Newspapers / The North-Carolina Star (Raleigh, … / Jan. 7, 1836, edition 1 / Page 2
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.... 7 - "7" shall be considered m art ele of com pel, between the original Stolen aad the people and State in ibe said ter ritory, and forever remaia unalterable, unl by cowtowt wnafnj'' and among the artUUt so formed, it is de clared that nhe legislat urea of these district or new State, shall never interfere with the priuurjr disposal of the noil. S:e." which provision ha b-en adooted into the constitutions of uuny of the new State, and forms the C4.uilitiuti which is exacted from all of them WorM!,eJ-cn be admitted into the Union.- Now. air. if theae land " IJocenunmt, these article ol compact should bare been formed between it " and the people and State of. the ter ritory, and ahould not have been .made inalterable; unless by the common consent of the vrir nui Slatc$. If the original State had parted with all, their interest in these lands, by the deed ol cession to the General Gov- - ernssent,- tbiFcneatttu-alter-tlie compact made with the people and States of the territory, would have . . - been totally. Useless and unnecessary. The fact is, sir, that the Congress of tlie United States, being conscious of - fc remaining interest and tight m awl to these lands, in the old States, and Intending at that time to do justice to them, recognised their right, in all the acts of legislation on the subject, as it obviously did in lhis., Thus jit will be -se p thjt thJW Slates JBevefHIff pirt "wW all of 'Betr UtttSaieit lands, and we shall presently shew that the v are now entitled to have the H-oceeds.pL;. thvW am mg uieui. . ' the genttetntn from Warren, is, that II would DO a violation 01 me consti tution of the United States, for Con stress to ' nuke any disposition of the public lands, or the proce'ds thereof, amiHJir the States of the Union; This argument, emanating JVoiit uch u a Source, has struck roe with great sur prise, inasmuch as it is in direct con- flict with an article of the Constitution Itself, ana oppose a to the avowed o . billion of every aduiiu'utration of the cuu nlry J.nd . ail national legisla tion upon the subject,-from the earliest aisiory or me uoverniueni. u is ex pressly laid down, in the third aection f the fourth article of the Constitution of the United States, that "the Con gress shall rhare power, to dipoe of and make all needful -rules -and re gulations respecting the territorj and other property of the United Statesf and nothing ut Ihi Constitution ahull be act conilrued aa to prejudice any tiaimi of iho t United State, or anv particular Slatt. If Congress, by this article, hai th Trtwei to dispose ol the territory of the United States, which none surely can deny, it can on ly be disposed of ao a not, to preju dice any claims which- any of the States mar have upon it: and what those claims are, w have already shown. ""In the formation of the Constitution "of the" United" Stales,' which went into operation on the 4th of March, 1789, some time after theae cessions of land, as will be perceived, o tenacious were the State of their reserved rights and interests ia these lands, that this article, which was nol in the original draft of the Constitu tion, was added by a vote often States to one. - Thus, as General Jackson, in his message of the 4th of December, 1833, remark, upon this very article, "the constitution ol the United states left all the compacts before made in lull force, And tho rights of all parties (the States ami the, General Oovern ment) rrmaintd the tame, under the new Government, as they were under the confederating" -Mr. Justice Stsry, In his commentaries upon this very same arlkWW too-Constitu tion, ; vol 3, p. i98,; fleclares, - That lbs Constitutional objection to the ap--'Woprwuost of the other revenues- of th-(ov- rcuustil to such objects (the cause ' of Educa tion and sound learning, end internal improis SaeuU,) ha not been sappond 10 Spptv to m . sppropritian of the proceed of the public bndv The ccMions of that territory war xprowlt BMita tot lW tmm hmefit of lh 1 VnlMaadctitetaMitu which may be properly devoted to say objects which are lfor the common ; benefit of the U- nion: snd that the power of ConeraM over the rublic territory is absolute and nnlimitod, un tftritnt, or by the ordinance of 1787, under -which any pel -of it .has been- eHled-----' The States tltat ceded these lands, adopted the Constitution of the United States separately, and it could hardly be expected that they were ao blind to their interests as to yield up all their claims, when there was no neces sity therelor; in fact, the debates