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1 " w - - - ' TERMS. " Tth Dot.t.a r nmim one nau in MWirf . TJior who j f, eithfi'at tUe tinn of ubneriMnff - r )W wntlych'fttice of their wwh to liare v.tlm rn" lRontjnM!Kt tUtxpiwt'wn f the will be pwsuined ap deanng ua coHtinutnco. ual!l eaun iuntrrmanded. . 1 5 ' ' .t:exrfeluir Wrjj-6rtV-ViH .',t,'t, .three timerSQTToitto$$yrt for etrli ' 'nuWrqitent ptJUcaUbn!iiloV .df grMter fen?th, in propoxini If IVe Wj6f "insertion e not. ;?iarke4 on Acth jTiwftt H continued until ftr- reJ-outind laarcd tfescotdingjy. V . - , PjpcccWbf F.jdrcom, Esq.; iln'the House at' Commona, '.nn tle 3il of ! ;3amiar7j: BS$l o ih 'following Reso i lutluns iotrfctiucecl lby Ur. Honlerion. .V???! af tho opinion of thU General Aweot I Mr. That ny lact by wbteh' the Congresi of the Uni- ttd Btatei 'shall invo tlie public lands to the State , lik which; they are situated, pr any,, act by which th tniDimuio price at wluch . U)Cv lands are now sola hall U reduced.' -would seriously fffCt tlic prewpe- litr -of all; the oW State ind ijb great .injustice to I V. iVu Stafas h wham, thev were oririntlv ceued ta s; T-r- - j : - t a - y . - i ,4he Confedcraioy. tjii:M:,::i, -j I 4 ItetQleed further, a the opinion of this General f jAsafujibljf That the public debt having been extm- UHiiirn, mnu ins opjeci wr. wjucii ne ctiun vt me respective portion of the : public domain by the . :S tatei whichf oHinally held.iliem, having thus been accomplished, . that such distribution of tljr. public Isne or'the 'prbcWeilif 'lheteof, ought to be made among the States' of t&e Union, as shall be, prnpor ; tioncd to the respective sacrifices and expenditures I incurred by ther Irr fcuort ;of the United States, j or at least, in proportion to their federal population, 'Hi9-iiGQyfmMm he isvere 1y rdciucstrd ta transmit eopics of these Resolutions -to the Senators and Representatives fr,om this State ! in Uie Congres of the United States. " : - Mk. Speaker' i 'The member f this, body will io rnethe iUstice to admit that ' 1 am riit 'iij i1i)taBW occupjingthe "fioiiroften';D ; but 1 must beg ihir atieniton i. present longer than usual, iiiice -tVe-iiibiect'ow'' before 'ui U T -one ftnore iinpoctafice ' to our! State shntiWi it lead ijn . anjr;Iavorabl action of Coiigreis) than Van j measure which: has been presented ;for cofjsitteration in many' yeara. It is desirable that those gentte men whose tttehtion basr riot Bein hereto- il ubject,8houldt preaenV learn enough of it merits at least,! anil become so far acquainted with tbe- public tlomain, las to ihlorm, and roue up4lie people to a sense oftheir rigbia.. vlfrsir? the, great mass of vuicr in me oia o;aies couki once geiin . io possession of tTiefacl of this case,tbere .'would scarceljwbe found a dissehjjng yoice Ironi Maine to Georgia in regard to xne poucj wmcrt ougnt to nave Deen idopted in relation to the Public Lands. Kptithat pary's'pirft oujd be hushetTen- itreiv, out .pecause.no man could get seat m Congress who wa 'hot pledged to pursue a course similar in principle to that indicated in these desolations. Doubt less eRbrts will be itiade hre to nive this eson tne g by in some direct mode, or by. aotne evasive course s and if h it a part vquesliiirfm rself : arrti one other fact 1 can assure) gentlemen of in additi on viz : that the people will not make it a question Hbj' Jacksonism ?. pri antN when t hey once beeowe all ve-JtoV th" q u es t io n ; ; and before take iny seatif this IfouSe is so disposed ivilljcertainly endeavor to shed whatl light oh . the subject circum stances have eiiableilt'ine to accumujite. Vh orer. to observe some method 1 in handling this subject, I will -1st proceed to show the original claim we once had to these :Jiands-2dry(;the circumstances Nkhiclv led to hbe conoitiohs on which tliey aaarA tfiarfol tn f1aa IvanAfQl nAWAfnmMnr. T that effort shnuld fail an attempt no doubt tl .fbjtawtUiakl Ita party question for theVe are cert am indications bv which t does not require a magician to discover 1 will promise, sir for, one. not to make air, some reasons i'vr presents prompdren action oil this subject itl. our;feena 9trmm wants 'and the uies'ta which this fund couUV be applied, p'.'Jri&K '. i Tbosevho aVti4ua,e$V4nKCo. Ion ul history we 1 1 know, v1 jiaj: Charl es 11 gratitedtti:2cerflin ewHemen1 known as LorsAPropietorlf,,? charter formal! lands within the NorUicrn limits of this 8tate and the Sou thern line of S.'