Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-04-22

tax and it has been upon u.s. with more or less
weight for thirty years. It has drawn from our
hard earnings not less than one hundred millions of
dollars and much of this vast amount has gone to
swell the profits of manufacturers, many Of whom
arc our deadly enemies. Our contemporary of the
Register proposes to continue this drain upon our
energies-to add to it, indeed, by taking away from
the federal government all the proceeds of property
which ought to be reserved and applied to diminish
these burdens He would receive with one hand
bounty or gratuity of one hundred thousand dollars,
and pay back with the other three millions of dol
lars That is the substance of his proposition, and
the upshot of his pleadngs for share of the pub
lie lands, turn and twist it as he may. But would
he divide the lands themselves ?-have thirty -one
land agencies where now have but one?-brins
North Carolina into conflict, the soil of distant
States and Territories with Vermont and Massachu.
sets? -have the lands assigned US taxed by Ohio,
Indiana, and the other land States, squatted upon
ana held against US by e?-nvite Massachusetts,
to organize another "Emigrant Aid Society" to mo.
nopolize and aboonize the territories and to meet
us in hostile array, if demanded our rghts?-
otter bounty, in the shape Of cheap lands, to our
population and thus induce thousands OF our enter
prisng and hardy young men to leave us forever
and take up their abode in the Northwest?- emas-
culate our population by the hope OF imaginary
gain ?-and thus, while this great inheritance is par
celled out and frittered away make it at the same
time the cause of strife and the perpetual battle
ground of rival States? We can imagine no policy
more certainly calculated to render the lands them
selves vaueless or todeprave and debauch the people
of the whole country. Valueess did say? Why,
they would be turned into We might get
dollars, but we would lose men-our best men by
emigration. We might be able to point to broad
praires aud call them our own on paper; but they
would melt away in expenses, in taxes, in law suits,
in pre-. empton rights in squatter claims maintained
BY stealth or force, and should probably lose in
the end, instead of gaining, by division of the
lands.
Besides. the Northern people outstrp in colo
nzing and making States, and they have the advan
tagc of nine tentlls of the foreign cmigration.-
They would pour their thousands into the terrific
rics where the South sent hundreds and out of the
strife engendered, and the blood shed, and the bitter
hates made still bitter, would rise State after
State Of Yankee growth to take their places in the
Scnate-to vote us down upon every question affect
| ing vital interests, and finally control the
government absolutely ard reduce us either to SUBJ
| war.
Such is the policy of our neighbor in relation to
land proceeds and tar.taxes and such are some of
the evils which would flow from a division of the
| lands themselves
| Our neghbor seeks to be either entertaining or
amusing by comparing humble self with Gov.
Wise and by speaking of that distinguished man
the great Chief Executive of sister State-as the
"gzzard- footed Governor of Virginia" Our neigh
Dor does US too much honor by the comparison. We
acknowledge that, but we do not perceive his wit
when he refers to "g zzard-foot" No one laughs
at it, and certainly no one is wounded by it. And
as to assailing Gov Wise, neishbor, whether by
casm or slang, ridicule Or vituperaon, you might
well dart broomstraws at the ocean, for all the eff
feet it has. He has been through ordeals which
would have tested the temper, the endurance, the
genius, and the nerve of any man, living dead !;
and he has emerged from each of them with
improved mental muscle, if we may use the e4 pres
sion-with loftier step and more determined will
with reputation familiar in all mouths as 'house-
hold words" and with largely increased capacity
and ability to serve his country. You twit him be-
cause he Wing So were you neghbor,
until you got into the culvcrt You dislike him be-
cause he strangIed Sam" You aided in doing the
same thing neghbor, with the old Wing party. Stand
at the base of the Pilot Mountain and talk to the
man who stands upon its summit-chide the sea, as
it lashes the rocks around old Cape Hatteras but
waste no words, neighbor, on Gov Wise. They
pass him the idle wind. His reputation is safe
against all the assaults of his enemies They may
increase it by endearing him still more to the De
mocracy, but they can never impair the hold which
he has the affections of his countrymen.
AS to our following Gov Wise instead of Mr.. Blu
chanan, contemporary will find, when he gets
"the hang Of the schooIhouse' in North Carolina,
that we follow one We go for great principles,
and for only as they hold and represent princi-
pies. Men die but principles are immutable and
eternal.
By the way will our neighbor inform us why il
is and how it is that Sam" is silent in all his plat
forms on the subject of the public lands. Answer
US that, will you?
New PRESBYTERIAN PAPER-We very cheerfuly
comply with request to publish the Circular in re
lation Presbyterian Journal in this State, which
will be found in another column. We learn that
the following resolution unanimously passed by
the Fayetteville Presbytery at its Spring Meeting.
April 10th:
Whereas, an effort is now making tosestablsh a
Presbyterian paper in North Carolina:
Resoloed, That we approve of this enterprise and
earnestly recommend it to the Churches in the
bounds of the Presbytery.
We also learn that the meeting of stockholders
to select location for the paper title Editor DC, vii
be held at Greensborough the 18th of next month
W-We are requested to state that VIM. Hooper
I ~. lac il