in the several Conventions will show that this article was purposely inserted la the Constitution to guard, protect . and maiatain their reserved rights, . in the public lands. . They were jealous of their sovereign rights, fear ed consolidated Government, and were unwilling to entrust to the Gen .oral Government the uaeoatrolled dominion of so vast ,. an amount of territory, whereby the purse of the Julian inight be swelled to an un . limited extent, and the liberties of the , country endangered. They, there v fore, reserved to themselves tnis check upon the overgrown power of the fed- eru Movernmeni; sou, in ineir ueeos of cession, which are ratified and re- cognized is betnr in full force by the very terms of this article of the Con- atituUon, made th General Govern ment their arent or trustee to sell or therwue dijpe of these tan d s, to " pay the publie elebf, and to hold toe f-r the common ItneJ of the' several States of the Union This notion, that Congress has not the Constitutional right to. distribute the proceeds of the public lands, seemed to me to be so novel, that 1 was in duced to believe, either that the pre sent President of the United States entertained that opinion, or that it was avowed by a certain other political favorite. -Dut, sir, 1 mosc.viuuicaie General Jackson of that charge, and I take pleasure in laying before the Senate the following extract from his niessave to Congress im83trvii. uieniuoa Oi Kiimgmm, aiicr mi yj Dubtie deU. one of the moat important. In my view, is the public hunk. PreriooJ to the tormatHHi of the preeeot Cowtitution, it mma recammendod by Confreae that a portion of the waate land, owned by the State, ahould be ceded to the United Hlatei, 6 the purpoeee of renrral harmony and aa a fund to ateet the ex Deiteta of the war. The recommendation Wat lopted; and, at different perwJa of time, the Hutee of Maaaachuaetta, New York, Virginia, North and South. Carolina, and Georgia, grant ed their vacant sou, for the uae for which they had been aaked. .f tKc Limit matt new be nntuUred ai relieved Jrm Jliit pledge, the tlijtct ftr which they mere ceded having been acctrnfiUtheii, it it in the d tcretion Cen tre U ditbtte them in tuck wag as brat U conduce w ttejiiMkarMwtr;mul genentt interttt of Die American people. Here, sir, is sn express avowal, on the part of the President of the United States, that Congress has the Consti tutional power to dispose of these fandrf orthg"im " i u ttrestfthe-A captffrt and tjMipofrhif subject, I inut be pardoned by the Senate in submitting to their consid eration the further op nions of the preienridmTnTsTrairon upon the rights public lands. It will be recollected that General Jackson, on the 4th of December, 1 833. sent a message to the Congress of the United States, in which he assigned his reasons for re fusing to approver of a -bill-upon the subject of these public lands, com monly called Clay;a Land Bill. Af ter rrciting, in his message, the do cumentary history of these lands, he proceed as follows: "With such care have the fruited State re rrslto MrmWvr, In all llirir art down to this day in Iraialatuif for tlie terntorica, and admittinf Statee into the Union the unahack led power to eterule in rd faith the ctm- ptUf eein, made with the trijrinai Sta te. From tbea facts and proceeding!, it plainly and certainly results: 1. That one of the fundamental prinetpWa, on which - the con federation of the United fitatea war oriirinally baaed, wu that the -waate hinda of the West, within their limita, ahoald be the common property of the United Htatoa, S. That thoae lanJa wore ceded to the United State by the ttttwa which churned them, and the eesaiona were aeeepted en tha erprrit cenditivn thy ehtuld difneed of tor the cemmvn benefit the State, aecordinf to theirreapee tlve proportion! In the general ettttrg snd ex pamliture, and for no other purpose whaUo ever. 3. That in the execution of these' ao lemn compacts, tlie COn areas of the United States did, onder the ern .federation, proredd to ell theae Unua aiftd pt tlie avails into the Common treaauryi a), under tlie new Con stitution, did repeatedly pled ire them for tit payment of the publie debt of the United tatet - by -which -each- -tte wa x peeled- to profit in proportion- to the-feneral eharge to be made upon it for that object. These are the first principle of litis whole subject, which I think cannot be eonteeted by say one who examine the proeeedinc-s of the reTolutionary Congreaa, tlie eeeaions of the eeralSute, and he ode CtHjre mi.