(X pur rior Hg -so extend from the .Atlantic to the Pacific" QceanKnese Lrds Propri etors had vested in the n, not only the ri't of the qil bu t tlte riglit of gwyerp inent j" and" Tor causes .not now necessary ' 1 , ' ' 1 - 11 ' ' ' it ' ' ' " i III h. .fl.iif.fl t . H IT ci tmtwA m I the crowa'the!i tightt-f government, and I subsequently gave irp tlie rrght of hc soil,1 f except Karl Granville, who retained (he i right in property In' the sbilif HjJHce it is, sj titne titles to our lands are deri ved from Lord Granville, the crown," and since the year 1 776, from the-State. Jn tlnrneah tinte, the French had-seled "Canada, and on the Mississippi, land they claimed to hold all the Ljandjs west of the Misstsrsip- i ,? .1 .i i .-.! i ri.iviveri-nnu norm oi me jaxs ann in Uiver Lawrence jt war ensue d be-! .wero, cvm'io a . nance,, anil py .tne i treaty of 763 oV 5, f whi Ch : te nit ina t ed it, the claims of ike 'French wert admitted, land a f ter wards our limits Wst were ort fi nc to the M ississtp pi ri v cr Sou th- Ca - rotna was separated from the rest of thii srant t and we luld at that time all ' l hat land now cniisritti tinr the' State of Tennessee f a country liiapy years uhend oi tier Ancestor in moral anu pnyMcai.iin- prpvemeii.T ina in a nt ia'senerosity we paVted with that b-?trerjJiialf from which we are ' destined bever 'again to realise a dbllar of revenue. f j ; . . Virginia, New York, Con nec t.icut,-Geor gia, kc acqqiretl. otliH large tracts of lanil unuer vtrcuinsiauces varying u suj!itantial dVgrce from our acquisition. So af discovery cemqulit and purchase, uniledi. can give'title.toa tountry, beyond any question we once had the title to these lands ahd by virtue f a sriccessfuV" Re vnfutipn the States succeeded, to the rights of the. Crown in this' immense domain. v The--circumstances Swhich led to their cession to the FederalCongress were prin cipally these : Tn the df fi'hce'of that li berty which we now enjoy in. peace, and in ahe struggle for thati independence of Engtaml which wa attained by so great a sacrifice of blood and treasure, we ne cessarily had to borrow lai-ge sums of mo ney to support tiie war waged to secure tese ends, as our country was not only rrew, but destitute of h.tt large floating capital to be four.d in tliese; times. The succefsCul termination of a war so pro tracteiU left as with an immense de4)t, which iiung upon this patriotic land like an incubtis, and threatened to sever at someday, the feeble ties which then con nected the 13 old $ttes. Burins the con flict, the question was frequently agitat ed, what should be done with these land in the event of a successful termination or the warj .the Statesfiolding them con tending for all within;tiiii chartered li mits, and those withotit aiiy holding, that as they were ta be gained by mutual sa crifices and tosses they were entitled to a part ol them; 1 ins question vas preg nant with paralysing divisions .apd jeal ousies, whea (he. patriots land statesmen of that day stepped forward to check-the progress of discontent and arrest' the serious consequences to .which this ques- uon was aoout to lead, " and Dy aTesoitf. tioaot Uongress in- 1780, -recommended to the States' to surrender (heir waste lands for the common benefit vf thtUtti ted Stales." This! recoininepdatjon was ultimately adopted by all the States hold ing land. So much lor! the iondititiun which led to theirreli nru ishmen t. ! ' The conditions on which they- were'ee ded, must be ascertained from looking to the causes which, induced the. surrender. and' by an examination S of the deedsT of cession. Some of the causes have alrea dy been adverted to, but one more I will npw,press into the service a little further, tbit, the payment of the public debt. Under the articles of confederation, to li quidate this debt contributions were made by the States of specific sums, apportion d to theif tfWtfr respective proportions in the general charge, and expenditures' Jut4here was no means nor pMiwer to co erce any State into the payment of her partf either fur tills ptfse, or for Jhe support of Gover nmeiitJ ! The wisest meii vrere' puzxled to devise the ways & means uiruiyciiarging utus tieut j the attention of i i - . tal to that state, which thev hail iuar'nt tained after su "iong and desperate a strug gle. These lands' were at last pointed to, and with great 'vidom too, as the souroe from whence might be derived the requisite funds. ! . . . i tv. . . . . ... MV,Hfflie oi tnese "reat causes tnena- lone wllch Jed tr, their tession; if is hot diflicult to ascertain' the conditions t w men they were relinquished. N. Ca rolina and