Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-04-02

THURspAY, APRIL 3. ls57.l



We this morning conclude the publica-
ton of the Speech of the Hon. JOHN BELL
delivered in the U. S. Senate upon the In
PRODUCTION of a Bill by him " to secure to
all the States some greater measure OF jns-
tice and equality in the disposition OF the
public lands and their proceeds. " 1t is
the offspring of a great mind upon sub
iect of considerable moment to the public
interest, especially to the old States. We
laid the Bill itself before our readers few
DAYS since, and invited their careful atten-
ton to its provisions We nov renew the
invitation to a careful perusal and consider
alton Of the reasons which impelled Mr..
BELL to bring forward his Bill We ven
tured, few days ago, to express the hope
that the provisions of the Bill would meet
the appreciation of the people generally
without regard to their party predictions.
For our part, we should have been graft
fed to have given our hearty support to
such measure, no matter with what party
or with what individual it might have orig
mated. There are many measures of gov
ernmental economy about which there is
room for wide differences of opinion; but
there are certain measures of justice and
equality about which we can see no ground
for dispute or cavil This is one of them.
That all the States of the Union should be
placed upon footing of perfect equality
in the distribution of gratuities by the gen.
eral government, is principle, which, it
seems to u.s. ought to command the appro
val of every one.
But the Union & American of yesterday
dispelS the hope we had entertained II
opposes the Bill, and seeks to inculcate the
idea, that it is about the same as the old
Wing land distribution doctrine, and the
exploded distribution measures of 184l
This we think unfair, as the sole object o.
this Bill is to perform an act of justice tC
the States of the Union which have never
received donations for internal improve
ments This is to be done by appropria
tons from the federal treasury, without re
gard to the source from which the money
is derived; and without regard to the reIa
tive amount required for this purpose, ant
the amount arising from the sales of the
public lands The old Wing doctrine, oil
the other hand, was to set apart the entire
proceeds of the sales of the public lands a;
an Independent fund, not to be used in thu
current expenditures of the governm ent
but to be distributed in certain proper
ton among all the States According tt
this view, the general government had nc
further concern with, or power over this
fund than that Of naked trustee 1t wa:
a trust fund received into the U. S. Treas
ury, for the benefit of all the States. The
two measures are diverse in principle and
unlike in operation, the subject matter alone
being the same.
The Union d american is equally unfair
inits representation of the argument of Mr.
BELL, and of his position on the genera
subject. That paper strives to make tn,
impression that Mr.. BELLS main object wa
to "deplete the treasury" that the reduc
ton of the tariff few days after he mad
his speech, was amply sufficient to tina
end, and therefore the object of the Bill
was met in another way. We understand
the purpose of Mr.. BELL to be, what tn
title of his bill purports; to secure to al
the states justice and equality in the dispC
sition of the public lands. In his argument
in order to show that no inconvenience
would arise from the necessary appropria
tons, he referred to the fact, that tn
treasury was, at the time soverfowing AM
needed depletion. But so far from deplf
ton being the object of the Bill or its au
thor, there is not a word said of depletion
either in the bill itself or in its title, Tha
paper also strives to convict Mr.. BELL @
Inconsistency in voting away lands for raj
road purposes, and then turning about an,
complaining of that sort Of disposition Q
the public lands. We do not so understan
ur able Senator He voted for many of tn
land bills; he does not now complain ofthat
indeed he makes no complaint of it; but say
that, while he is doing this, for other States
he thinks those States not receiving land
in kind, should receive their equivalent i
money. lie does not inveigh against tn
policy of the government, in granting LAM
to States for internal Improvements; h
thinks this is proper enough, so long a
there is no injustice done to any member O
the Confederacy. This is merely asserting
principle which forms the basis, tn
ground work Of our republican Union, tina
of social and political equality. We cam o
see how our neighbors can object to this
1t is the ostensible doctrine, for which the
are always protesting to contend. VIII
you sacrifice justice for the sake of appa
rent party policyY VIII you allow you
hostility to Mr. BELL to deprive you of The
power to choose between right and wrong
1 Normal school.
Kentucky, taking the lead of Tennessee