Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-03-25
The Public Land Question.

| March ., 1857.
The Public Land Question.
| In lieu of any extended remarks of our own on
this subject to-day, copy the following excellent
article from the Wilmington Journal of the 18th
| instant With the Journal we say, "every compro.
mise of principle for considerations of expediency,
| is positive loss to the Democratic party. =
Let US look this thing more fairly in the face,
as we have done many time before-meet it fairly
and sqnarely and defeat it in good old Democratic
fashion,
Our adversaries, the followers of "Sam" fatter
themselves that this issue is of all Others the strong
est which they could present. They never made a
greater mistake in tactics. The people of North
Carolina distinguished for sound judgment and
common sense and it will require something more
than mere assertion to convince them that it would
be to their advantage to receive few thousand dol
lars per annum from the public lands and at the
same time pay back to the general government some
two three millions of dollars in Tariff Let
the Democrats of the State. thcn stand like Gibra-
tar on this question. A bold front, determined
will is every thing in contests whether in politics or
on the field of battle. Victory nearly always sits
eagle.wnged" on the banners Of confident and un.
quailing hosts. Let us stand where we are-let us
cling to our cherished principles, and defy the op-
position. Let US show them that they neither
ntimidate US, nor drive us hairs-breadth from our
principles, nor gain upon us at the polls. relia-
bic and honest politician can no more compromise"
his principles than gentleman can his honor The
State is now Democratic. It was made so by rig
id adherence to certain WELL defined and well.under-
stood principles; and be kept only by del.
ity to those principles But to the Journals article
| above referred to-
zone OF THE RE-VAMPED IssuEs-THE QUESTION
| OF THE PUBLIC LANDS TNPARrIALLY CONSIDERED
| Among the old, dead, buried and resurrected po-
litical issues which, like Monsieur Tonson, sure
| to come again" we may now refer more particu-
larly to the question Of the public lands We heard
enthusiastic hater Of nutgrass, swear the other
day that you might take it all up. burn t-makel ley
out of the ashes and that the ley poured out on
land would raise crop ofnut- grass There is some
thing of the same kind of perverse vitality about
the exploded but plausible theories of distribution,
whether of the public lands themselves or Of the
proceeds oftheir sales Time and again.o the stump
and through the press have all these theories and
the plausible sophstries by which they support
ed been met and exposed. and the decision of the
people at the polls marked their condemnation Of
the whole scheme yet. spite of this, it is evident
that the next rally, the rally now shortly to be
made against the Democracy Of the South, will be
upon this issue. And when that rally is made, as
made !: will be, all the signs Of the times are de-
ceptive ask of our Democratic friends to bear in
mind that the troubles and difficulties Of >1r Pcrce's
administration chargeabe to the factious course
Of summer friends, disappointed of office, far more
than to any strength inherent in the opposition it.
self Let none be deceived this time BY srecious
professions of fidelity to Democracy the part Of
| those who ignore its principles. Every compromise
Of principle from considerations of expediency is
positive loss to the Democratic party. and the man
who counsels any such compromise is secret enemy,
| or an unsafe friend. Let MS look this thing once
more fairly in the face we have done many a time
before meet it fairly and squarely, and defeat it in
good old Democratic fashion.
Much is talked about the cession made by certain
States to the Genera, Government for the good the
WHOLE and the strengthening tho bonds Of Union.
Virginia and North Carolina ceded territories to the
Confederacy. They gave to that Confederacy the
control over and the disposal Of the property in the
public lands in these coded territories the revenues
so arising, to be applied to the general purpose of
| the whole Union. But this all that these and
other States surrendered to the Conederacy for the
general purposes Of the confcderated government
| The still more important and valuable right of i'm.
posing tax upon imports was also surrendered by
the States and the revenues from this source cons.
tute the great fund by which the federal treasury IS
filed, and the federal expenses are paid The con-
troll Of the public lands is just as consttuiona'ly
and as fully vested in the General Government, and
just as fully surrendered by the States, AS is the
| power Of raising revenue by duty upon imports /;
and the distribution of the lands cr their proceeds
among the individual States, would. in TACT, const-
tute direct a change OF the constitution OF the
United States as would the claim Of the Individual
States to take back into their own hands, and exer
else BY their own authority, any other power excu-
svely vested by the constitution in the General Gov
eminent. Like other express powers conferred and
duties imposed upon he Federal Government that
relating to the public lands is to be exercised for and
in behalf of the United States, and not of separate
and distinct partners; and as well might the indiv-
dual States reclaim any all the rights and inter-
ests of sovereignty coded by them to the General
Government for the purpose Of forming Union as
this right and interest in the public lands, which
| constitute federal fund.- under federal control for
| federal purposes That abuses may have crept into
the mode and manner in which the General Govern
ment exercises the power conferred and discharges
the duties imposed upon it in this respect. does not
alter the fact that these its exclusive powers and
duties which it cannot give up, nor the States
Claim without violation of the constitution of the
United States. Establish this precedent and carry
It out To its full consequence and one by one, the
bonds Of Union are dropped or fall asunder-a tact
notification is iniated-the rights of the States,
and of the United States confounded. and their
distinctions lost and time alone determine wheth.
er we will become again disunited tumble of iso.
| lated communities, \ consolidated government,
held together, not by constitution which has lost
alleffcacy, but by some fanced higher law" which
has risen upon its ruins and spite Of its 6pposi.
tioa.".