Virginia surremlered without remuneration; all the other States reroiv- ed a nccuniafv comnenRatinn in Warf tV made largp reservations! for themselves. The deeds though Varying; in wards, are substantially as follows' For the use losing the according io tttiir proportion, th: fite vgeneral charge ! ahdexnendU urcr t and they shall be faith fully disposed offorf purpose" and for no orner y sc or purpose umaisoevcr. ' , f 1 1 theti )hese hisocaJljjcU! i;be true, J i t'; is perfectly clear, jve opce, had title to this domain ; w ceded it for a particular pur. pose, to witt: to,;tonstitutc a common benefit,,, and bythe covbhaht they were to be disposed of for Ac purpose, anti no other.. rv . -. r :, ' Now I need nor ask, Mr; Speaker, a ny Iefi(al; geiitletnaii fri'.'mTheari'iig''bo,t I will submit it to' any inind capable of comprehending the import of words, that ii mat purpose ana none omer lurwmcn thepr were grated is1 answered ouglt (Key not to revert b'icls (otiR! K those,, bur thens are removed,4and.! those debts;paid off, for which purposes they were conven ed to 1 the Genet at rGvrrimeht, tloes It nui (oiiow oeyono me reacn oi uouoi, toa.t the fust having bee satisfied, Uie trv te should now pay over itu those who made the conveyance r SirV it i too; plain to require any thitig; mo I thab a !vstate- went. v.- , , . - i. v i, . r; , ,1 do not wish to be understood as claini - infiuvthe Statrsfhat c&diiiese lands? r - ' - 1 ' 1 " ,prceep s a iv i n thciHsalc, tor two rrans-i--istlSt becaoic le patnor, the statesman; and philoso pher wasf directed to it, as a subject of !drsuiettttfi('tfiat .inlght'.)al to results fa a larce portion of the lands unsold Wete i acquired uy, treaty from France & Spain, which cost Jn at) ahottt fi ntillions ot dot? iar, and f course were paid for br jihe people it larKe I do not think mat a nauve oi ;4i in Carolina, or any other old State, by removing to Alabama or -Missouri therfibji surrenders his inter est in tiusfc lands which were acquired by the IilcMul and treasure of his ancestors. It is but fair the neU proceeds should be divided as indicated in the' Resolutions ; and since the General Government now holds these lands, and can survey and tell them, and collect the proceeds with lnorei unifhrmity and despatch than the separate States could, it is certainly expedient tlvat the preseiif system should be atfliered to, and the nctt proceeds divided among the States, 'rather than the laud. !' Let us now enquire whether the state ft f things has arrived which was anticipa ted, and by the operation' of which this branch of revenue is no longer needed by the Geneial Government. AVe are in formed by (he President and the Secre tary!of the Treasury, that on the Ist'duy of jinuary, 1335i everj cent iof the Na tionalfdebt will be paid ofl, and a surplus of some mill ions be left in tlie Treasury, So thn, the great end having been attain ed for which they were granted, they are no longer wanted for that purpose, and that astonishing epoch has. arrived in the history of civilized nations and is now presented to the world, of a nation of ,13 (o 15 millions of freemen, living under the happiest form of government known to man,; after having gone successfully thro' two wars witii the most powerful and en lightened nation in the world, is notbur- thened with one cent of public debt. Are there any other -causes for retaining this revenue r Let us see. The reports from the Treasury Department, inform us that the ordinary revenues of the Govern ment, arisiog from duties on imports, now amount to from S to 5 millions more than is necessary' to pay the current-ex penses f Government so from the' 1st of this month, we will have m the Trea sury a surplus of from 5 to 10 millions of dojlars annually over the legitimate wants ol the country, tor the support ot the re ' srs- derat-Government;, and l Know ot no other ohiect to Which this fa nd tou Id be applied that would bring the application within the object of the grants to" wit: .to be applied to the common benefit of all the States and no other' I will now, Mr. Speaker, anticipate two objections to this ineasurt, which as they have with some plausibility been inade elsewhere, if is: to be presumed that they may be urged here. It is held a a m : Dy some,, that vjongres nas no power (under the Constitution) to dispose of these lands, or of their proceeds, among the States 4ecause 4hey ! were conveyed before the Constitution was adopted. I here are two enectual answers fo that objectin 1st, tlieVe is notliing in the deeds themselves to prohibit such a dis- nosition but they shew on their face it was a trust lund created in tlieTUeneraI Government and the right to return what is left, after accomplishing the objecjt q the grant, to the grantees, follows neces Barily. 