-r the new Ctnttitn tranv Keeping; then deeply hnpreaaed upon the mind, let a p rowed to examine how tar the object of the eeaaiofis have bens compeDted, snd era whether tbea compart aro not still obligatory on the United State. The debt for Which theae. land were pledged by Congrea nraj do ronnuereu a paiu, ana mey are con sequently released from that lien. But that pledge formed no part of the compact with the states, or of 111 condition upon which the cessions were made. - It was a eontraet between new partiea Iwtween the Uuued Sutcs and their crcditora. Upon pay stent of the debts, the etmbactt fdeeJa of eeeniun) remain in full feree mi the ebtifutie ethe Vnitml Sim tt &ip efthe- luntl fir the reaMMSi tenejit, tfrwwlFiyrf" cannot now ba icutel kt thnt mode, tlie only legit-at u queciion which ean ansa ia, in- what oilier way ar litese ' land to be hereafter diipiied DITTbrthe-commun benefit of - thr evarsl Btalea, aecordinf to their respective and usual proportin in the general charge and expenditur. 1 The ceaaionsof Virginia, ."forth Carolina ami (ieottia, ki exprea terms, and all the rest impliedly, not. only provide thua eperiflcsjly tlispixvortioe) accordiiig. to, .which each State ahall profit by the proceeds " of tlie land sales, but tliry proceed to declare that they shall h faithfully and bona ndeOMpoaed of for no other use or purpose whatever TTut it the undameutul law a the land ml tKit mtment. frewmg tut ef eempaelt, which are fder than the Centtihttien, and firmed the rerse tttneen which the Uin ittrlf wa ererr Such were and the opinions of Gcu oral Jackson, i whieh seem - fa- me te cover the whole ground contended for) and, moreover, Tie expressly remarks, in the same mcssas, . . "The Contituiion of the United States did not delegate to Congress the power to abrtgnte there ctmhactt. Ou the contrary, by declaring (in IV article, O,) that nothing in it shall be ao construed, a to prejudice any claim of the United States or of any rwrticwlar Statav it virtually provides thst (Arse eimpuctt, und the rifht thef teevre, shall mnain mlonched by the legialatir power, which ahaB only make all needful rules and regulatiorN for carrying them intosfleet. Alt beyond this would seem to be an assumption of undelegated nearer. Tht)s, air, it would clearly appear, both from the Constitution, its history, and the opinions of its expounders, that Congress has the Constitutional right to dispose of the proceeds of these lands among the Statestthe expediency-, justice and necessity of so doing, we shall presently advert to. We have hitherto confined our remarks to the publie lands that were ceded by the States. It will be re- j collected that Mr, JelfYrsom-wno-j seemed to entertain no Constitutional 1 scruples about the purchase and die-1 P.0;'0. f P?bie coocludeil with France t ieoS, aa- balance quired tfieTierrity oILuuIitana. fur tlie sum of fifteen millions of dollar) and that, by a treaty witb Spain, signed in 1819. we became possessed of the Floridas, by paying, as a considera tion therefor, five millions of dollars. These two purchases cost the General Government, with interest, ic. thirty millions of dollars, whiclr sum - waa actually paid out of the public treasu ry, and finally discharged out of the proceeds of the public land and, consequently; those lands belong as much to all the States of this L nion as - those ceueu oy tne particular statesr-and'-ihe"- Oorernmentr they beins theKiuTvaleht for arising from the proceeds oi me puouc j lands,' &cT ia as justly bound to dis-1 sT.irr. on territori: Tennessee, Mitaiaaippi, Indiana, Ohio, Louisiana, Illinoia, M irhigan Territory, Arkansas Territory, Missouri, Florida Territory. Alabama,. ulaV)' TtrntjdrUaj'memt of .Lak.ci gan, and east of the Mississippi rivsr,' I Great Western .Territory, standing from the Missusippi riter westward, . ruiahed. Total acres, which the United 8laae ia bound tol distribute the proceed of among the States, Thus, sir; it will be perceived that the total acres of the. publi5liirid which are held by the General Gov ernment, for the common benefit of all the States, amount to the enormous number of one billion sixty two m.l- lion four hundred and sixty three thousand one hundred and seventy one which, at the. minimum price of one dollar-and twenty ftvecents per acre, would yieia the immense sum ol one billion three hunuretl and twenty seven millions nine hundred and seventy eight thousand nine hundred and sixty three dollars, and seventy five cents. The share or proportion of North Carolina even supposing the lands were equally divided among all the States, without regard to their size or population, would amount to four million four hundred and twenty six thousand nine hundred and twenty three acres) but if federal population is assumed as the