Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1858-01-29


power made by the States to the Federal Government
it can still take this same money buy and manage lands
and give them away in manner equally at variance
with the intent and meaning of the Federal compact
Of course the reasoning will apply to the more re-
cent purchase from Mexico.
But it is said that after ALL the public lands are no
longer source of profit to the Federal Treasury This
may be sowe rather think it is correct But neither is
the Post Office Department source OF profit On the
contrary it is an annual charge. But who viii argue
that therefore the revenues of the department should be
distributed among the States, while its expenses remain
burden to be betrayed by taxation? Suppose we dis
tribute the lands or give warrants for them to the States
which is about the thing the cost OF their acus
ton has fallen on the Federal Treasury-the expen
ses of their protection and management must con-
tinue to fall upon it, and money must be raised
by taxes upon the articles we consume Sufficient 10
meet these expenses to do which the proceeds OF the
lands themselves will be no longer applicable
The latest avatar-the freshest revelation OF the
advocates of distribution in North Carolina is the letter
of Duncan K. McRae, Esq, addressed to VIM. F. Dan
cy Esq, of Edgecomb county, in which letter Mr..
McRae states that having no political aspirations to
gratiy-having voluntarily yielded honorable Office
err DESTROYS of devoting myself entUeyto my professor"
| am enabled to communicate with you Mr. DancyJ III
entire frankncss and sincerity Although attacking IN
this letter the position of the Democratic party OF orth
Carolina Mr. McRae seems now to think that the ma
tura and inevitable result of his coursea result which
must have been orseen compes him to take the stump
and haze political aspirations Surely, when MIR. Nc
Rae wrote this letter, he must have expected that it
would elicit strong animadversons from the Democratic
of the State although he now throws himself back
upon this inevitable fact to justify excuse his taking
the stump-we are compelled to think a candidate
We leave this matter to be explained as best it cali
we have no merely personal censures to passive have
no merely personal attacks to make; we SIMPLY state
the facts they exist Mr. McRae has announced that
he to take the stump commencing next week at Colds
boro assigning as reason, the necessity OF defending
himself from the attacks of portion OF the pressattacKs
which his own course invited if it did not provoke
While Mr.. McRae occupies this position on one hand
let us turn to another portion of his letter. and another
part of the field Towards the close OF that letter. be
SAYS For my part, wish some practical farm
er Democrat would take this issue in hand, and ap-
peal to the people upon it.. Now, while papers from
one quarter bring us the announcement of Mr.. McRaes
appointments those from another bring us tidngs OF
Mr. Walter F. Leake the practical farmer" having
tuay taken the matter in hand and appealed to hepeo
pie of Arson upon it, in speech recently delivered by
him at Wadesboro. These be queer things to plain
menthev look rather like there being political aspra
lions somewhere They do not look like that dslnterest-
ed missionary zeal that seeks the good of the human
race without fee Or reward Our dsinerested political
seorgetting propagandists OF dis
organization are not plenty some folks would per-
suade themselves, and try to persuade Others
But let this 90 for what it is worth. Let us turn TO
the subect-matter we have in hand. Let us examine
the new proposition brought forward by Mr. McRae on
the grounds Of eXpedency or plauslblty. we have
already discussed the relations of the General Govern
men as landed proprietor to the organized communl-
ties within whose civil jurisdiction the public lands lie
we have considered the prudent propretorshp policy
we have discussed the right of the General Govern
ment or of Congress- to make appropriations OF money
or donations of property for purposes neither within the
letter nor spirit of any Of the powers conferred upon 1t
bv its creators the States Setting all these consdera-
lions aside for the moment let proceed to examine
the plausbility of Mr.. McRaes scheme which we give
in his own words, as follows:
What then do propose l propose that Congress shall
withdraw all the public lands in the Territories from sale
for ten land warrants IN sections and quarter
sections &C., of the several States accor
ding to their federal population for two hundred millions or
whereabouts the number still remaining undsposed OF in the
land States perhaps hundred and fifty mllionswch
warrants subject to sale like the soldiers land war
rants and located when sold by the purchaser This plan
will get rid difficulty about sovereign holding
domain the limits of another and about the taxation OF
these lands by the States which they e for the title will
remain in the general government till the location
The Treasrcrs of the several States will hold the warrants
in market and officer will be needed By this means
immigration will be confined to the States, and our popua
ton prevented from scattering the wilderness Thus
the necessity of expensive territorial governments will be
avoided The larger expenses Of the Department of the In
terror nav be reduced and what is of vital Importance
u.s. the present equilibrium OF the Senate will not bt
disturbed by the continued introduction of free States
said that much land thrown into the market vii
become worthless reply such not experience. The
soldiers warrants always commanded fair prices, ant
sold readily do not remember the precise amount sold
about five years. it could not have been much below one
hundred millions and during the time railroad com
panies were selling largely and the general government
also think about twenty millions of acres were sot
in two wears of Mr. Pierces administration at this rate,
would not require years to sell the whole Besides,
State would be disposed sacrifice its warrants for the
could not be fair prices they could be held as fun
to meet the States Indebtedness and thus the credit OF tn
State would preserved and her bonds kept at par wh
at least enough could be sold from year 10 year 10 make
valuable sinking fund.
The government will still have left twelve hundred mil
lions of acres in the Territories to meet any exgency
long before this exhausted shall probably have acqur
ed as much more.
Rv such distribution calculate North Carolina wou
receive from twelve to fifteen millions of acres This sold
even dollar an will yield enough to pay her debt t.
double school fund.- and then allow for extension OF rail
Fl,lIor