2d, the Federal Constitution was adopted, it 's true, since these lauds were conveyed, but ;the States that cedf l 1 t' mem nave- subsequently ranned -and adopted the Constitution so that being. ! ihe tusk act musJ jgoverA SuppoHiHg 'the, two to be inconsistepUAyhich. Ldeny, , Again all the land ceded, by . Georgia, as well as that purchased from Spain and France, which hoW' Constitutes the-'reat-' er part ofthe unsold fpublic latVifi.; were obtained by the General Government since the adoption, of th 'federal Conntitution: and if there cabe any ddubtisirtVerd to this question as a-Aonstitutional one, the plain words id. the 3d sec. oj the 4th article ofthe Constitotibh wtll disperse of that doubt itjreads thus Anf. shall have power to tHspoie of anf matke all needful rules and regulations respect- tng the territory and other property ofthe United States, Sic." I must sav, air, 'in canuour, l can scarcely believe any man of sense speaks the truth, when he pro fesses to iloubt the Con stitu tin naif ight of Congress over the public lands as herein recommended. v ' ; , Another objeclipn; urged against Ibis measure was that we should reduce the duties, on imports below the wants of go vernment, and make up the deficiency out of the sales of vthe.' public lands.' That was a plausible argument perhaps at l.h time Mr. ; ttayne resorted t A?t?-i" but it no lohger applies! for mw the :Ta? ri if. is sett led and fi xed at a compremtae, at a certain rate ot duties lor ten years; f and on the pnncinlfe too,' that the rates phall be fully adequate to the.Vai Government: no berson, in his senses-1 disposed to disturb that, question nowj ndr would he be so permitted 1 presume. pf the attempt were in ad e.' ; The prih clpl e ana ,ra te oi uu t les op i ng now. oxeji cpy cpinpromise for ten years at least, if. not forever, if is useless to expect that they will be reducel.i Is then this five millions to be idle in the Treasurv "ex pended Jby he G eu rat bye rti me n t i fi purchasing upi MljstnctsoPcountryJfbyJ tne adoption orasysieiriii internal "imr proveMetit that , recognises tip opjet .as hattoual, where vote eaaoot be; Wught I Or should it hl nsiil nvor In ifc rot aiwl original Ttwncrs, the State, who stand in need of Its aid; and with it mtht effect vabiable purpoMcs. J I come piiw, Sir, to threasons which should Jiidufce u to act fit present, ami promptly, iiV this matter An opinion or idea t now prevalent ins tie West, gain ing groandIatly. .and miv; advocated by tlie President. "that theselanls ought' to be surrendefed to the States in which they are located.hr b W to hem, which is the same thfng in the endis giving them. If this quesltiiin is not settled before the members from the-new States take their seats in Congress JinderJ the census of 1840, the fSest will bayl vt decided a majority, that all hope of this resource will be entirety cut off jirever. It re quires no prophet to forwwe, that before many years jshall pass ove our heads, the ioh:iritants of the r eat valley of the Mis sissippi apdpts tributaries will (by. their numbers) completely control the destinies of this corfnjtry. - "! I have said to sell these lands to the new States would be tantamount to giving them, for how under heaven are they to pay for thenf!? Take oner State as an ex ample. Illinois has 153 000 population. but about SU million of -acres of public lands. Now if we sohl this to her at the minimum prjee, it would amount to near ly 40 mill iofw of dollars, Ttr at half price to 20 millions of dollars. Could she pos sibly pay 1t4 9ir, could the ever pay the tmeresi on mat sum wnicn would exceed million annually. And Pray how could we enforce payment. Tor if you retained a morteage im the land, fsiev would not sell. . To talk. then of selling them, is to pie, per eci. nonsense, ii t may oe par. doned tlie word and to g;ive them awav. '(irnppinz ,ine consinuuinai niit so to dispose, of them,) what reason on earth can be assigned for making such a dona tion to theej States. For whilst I ad mit that a native of Virrinia or North- Carolina' does hot relinquish or impair his rights to' this domain; bv south or Avcsfc-1000; milesj I am at a loss to conceive by what rules of induction any one can infer by so moyinghe acquires any new ciaims. Again, air: let us now see whaVnas already