basis of the division, her share would nearly double that amount. .....With ..a lund like this, sir, what misht we .not do to advance the prosperity and welfare of our good old State? The blessings of education micht be liberally bestowed upon all of our poor) her great resources might be called into active and useful opera tion) internal improvements, connect ing the mountains and the ocean, the very means by which our crest re sources might be developed, and, our citizens rendered an united, happy and contented people, would be con strutted; and our own population, instead oi seeking other climes and countries, where they may receive a reward for their labours and industry, might here Msit down under their own vine and fig tree," and become rich, prosperous and happy. Sir, I cannot dwell upon the enchantment of the scene which-this act of justice, on the part of Congress, wowldlpaocetlpon mr native T hm a North Caro linian by birth, education and feeling. ami, with, all her faults, I Jove her raiae-my feebte"6ice against her Just ami righteous claims to a share of the proceeds of tW public lands. As has been truly remarked, she is "the Ire land of this Union," the disinherited child) and false must be her sons t their trust, and recreant to her cause who would, Jn this her Kour of need, lail to' assert Iftet 'just and legal rigWs". Would that I could animate every Senator present with a just sense of her wrongs sad active . conception of her rigWts. Would that I could, on this subject, excite them with the no- Weenthusiasm wkvch arriaiated Gusta- vas Vaa, as he became conscious of his desperate fortunes, and the great ne cessity of extraordinary exertion, when he exclaimed. Here will I stand, and breast me to the shock. ItU I, or Denmark tau. Our own State has never received any of the favours even which the General Government could rightfully bestow, with the exception of an an propriation of twenty thousand dol lars, to clear nut certain obstructions near the month of the Cape Pear ri ver, which were put there during the war, for the general good, and one or two smaller ones, not exceeding, in an, tuty thousand dollars, lor the in ternal . improvement ot the State, since he , became a member of the confederacy. 1 believe the whole amount is stated. Those works of a national character, such as forts, light houses, &c.- cannot be brought into the computation, f aa they were con- ! structed as much for the benefit of the other State of the Union, aa for North Carolina-iVhilstaMt the contrary, millions upon millions have been la- vished upon the other States, as their metst well ati attests) and CouTes, pose onreH"rortfie 'com7n6n of ail the people of (he Uolud States, as any other portion of the public do main, in. lact, ucnerai jacKson, in his message of 1833in apeaking of the. public lands, remarlis. - Thoe which havs been acquired by the purchase of Looiaian and Florida, having been paid out of the eominon treasury of tlie United States, are as much the property of the General Government, to be disposed of for the eemmen benet, as those ceded by tlie acverai Suae.' - . '. ; ' la order tlia't the Senate may, , at once dance, perceive the vast amount sua quantity oi me puonc isnus wnicn thrGenert oernment irahla torthe union, t uum ucg ica i tuumu w them the following tablet i i Whole quanUH Quantity of! Quantity of ty of laud in land belonging land belonging to leach State or to the L'niled.Uie U. 8 u tea, to llerritory. 8tatca,lo which'wliich the Indian Acsx. the Indian title title is not extin- is extinguished1 guiahed. 26,438,00 31,074,334 3,000,00oj 11,514,517 12,308,455 4,984,3 1H 25,364,197 23,575,300 16,885,760 5,335,632 , 409,501 none. 6,444,640 "7,378,00 none. none. 4,032,640 9,519,066 S2,45,66 24,810,246 31,463,040 35,941, 902 24,939,870 16,33,420l 28,8Htf,5'20t 26,770,941 35,263,541 39,119,019 35,286,760 34,001,226 29,728,300 19,769,679 334,627,486 :3Q$.627J6.9W .49?85,639 "o6,8(W,Sr 750,000,'OOOi " 750,000,000 T,l 40,43,330 B56,790,473 205,672,698 l;062,463,171 even of the very lands ceded tu it by North Carolina, granted one huad red thousand acres lor" the use of two Colleges, one in East, and one in West Tennesse) and one hundred thousand acres, in one tract, for the use of Academies, one in each coun ty ot the State of Tennessee, to be established by tlie If giblature thereof, Before I proceed to show the un just manner in which the Congress of the United states has already dispos ed ol a portion of tlie public domain, I would beg leave to submit to the Senate the system which waa adopted for sur veying end selling the public lands, as contained in a report to Congress. According