The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1858-03-23
a The Fayetteville Observer, speaking


u The Fayetteville Observer. speaking
of a remark of ours, that there is no such
thing as distribution democrat, says that
we are "most egregiously mistaken and
refers us to the Hon. A. G.. Brown and his
speech on the bill granting public lands to
the several States to build Insane Asylums
"a bill President Pierce vetoed. We do
not think those who advocated the Insane
Asylum bill are distributionists in the sense
at present understood in North Carolina.
measure and the scheme now advocated
by the Observer and Mr. McRae. That
bill proposed to grant to the several States
Il certain amount of land for humane and
lums for the Insane. The lands were not
to be given to the States to encourage wild
and visionary undertakings or extrava-
gance, but so much was to be allowed as
would accomplish a specified object. This
is our recollection about the matter, for we
have not the bill before as.
Now what do the distributionists in North
Carolina propose to do? Why. TO distrib
ute the whole public domain to the different
States. We suppose they mean all, for
we have heard no one specify any particu-
lar amount each State ought to have. For
the evil consequences of such scheme we
refer our old neighbor, the Observer, to
authority that ought to be good in it's esti-
mation-we mean Henry Clay. In report
submitted to the Senate on the 10th of
April, 1882, Mr. Clay thus speaks of a
proposition to transfer the lands to the
| States:
The lands are now sold under one uni
form plan. regulated and controlled by a
single Legislative authority, and the practi-
cal operation is perfectly understood. II
they were transferred to the States. the
subsequent disposition would be according
to laws emanating from various Legislative
sources. Competition would probably arise
| between the States in the terms which the y
would offer to purchasers. Each State
would be DESTROYS of inviting the creates
number of emigrants, not only for the laad
able purpose of populating rapidly theiI
own territories. but with a view to the &C
QUESTION of funds to enable it to fulfil it
engagements to the general government
Collisions between the States would proba
bly, arise. and their in furious consequences
may be imagined. A spirit of hazardou
speculation would be engendered- Nari
Gus schemes in the new States would b
put afloat to sell or divide the public lands
Companies and combinations would b
formed in this country, if not in foreig
countries. presenting g gantic and tempt
ing but delusive projects, and the histor
of Liquidation in some of the States of til
Union admenishrs US that too ready ca
is sometimes given by Il majority in a legis
. lative assembly, to such projects"
We may not be as far seeing as olde
heads, but it does seem to us that Mort
Carolina would not gain much by this il
discriminate squandering of the propert
of the General Government. In the lar
guagc of one of Gen. Jackson's message
it is difficult to perceive what advaI
taoes would accrue to the old States or I'll
new from the system of distribution whic
d this bill proposes, if it were otherwise III
e objectionable. 1t requires no argument
:, prove that if three millions Of dollars
year, or any other sum, shall be taken o.
of the treasury by this bill for distributio
: it must be replaced by the same sum &C
lectcd from. the people by some other mean
The old States will receive annually su
m of money from the treasury, but they W
|. pay in a larger sum, together with the e
penses of collection and distribution"