beenfdone for these new States, I will read :irom a report made on an iplhcial teall lotn Congress. Grants of lands to the Western States. I The 16th section for Public Schools, 8,000,000 For Int Itf provement'in plates, 2,200,000 ,3 For colleges 'and Unrfrsitiesih do - 500,000 4 For Religions and charitable institutions, 90,000 5 For seau'bT State Governmeafs ' 21,000 6 For Sahua BescrvationS, r' 299,000 Total no. of acres, granted the Wist, 1 1 , 100,000 It is to be kept in mind, that in all these grants, they are permitted to select the lands and sell them on any credit they please, .On these terms they may be fairly yluedatro'p gjo to g!5 per acre. About obeljundred million of dol lars then these Slates hav already ; add pow the pre-emption, ight an the 5 per cent, on the amount of the sale in their boundaries, and a reasonable tnan would iuppose them tompletely surfeited ; but this it appears only increlses the, appe tite fur turther. indulgences. They. come forward and.ask appryp nations of money to clear out every river and creek in the Western SUtes, "and to suh an extent is this avaricibUs spirit ' earned, that last winter it i sard, a-large) appropriation ivas made to plear out a ref that h.id no water in it, but-the bed of which was com pletely dry, ; .They, are no ;content with having all their roads and rivers cleaned out, colleges, pubfic schools anl capitols erecien py tiie puonc lanos, ana men a large portion of (he lands to boot, but Ihey now; begin to cry, out -for the. whole ! Can any oae be surprised at the extraor- inary prosperity ot tne western litates nuer these ctrcumstancesr was ever acountry'bh earth opeiredt to emigrants on such: favorable terms? f Whv sir, tve mimt as well be surprised; at the pros perity of a v oupg farmer who had a father standing by mth.a heavy purse, out of whiehhe bought him land, Jbought him the hands, cut & ditches." iiade his roads and built bishops, ' UmJer su ch a state of thi ngs, con Id hedielp prospering. , The qniy iiung jnaii .irprie p;c mni oic old State are not depopulated under sucn.a system. . No doubt, Mr. speaker, Uhose who have paid no attention to thesethings believe I am laboring under a mistake ; but sir, did- I, not .have v the fact! before me in print,., officially communicrtcd to Cnn gress, i would not believe 5it jriyself. . All who are in the habit jif regarding the ac tion pf Congress on,,thi subject, know too well the fact sphere; stated j and. those wh ont,blii iut to?: turn, to " the iacts passed rat any session of Congress, tru many years past, to; see ttue do nations! of .ard,made, for" some asylum, (udjrge,, or creek,: that jspot considered national tn lor.iHt oe a national : ri ver. or creek, they tapf get the-mdney voted , di rectly tjwtif't be not. national, then ihey. get the amount mljand. Iihppe M will pot oe understood sas 'Complaining . . m . -: ' ' of the western meiwbers.iMr pbtainmg; these .donations but I d complain sir, at. that pUcy v?lucb takes, vomtavfand created, py ail , and 1 or Uie vcoanmjtp jen,entPt all, t aiiptatfi xcIasWeJrn?d: for- aperipd only. And I cannot look with compas sion, or even with.-a - proper feeling of respect on those members, from the old States who have for the last two years opposed the measures introduced into Congress on this same subject. I fear sir, the opposition in a certain high quar ter, proceeded more from enmity to the distinsuiahed statesman .who originated the bill that passed by so large a vote, than from, what was staled in the paper signod by his hand; as a man on such occasions must have some, reason for his course, and as those assignee! are admitt ed to be mere affectations, 1 am at a los for any other cause than the one hinted at. And it is a sufficient cause to decide thecourse of many miserable creatures in Congress (it is well known, and now become not only a subject for boasting but the road to political office with the people,) to learn how. the wind b'ows about a certain nuarter. to shane their course accordingly. Hut to return tcv the question I the application of this common fund jreneral among the States, or is it partial? Let us examine. 