to that system, all public lands offered for sale are previously accurately surveyed, by skilful sur veyors, iu ranges of townships ot six miles square each; which townships are subdivided into thirty six equal divis ion or square miles, culled sections, by lines crossing each other at right an- ties, and generally containing six undred and forty acres. These sec tions are again divided is to quarter sections) and prior to the year 1820, no person could purchase a less quan tity than a quarter. In that year, provision was made for the further division of the sections into eighths, thereby allowing a purchaser to buy only eighty acres, if tie wished to pur chase no more. During the session of Congress of 1 852, further to extend accomodation to purchasers of the pub lic lands, and especially to the poorer classes, the sections have again been divided into sixteenths, admitting a purchase of ouly forty acres. The Senate will now be better enabled to : estimate the unbounded liberality of the General Government eo' tlie " new States, when thoy' are informed, that, bsevhe existing uws of Congress. . five percent, or the nett proceed arising from the sales of the public lands, within their limits, are appropriated forhjy; nat improvement and one section in each township, being one thirty sixth part of all, for. Education. .. if then, sir, the General-Government can - op- iropriate the proceeds of the public amis .to the new States, and they stand on terms of equality, according to the Constitution, with tlie old States, where is the Jpjstice or correctness of tW argument, lhaV'she cannoTiTo tKe same for the old States? But .this is jn.it all. The munifi cence of the General Government to wards the new States does not stop here. Appropriation, to a very large imouBt7foOhejpurposc8ofI Internal improvements, Colleges, Academies and .Iuniversities, common schools, religious and charitable institutions, and for seats of Government, of the publie lands, have been made to the new States, according to a statement prepared for the House of Representa tives, up to January 25, 1852," as follows: - Ohio, --.. l,75r,8S8 Indiana, 1,012.593 Illinois, 1,r 12.225 Missouri, 1,181,248 lissjUaipiir 733,244 : Alabama, 1,216,450 Louisiana, 92O.05S Michigan, . 599,973 Arkansas, - ' 996, S38 Florida, - 917,724 U,05r,685 The Senate will perceive that p to January, 1832, the new States had re ceived, for these important purposes, eleven millans fifty-seven thousand six hundred and eighty-five acres of the public lands) whilst the old States, whose blood aad treasure were poureil out to acquire and defend them, have sir jiejae re'.iese thing of ihe additional - five per cent. to tucn they are a tiu;a, spoiu.e nett proceeds of the sales; of all that are sold, &c would yield, it a moder ate price, the enormous sum of sixty millions of dollars. According to an assessment of all the lauds in North Canli.namad.:.m:J.he;ijMr..18l5Jl (when they were far mote valuable, and there were fewer inducements to leave the "State ,) they were valued at fifty-two millions of dollars) and thus it woold appear that the General Gov ernment, in its prodigality, has actual ly, given away-totiie new States, a ternoryfar iexceetitTi2"iwvnioe' nd fertihtyr&cs-thatf the whoW SUt4if North Carolina. . 1 will not now stop to inquire whether the Legislature of North Carolina uul not exceed the bounds of its authority, when it ceded these lands to the ' General Govern ment) whether the lands did not be long to the people, in their sovereign capacity) and whether they could be disposed of by tli'e legislature, without an express delegation of iiower, to that effect, from "the people, or only by a Convention called for that purpose. Suffice it sir, to say, that the Legisla ture, having taken upon itself the au thority: tu do so, and ihut deprived the State ol a valuable part ol its domain, it is but just and right that the Legis lature should now demand of the Gen eral Government tlie share or propor tion of the proceeds of tire in to which our -State 4s-etttitledr - r... 