Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1882-03-02
TIE TARIFF,
SPEECH OF HON. ZEBULoN B. VANCE
IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE,
FEBRUARY 14th, 1852.
Mr.. Vance said :

Mr.. Vance said j:
Mr.. PRESIDENT The tendencies
Of all democratic societies are first
toward the absorption by the ma
iority of the benefits and emolu-
mcnts of the government at the cx
pense of the minority and, second
ly, towards the concentration of eX-
elusive privileges in the hands OF
the few. The government OF the
United States is travelling that road
with certainty and rapidity. A
difference of domestic institutions,
modes of life aud industrial pre-
ductlons has separated the country
into two sections. l live i'll the
minority section, and apr"pos to
the pending bill of the Senator
from Vermont, [ propose to show
to the Senate some OF the ineqnali-
ties of our national legislation which
have Injured 20 the benefit of the
majority section. | think | shall
be able to demonstrate by facts
and figures that the superiority of
tho one section to the other in
wealth, education and material
progress is due in great measure to
this unequal and unjust legislation.
In the first place, there was and
is the public domain. Perhaps no
people on earth ever possessed such
rich and happily situated e1panse
of virgin lands. They were the
common property Of the people Of
the United States, and were in
great part the free gift of some of
the original States of this Union,
notably of Virginia and North Car
olina, who generously contributed
this great wealth to aid the govern,
ment in paying the price Of onr in
dependence. That portion not SO
contributed was acquired by the
common blood and treasure, and
chiefly through the craftsmanship
of the South. 1t wonld seem,
therefore, that this common propl
erty" should have bean used for
the common benefit; either it
should have been sold and the pro~
ceeds placed IN the Treasury, or it
should have been divided equally
among the States, or it should have
been granted to actual settlers from
all the States without distinction.
Neither was done. How they have
been disposed Of is a matter of his
tory. propose to show that the
North obtained the lions share.
In Mr.. Spofford's American Al
manac the statistics are compiled,
showing how The public domain
has been disposed of, and L propose
to refer briefly to tnat compilation.
For the construction of railroads
/ the Northern States have received
directly from the government, 32,-
4SS, ,SO6 acres while for similar
purposes the South has received
IL, 2,365,357 acres Railroad cor
porations in the North have rcceiv-
ed for building railroads 1854, ;
600 acres, while single Southern
corporation, if indeed the Southern
| Pacific can be so-called, has re
ccived 9,520,O0O. For construct
ing canals, the Northern States
have received 4,405, ,9S3, while the
Southern States have received not
one acre.
For educational purposes the
partiality is still worse, ano the in
equality is still more glarlng, and
/ should put to shame every man
who is disposed to boast that the
people of the North are So much
better educated than those of the
South. For the establishment and
support of schools, the Northern
States have received from the GOV
ernment 70,2l3,534 acres of tie
public lands, while tho States of
the South have received but g.
434 ,446 acres, more than eleven
acres to one Of this "commcn prop
erty." And yet the recipients OF
this bounty taunt these who got i,
, uot with lllltcracy. Is 1t any won
der that the South Is behind, is i,
| strange that the man who has
eleven acres given him to educate
his children should do 1T better tina,
he who has but one /? How small
and ;ungenerous it Is in him who il
permitted to ride free, as govern
, ment dead-head, to boast of get
ting ahead OF his neighbor wht
bears his burden afoot.
Nor has it been any better in th
distribution of money directly from
the public Treasury. Tie sam
shameful partiality has been Oh
served from the foundation of tn
government TO the present day
For purposes of public buildings
= lighthouses, armories and arsenali
ed navy-yards and marine hospitals
aps ne Notifications, &C., there have bee
90 expended in the Northern State