1 will ak the fi-eutlemen frOm tlie Albemarle country, how many spades lull of sand has the General Go vernment removed from Currituck Inlet or Nagjps Mead, once outlets to the sr.;. now as dr as this floor ; has a l2 or sand bar been removed from one of your rivers or lovn tlie sound you all answer no. Let me ask mv friends frm Itom- oke, ves, and also from theNeuse. Tar, Yadkin and Catawba how many dams across your rivers has the General Go vernment erected to improve your navi gation, or how manyisnags and sand bars have been removed Jfy her. Again sir, when lias a dollar or in acre of this pub lic domain, that our ancestors acquired by such sacrifices and sufferings, been granted to North-Carolina, either for a common school, or even for an asylum for the unfortunate -not one cent, if so. I should like to hear, of it. There is a thing shovelling sand, we are told, near Ocracoke, where nothing but the immuta ble laws of hydrostatics preveiit us from being completely land-locked.; the ap propriation for this object, which. was not desired by 50 men in' the State, and is of no account now nor was it ever designed to be 5 and that at the Cape Fear, mount ed to about 820,000 when our share of the proceeds of. t,he Public Lands last year would have been &22fX0OO. Will aiiy gentlemen here point me out a Road or Canal , a College, & School, or any thing, or effort on the part of the General Government to improve the phy sical condition of N. Carolina, or the moral condition of her people? .1 fear none can shovir me the place, or the: ap propriationstill she has had the use of our lands, and received our revenue for 50 years. Every river and creek in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, &c. though 1200 miles from the sea are National, and so cleared out : . but our rivers runn ing directly into .the sea, or jnto large soundsare considered unworthy of notice. It is highly national, and for the "com mon benefit," to give land for the pur pose of educating all the poor children fn Alabama and Mississippi, but neith- er in at ton at nor tor tne "common Dene fit," to make similar donations for the rd ucatiun of poor children in North Ca rolina. And why is this so, and who are to blame?. We are solely (to blame ourselves.; lor many timrs these things could have been got merely by. ask ing for them ; aud one cause why we hafve no regained . s, that we unfortunately have been alwayshangng on some great man's Bkirt,. and worshipping him con stantly, instead of attending to cvur .do mestic wants. Ever since I could recol lect, the people have been in this state. divided ihto-two classes. One large class iave remained in a State of torpor, re- sardless of all things; and the balance ave been trying to elect some particular man President, who, in return, has treat ed them. with silent contempt; or attempt- ng to stuff dpwn the people some abstract political doctrine, (which the lecturers could not understand themselve. and which could affect North-Carplina, in no shape or form) whether the notion of some great man Irom Virginia or Soutn -t stro ma was orthordox or heterodox; I say Virginia or South-Carolina, because there we have been , taugfit to look for ' great men for if a Ha live son with the wisdom of Solomon and eloquence of Cicero, lived in North-Carolina, ,he would be rated at home an onlinary jTian, and. that strong disposition in pur people, so watch ful to suppress merit, would rise and de stroy him before he'could have an vppor- iiiniiv nt beinar itnovn. - raruon , tnis short appaient digression, but l, believe this to have aeen one, n not uie greai reason -why the, State and the people of N. Carolina have been so neglected. I will rptorn to the lands. It annearft" from the Secretary of the Treasury's Keport, the nelt proceeasoi tbe oiib ic aands tpr the vear lB.ex reeded three millions, that of 'S3 exceed ed four millions, and that of. S4 will be fife million of dollars. Now if this food which is entirely free from all lletls and anrpl4stupd"in.ihefeand should be"4 divided accqrairrg ro rrutu. pirpufationmong the States, nortn i would have nad the-nrst vear 8138.000J next year 8187,000; and how. this very moment, we would have been entitled t R226.000 for our partof tha ' safe- of last yeau. But this, Sir, is.held ; to be a small- affair in comparison to the love which many have for certain great men and should be lost without a mp-V ment's hesitation sooner tlaq offend Gen," Jackson It appears JVom! estimates, the GoveKiimentnoW has about 170 millions of acres'of land survey edj and that tiere is a billion aid go-million of acres bow onsidd belongiog to this comroon fund.?' The idea of surrendering this immense property, or giving it away, can t my mind scarcely be dreamed of, much less rvally contemplated by any rational man. I twill afford a constantly increasing foHn tain, from whence the old States may reap a revenue, that wilL enable them to ' overcome the many obstructions by na ture to their prosperity, and to .elevate the moral and intellectual state of their people. t ' . ' ,t; - 4 . - I come now fo the last branch of the enquiry, and by tar the most disagreea ble part to Ine. I am determined ta be distinctly understood. My facts you all will admit and the inferences shall, be. plain and direct, that those, who see or hear can but draw the game.