'lre-giftl?Mf tughj has introduced a series of re solutions, which, like the prostrations made, by the., coosuiratorsa ag-jjast the foot of his throne, are only intend ed to conceal their true meaning, and to disguise the purpose which they are intense 1 to effect. They are not in tended to remedy the existing evils comptarned of ffhey secXhothiiig fi om the General Government) they do not assert the claim of the State tu a share of the proceeds of the public lands; they do not admit even the authority of Congress to dispose ol them) but they deal in "generalities," com. lied in such, ambiguous, and equivocal terms, that, like the. responses of the oracle, they involve the true question in such un certainty and doubt as to mean no thing) and still the gentlman has in genuity enough so to expound th m as make them suit his purpose. -The fu st resolution, like any other abstract pro position, is purely passive in its char acter) the first branch of the sceoDd resolution contains a political axiom, which meets with my hearty concur rence, vix. "that alt the public reve nues are collected from the people, di rectly or indirectly, and ought never to exceed the amount of expenditures necessary to an economical administra tion of tlie Govcrment' But, sir, I should be glad to know w hat the gen tleman mcatisby bispolitical c'turrolktry, "ami, therefore, whenever tlie pro ceeds of the sales of the territory or public lands of the United Slates are not required ", aid of other revenues for the legitimate purposes of the nation al Govei nment, we believe it the duty of Congress to devise, and recommed some safe method for distributing among all the States any surplus proc eeds of the public land which may from time to time remain in the treasury of the United States, after defraying if a ex pendilures.n Does the geotlemaa from Sorry expect..44 throw dust in theyee omse pepleThutf, by mak ing them blind to their int ret? If the proceeds of the public lands are not to be distributed until they are not require fot tbe legitimjite purpo-ea oC Government, they never will be dis tributed. What are the legitimate pu rposes ol Govern men t ? If thejr em braofrajmagrnr tern of internal improvement, tlie ewi stractinn of light houses and forts, the building of a navy, tlw investment ofoiillions in a natioiinl Bank, sn-l all the expenses of sn extravagant Gov ernment, why, sir, the proceeds or the public lands will be as dust in the bal ance, to answer even these purposes. .The share of the State will be nothing) ment, having the unlimited control of the sword, with millions at its com mand, will swallow up and destroy the very sovereignty and liberty of the States. : ' v ....;? ' - If' the States are entitled to tlie pro ceeds of the public, lands, after the payment of the debt for which they were ceded to the General Govern ment, Congress has no right to appro priate them,to any other purposes. Why is the gentleman from Surry, so disposed fa mystify this subject, anal so unwilling to come out open! r, and assert the right of the State? He be lieves, after the proceeds of the public lands are all exhausted, in these legiti mate purposes, that "it U the daty of Congres to tfertw wn recommend some safe method for distribution asaoivg rhe States.' 1 pledge the gentlman from Surry that he shall have an opportuni ty of giving ra local habitation and a' name", to these mysterioss words, "devitt and recommend. If he be lieves that it , is unronstitntionat for Congress to dispose of the proreeds of tne public lands among the States, why does he not so state it in hi resolu tions, and say at once that the meaning of his infe. method" is to (ferise and re eommend aa amendment to the Consti tution? This, ir,"Ts liis meaning, and it would have saved an unnecessary debalecjf. jn l plainjanguage Ue had statedr4t i th opintnn vf - this f ien eraI;,AssemblTthatXoagrcss has. jia Constitutional power to UitiiLut C - proceeds ol the public lands amorjj t.'- -States," . If, according - bis lenolw-' tion; ohlj Mtbe surplus proceeds, uf th public lauds, which may Iroin tin to remain in tlie treasury of the UnitJ - States, after defraying its expenditures . are to be distributed, lie had better not reccommenu to Congress to incur the expense of amending the Constitution) -v for nothing will remain in the treasury, after satisfying the horde of hungry V politica! cormorants who hang upon lha ; Government, and defraying the lavish -expenditure of the public money oponJL alfand m jrobjectrwirtCtiiHay tedetifc" ed legitimate purposes. :. . The third resolution, trquires ' no ' action on the part of the Government, ' and, as the assertion of an opinion, ia - not objectionableTBuirsir7l shoold be lad to know for what nurpwe this General Assembly is called upon-1 send on to tlie Congress of the United ! States the fourth resolutions vl thought that the object of all legislation was to remedy some grievance, or to'aSsert " some right , and provide" means to main tain it What docs the Congress of , the Unitod States care about our re- solving further, thst we deprecate all attempts on . the pm-uf ;-the- citizens,: of this State to increase the difficulties," and magnify the jealousies, already exhibited upon national questions,' in