where is your share Let no misera.
bile party appeal Of tho demagoguo OF
party aspirapt deceive or mislead you.
Remember that amid the closing hours
of the lost Congress q Democratic Sen.
ate, by vote Of SO to 10. passed bill
granting 10 Wipnesots. Alabama. and
Georgia millions Of acres for railroad
purposes. Twenty two of these thirty.
two wefo Democratic Scpstors, among
them Cas- aud Douglss, Toombs aud