- I believe sir, the best mode of curing a political disease is, (p let the people first . know that it existsj a plain and practical rem' edy will oort be found : what are our wants, (or political diseases ;) and .then we will see to what uses this money can be applied. W e have been a free State 58 years -more than half a century during which, time, we hare had a Legislature compos-' ed of some two hundred men or more, to meet annually j and pray what have they done ? WhV su they have made laws of which few ever heard after the first reaiP ing. and we have ' expended' about two millions of dollars for the privilege of law making. 1 can tell more readily, sir, what we have not done, although we have had fifty years to accomplish it in. We have not one single public school or col lege, or means provided to educate the poor or 'helpless orphan; we have no rail road or canal, nor havewe drained a swamp or-levelled a hill ; we have no, fixed or permanent Judiciary, but all courts fluctuating with tiine! nd events; criminal, civil and chancery proceedings all mixed up together; not a penitebtiary to reform the wicked, nor a workioaser to confine the profligate but after lying in jail in idleness a lew moaths, crimi nals are turned loose on the public, to commit agai'h with impunity the same of fences. Not an asylum is to be found in the whole State, either lor the old'or-tri-firm, or for the'lunatie, the insane, the widow or the old soldier, the crippled, the deaf,' dumb or blind. No 'sir'we hive literally done nothing; and I wtiwitf thn"t any gentleman to point out tt nie anX law that has been passed for the la!stv2U years with which the people could iiot have very well dispensed. Sir, whin ab sent from the State and among strangers, carryou point to a law, or refer to an in? stitution in our native State with either pride or satisfaction ? No sir, we must be dumb or change the conversation as5 1 have had to many times. How is this melancholy .and deplorable state of af fairs to be accounted for ? Is it possible our people ace less patriotic, or the legis lature les wise, than the legislators of other States, or are our law. givers. less attentive to the interest of our people ? Sir, it is expected by the civilized world that every community in this enlightened . age witl do something to advancje the mo- ' ral condition of man, and the physical improvement of the' country bath ef which lKthis State have been shamefully negleciy. Oar political degndation is. complete, and. I fear destined so to re main; for if by accident we get a man its the councils of the nation capable of giv ing tone or standing to the country, eve-A ry little demagogue in the State forth witlrregards him with envy, and as an object in his way to office, and ses about to pull him d wn; in a short time per suades the people that he is entirely too x great a man to be their friend forthwith they hurl him from office, and put in his place one unknowing and" unknown, and whose peculiar merit consists in arinking whiskey, shaking hands, and an kffecta tion of great love for the people,. Sir; I nev er hear a man talking ot his republican principles &. peculiar love for the people that I do not involuntarily guard myself against a hypocrite ; for it i a law of ha rolinli would man nature almost wttnout exception, that man never possesses that qualtjy or virtue,1 Wlijch tiy words he is particularly anxious tb ntndnce the;public to believe t he possesses. Ve 'deVef" see a brave man fconstantfy Harping on his own courage, ' but i f -s 6 , i es t' a s s u r e d he ja a coward ;nor k really iouJWh, eternally telling the publ i c ho w iehari tab! e arid rejtoas he is': nor Sir is 'the'Veat friend ot the' peo ple aif ays smiling oH therri and telling them how much he loves theni. ' This miserable t3tof affairs then pro ceeds frbin two causes, bth iP which ian be overcoiiie -Ist want 'nfprmaloii among the great mass ofpeihich ;t rsn btVunniied bV publifc schpoTor S6 . llong as thereat ma.oiTrs.- I ! " , '
The Weekly Raleigh Register (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 3, 1835, edition 1
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