The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1858-03-24
From the Fayetteville Observer.
LAND DISTRIBUTION.


t)fcpurse We do not question the statement
OF oar friend Of the Democrat as TO his
In ,wlcdee of the existence Of" such thing"
:. A distribution Democrat. But be is most
e,reeiously mistaken in saying that " there
i no such thing" We believe that the Hon.
Albert q. Brown. Of Mississippi, is Demo.
crat, in good standing, frequently the subject
Of ealogy as such in North Carolina Demo-
cratic papers, and among them, if we mistake
not. the Charlotte Democrat.
We ask the attention Of the Democrat to
some extracts from speech made by Mr..
Brown in the U. 3. Senate, and published IN
the Observer Gf that day, 10 favor OF re-pass-
ing, over the Presidents veto, bill making
q general distributor to all the States OF
large quantity Of the Public Lands to build
Insane Asylums. After one Of the ablest
arguments we have ever read on the constitu-
tional question, Mr.. Brown said -
81 here leave the message, and recur for
a moment to the history Of this bill in its
passage through the two Houses Of Congress.
1t has twice passed the House, and twice the
Senate. 1t FIRST passed the Senate. February
10, 1881, BY a vote of SO yeas to 10 nays,
and was sent to the House, where It was de-
feated by the rigid enforcement OF the rules.
Olce the rules were suspended, yeas los.
nays so, more than two thirds, but the House
proceeded to other business, And again, on
a motion to suspend that rule, so as to allow
the bill to pass, the yeas were los, and the
nays 20. Ii will thus be seen, that in 1851
there was not only majority of more than
two to one in the Senate in favor OF the bill,
but a majority Of about two to one IN the
House also. In 1852 the bill was again before
the House, and passed By vote OF 50 yeas
to 81 nays, almost two to one. This session
il passed the Senate again, yeas %, nays IL,
and was sent to the House and there passed,
yeas 81, nays SIS. 1t will thus be seen, that
before the Senate and before the House, both
being Democratic BY large maiorities, this
bill has uniformly commanded two thirds Of
the votes in one House, and nearly two thirds
10 the other"
There must have been good many dis
tribation Democrats to pass By such immense
maiorities, in Houses of Congress largely
Democratic, a bill to distribute the lands
eauitably, among all the States.
But again, said Senator Brown
sAmong the Democrats who have voted
on this bill at one time, or at another, md
the names Of Borland, of Arkansas; Downs,
of Louisiana; Norris, Of New Hampshire
Rusk, Of Texas Shields, Of Illinois; Soule,
ofLouisiana Sturgeon, Of Pennsylvania; and
others of the Senate and in the House,
Bissell, Of Illinois Cobb, of Alabama Gil
more, Of Pennsylvania; lngersoil, OF Con-
necticut; Peaslee, Of New Hampshire; Polk,
of Tennessee; Churchwell. of Tennessee
Dawson, of Pennsylvania Florence, Of Penn
svlyania Seymour, Of Connecticut; Smith,
Of Alabama ; Harris, Of Alabama: Beale, Of
Virginia and many others. mention these
things to show that il there was error IN pass
ing this bill, il was an error very common
among Democrats. No can it be said that
the constitutional question was not raised.
Il was raised in both Houses, and as fully
discussed as Senators and Representatives
chose to discuss it. ! speak on this subject
after careful inspection Of the record. Mr..
B,rland defended the .constitutionality o(the
bill in the Senate, and he has been sent
abroad. Messrs. Soule, Peaslee, aud others
OF its f5iends, have received the highest
marks o. the Presidents consideration and
confidence Mr.. McRae's case, exactly.I
And vet again -" The President admits
that there are presidents, but adds, they
should serve rather as garniag than as an
indueement to tread in the same path" l
entertain the highest respectfor the opinions
of President Pierce but he will excuse me
IL | say that precedents set by such men as
James Monroe, John c. Calhoun, William II.
Crawford, James X. Polk, James Buchanan,
William X. King, Edward Livingston, Levi
Woodbury., George McDafiie, and others, do
not serve as warnings TO me. unless II be the
warning that the beacon gives to the mariner.
Those great men were bright and shining
lights; their example has illumined the path
we are now treading. Mr.. Monroe was Pre-
sident, and approved the act Of 1919. Mr..
Calhoun and Mr.. Crawford we're members OF
bis Cabinet, and all the others, as Senators or
Representatives, voted for one Or the other
Of TIE bills spoken Of by the President.
i" II, IN following the lead Of Democratic
Presidents, Democratic Secretaries, Embas-
sailors. and Senators. who have attained to
the highest onors 10 the Republic, and enjoy
ed the highest places in the confidence Of the
people, have been led into error, hope my
error will fin an easy pardon q the hands o.
my constituents"
we incline 10 lie opinion that the Demo-
erat has made slight mistake. With one or
two exceptions, there is not name Of the
living mentioned above BY Mr.. Brown which
i not borne at this day By distribution
Democrat in good standing. Gov. Brown
himself Is now one of the most distinguished
aud Influential Democrats 10 the senate.
Whilst We are quoting from Gov. Brown
We may add another paragraph IN which he
seatters TO the winds the "pruient prOprie.
iorship" hambug:
Grants have been made, as ! have said
more than once, 10 roads, colleges, schools
and other objects in the new states. Al
such grants, We are told, have been for vslu,
received. Value received from whom Not
from the grantees. TO them tie grant VA.
naked, unqualified gift they paid nothing
did not promise to pay any thing. aud did mo-
guarantee that snybpdy else should nav any,