respect to our public lands, by giving to them a party character, winch doeo-- ot-propr I j -"be Wg-taliowfejiecVi to the new States to put forth urgent and unreasonable dcmaiidsawJ on the other hand, by denouncing their claima 1 a blaze of discontent in the nation.. which, however intended by those who , raised it, must ultimately endanger the peace and prosperity of the best Gov erniuent on earth r' .JkVjhat havftJlliey fo tlo witK it ? What -remedy can they give us for such a state of things? , Sir. the gentleman frira Sorry ; surely doe not iuteitd to fix a libel upon the char acter of our good old State. When have its peaceable citizens ever at tempted to increase the difficulties, and magnify the jealousies already exhibit ed upon national que'stioiiv fri respect" " to our public lands, by giving to tht n a party character? Or to what act of their lives ran you point whicVcati be con strued irte a denouncement of the claim of the new States, with bitter repromtAea so as-to kindle, a blaxo-of-d iscon tent i tli earat v' d 1 jt x.. dangi-r the existence of our Govern . roent? This resolution does great in justice ft tb good people of our Sfftteg and the gent lema from Stfrry should have sprel tbem the deep mortifica tion of this public denunciation and exposure. There can be butoue opin ion in North Carolina, among the peo--: ple, upon the subject of the distribu tion of the public (and) and it will be easily discenied who among ua are for giving this matter " party efiararlei)' for "by their fruits ye stall know themj" and it requires tio sagacity i tlixtinguish " those who -"are reudy and wiljing to assert and iniiiUin tin jut claim upon the General Government, in betia I f of North CaraKifa,: a ; ? i The resolutions introduce.? by the gentleman from Surry inalui no demand of die General -J-Gorcrnnirnt, and asanrrt no claim, on the pait ' of our Stale, to a share of the proreeds of tho public lands. They arc, thcrrfoi. perfectly useless, and can afford no relief to the people. The resolutions introduced as aineodidnry to taesc, by the genUetnuo from Anson, meet wi J my ajiproltUMvTtcy declsre, in anlwtnn, e, that Congress ought hot torrducc '"tlii n.ib'i- mum price at which tlieae hinds am now sold, , uov give the puldic Wis to tlie Slates in which they are situated, a diorehy the- prtwperity of . the old States would he serionsty aflecfwl, ai.d w htjiiiitirenVne to those States Which ced t them; and, nmreover.thst such disposition shou'il . lie niade of them, or the Drocceda thenr m. .JWSmiAiit reapwi die warn' Ialioh. The lninimurn price is now an, UII. 'Ti c.or in proportion lalhr rfA m mt... and twciity-Sve rents per acre If this sum is revlived, tUry mill srareelv pay die expensea bt unoejinir, cc ana ronwonently erase-to l)e' source of rcveimc 16 the Covcrnmrnl: and "n great will lie. die consequent inducement to nX move, that tbn old 8 atcs will be drained of their) popnion, anrr me value of thrii lands be -(rrsded tn a niere nominal value. A lfeh Mm a,,u iimira, uiini lie in natural Mini VYu.twird the star of empire wing iu Way; 1 awxaeiiig suyptwtci and fotrred bjl me UetHTiit Government and- the vas j con ribitions fritm the old States, hot K " in wealth and imiiulatiuri. tht ae,,.t,l w imwcr win ue iraiiMened there, t and tb destinies of this , grn'tai mighty tiat'wit wielded by the ovA Xrwwn ii.tlnence of lha V-. .'ill reduction of the minimum price wouhVi only open il.e field to the rich Specu lator of the country, who, by combin ing together, would le sure to deprive tl poor wan of all its advantages, and engross all the better lands, which) would be after aids sold nut to pur chasers at their nu n prires. Besides, sir, it would be doing injustice to hne who have already purchaaed of il.e Goverarweivt at the preseut prices, and violate the terms of the deeds of rc- s on. by promoting; alone the inim.1. of the new Slate, at the etru nan r the old ones, and thus defeat that rellent provision which nfovide.l f the rommon uae. and benefit ail It would not increase the, demand, as pant experience and observstiun have shewn us that the suppl y of lands, atlhe present prices, is Inadequate to the de mantl, so great is the eihisrarioataithat our miSratory population, tii thiV, ... gernesa and avMldy ftrrritoriaT jv'tr nave rve.n pfle( bevond ihe boundaries of the United Sutrs. snd are fast penpting the4utberto $ir and. "deseiTleri iiirv of '"Tmb77.; - 'JL V f i 7 V 1 1 i have wMJ-itttftf.irftoaxe I m 'IltlJ"W.'w:-iyfls-,J
The North-Carolina Star (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Jan. 7, 1836, edition 1
2
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