Weekly Clarksville chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 185?-1857, 1857-04-03
From the Lexington tKy,) OBSERVER.
THE PUBLIC LANDS. IA -

/ After a Rip Van Wrinkle slumber, the
South manifests certain hopeful symptoms
of returning consciousness, upon the great
subject of Land Distribution. During
her period of torpor, hocofoco Congresses
have ceded ilhmitable tracts of the finest
land upon the globe to Freesoil States, and
thus enabled the cold blooded and aggres-
sive votaries of Abolition to point to the
mighty empire that has thus been erected,
as if by magic, i'm the Northwest, and
sneeringly contrast, its expanding power,
with the old common wealths of Virginia
and Kentucky. A party whose Gibraltar
was the South, has constructed railroads,
dug canals, built cities, and laborcd for
the North with all the speed and assiduity
ascribed to the slave Of the tabled lamp,
and the Southern people at length begin
to perceive the effect of this policy Upon
their Institutions The pampered States
of the North are constantly Boosting of
their progress and their public works, and
they claim that this sudden advancement
is the result Of what they are pleased to
term free Institutions. We are referred to
Illinois and to other States in the same
section, and asked why it is that they have
out-stripped their sisters of the South
The Abolition orator expatiates upon their
net -work of railroads, their commerce,
enterprise, and then turns exultingly to
old Virginia, and dwells with delight upon
her comparatively dropping and PROSTATE
condition. The cry has thus been sent
forth, that slave States cannot prosper,
shat the seal Of destiny is upon them, and
that progress and freesol are inseparable
and the same.,,.ef ba.alru .frv -5f4 .a
The Democratic party by enriching and
pctting the North has been instrumental
in evolving this idea, and it is at this
moment undermining our institutions and
adding to the strength of our enemies.--
This party, in order to secure political supre-
macy in the young States of the West, has
sduandered The public domain which be-
longed equally to the whole country. No
matter what these States demanded, they
we're sure to get it,, but whenever any
Southern State put in claim, her petition
was contemptuously cast aside. Virginia
gave away the Northwestern Territory, and
asked nothing in return, and now when
she asks the aid of the Government for
the purpose of finishing some of her public
works she cannot obtain it. Kentucky
defended this Territory on many day OF
blood, but she too is disregarded. SO II
is, so it has been, and so it ever will be
unless the people of the South rise up and
assert their rights. Why is it, that tbs
Locofoco rulers Of this land build railroads
across the level prairies Of the North, and
| leave Kentucky, Tennessee and Virgins
to cut theirs--and at the expense Of then
people--through rugged mountains, ana
unending masses Of stone. These States
in order to confute the arguments that ar'
urged against slavery on account of theil
want Of public works have CONSTRUCTED
them. hrr U .a.ug afoH a.Ll
Kentucky has built railroads-oy rathel
\ tamnels-from Lexington to Louisville anC
Cincinnati, and has partially completet
others. In order 10 achieve these reall.
stupondous labors--for in this light w
regard them--her people have been neces