Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1857-03-25
The Register and the Public Lands.

Our contemporary Of the Regisc: calls upon US to
"come out manfuy'' in favor of North Carolina's
share of the public lands We beg to be excused.
North Carolina, of the thrtyone States, has
a common interest in the public lands; and the fed
era government is her agent trustee TO dispose of
these lands for the common benefit. The federal
government has no more power divide these lands
than it would have to divide the shi ps and mum
tions of war; for, general thing, the lands
acquired Just as these ships and munitions Of war
have been, BY the common bleod and treasure, and
should be sacredly preserved and used for the COM
mon expenditure. We much opposed as the
Register can be to squandering these lands on pri-
vate corporations; and we have assurance in Mr..
Buchanans Inaugural, that this squande,ing will be
arrested. But if the constitutional power to divide
the lands were clear the policy of distributing eth
the lands their proceeds among the States,
would be useless, injurious and unwise. We
pect show this soon in reply to contemporary.
We perceive that the main issue of the Know Moth
ings in this State and Virginia is to be the public
lands We ready to meet it. 1t will not bear
the touch of examination 1t is the weakest is.
which could be presented.
By the way, what has the Register to say as to
the action of the Whg and Know Nothing parties
on this subject? In 1910 the Wings obtained pow
er. They had both houses of Congress and Pres
ident Of their own selection. In that campaign the
public land question Of the main issues
and they promised the people that if they would
only place them in power they would at enrich
the States from this They passed diStri.
button act wi prorso, however, that if the Tar
iff.taxes should be raised above twenty per cent.
distribution should cease. What then? They dis
trbuted a mere pttancc-this State go:, we believe,
twenty thou~and dollars; and then THEY raised the
7arit. and thus cut off distribution. Has our CO,
temporary forgotten these facts? Has he forgotten
! that the Wings of 1912 thought more of the manu-
2 featuring States as shown by thus raising the Tar
if, than they did of North Carolina and the Other
8 agricultural States?
n Again: How did it happen that the last Whie
q national Convcntion-the which nominated Gen
q Scott-said nothing about the publ lands or the
proceeds? Will our contemporary answer that?
81 Again How is it, and why is it that the Know
"a Nothing platforms also silent this subject? ??
kS Was it important to persecute "strangers ir
sa the land' and Catholics than it was to obtair
North Cardinals share" of the public lands? AnC
M have the Catholics and - foreigners been extermi
mated? Has the evil in this respect, which it is al
y legged exists, and as to which much complaint ha
been made, disappeared? Are to hear nothn!
"a more about " Americans ruling America" Ate
- the action of the Wing Convention that nominate,
W Gen. Scott and in view of the further fact that tn
sM Know Nothings party have ignored the publ
n land question, what right has cotemporary t
90 raise his voice for distribution? All we beg par
u don-he does it "asn citizen" and not "as part
l4 man." This being the case trust he will
\ more explicit hereafter. Let him write under hi
Wpicurcs "Mis is Il man." and "this Is horse" "
Let him say, "these the acorzs Of n citizen,
and "these the arords of u party man." w
shall then begin to understand him. and to apprec
te the nature and the quality of his editorial PFC
# ductions. As it is, we frequently at loss t
determine cho IL IS that is addressing the nub,ic
whether the "citizen' Editor or the nartizan" Ell
itor. Our contemporary has ohligngly stated tn
difference between himself and himself on the Pacifi
Railway qucstion-has announced that "as cit
zen" he is opposed to it, but Gas party man" h
~ was in favor Of it. We are ready and anxiou
/ t.discuss the distribution question with him; br
al we~ant no 'pribbles and ptabbles' about t,-w
desihto understand hi and to know the dilferene
IN this pase as in the other, before fairly con
mence.< What say you, ncighbor? Are you fl
osf'fonton as a citizen" but against it, indi
'erent about it 90 party man?" Let us hear fror
you