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FEB. 2, 1830.]

Mr. Foot's Resolution.

[SENATE.

creased duty on hemp was saved-saved by that South, compare before and since the Presidential election of in opposition to that New England, which the Senator 1825? Let the Journals tell. Let confronting columns from Massachusetts has so often declared to be the friend of display the contrast of New England votes upon this the West, and to have carried every measure favorable to point, before and after that election. it, in opposition to the votes of the South!

THE CONTRAST.

Internal Improvement was the last resort of the Sena-
Since 1825.
tor's ingenuity, for showing the affection of the Northeast
1. April 8, 1816. To post-
to the West. It was on this point that his appeal to the pone bill to construct roads
West, and calls for an answer, were particularly addressed. and canals.-Yeas, 7 out of
The West will answer; and, in the first place, will show 10.

the amount, in value, in money, of the favors thus ren- 2. March 6, 1816. Bill to
dered, in order to ascertain the quantity of gratitude due relieve settlers on public
and demandable for it. On this point we have authentic lands by allowing them to
data to go upon.
A resolution of the Senate, of which I enter the lands, &c.-Nays,
was myself the mover, addressed to the ex-administration 8 out of 10.
in the last year of its existence, called upon the then 3. January 29, 1817. Bill
President to exhibit to the Congress a full statement of all to admit Mississippi as a
the money expended by the Federal Government, from State into the Union.--Nays,
1789 to 1828, in each of the States, upon works of 7 out of 10.
Internal Improvement. The report was made, authenti-
4. May 19, 1824. Bill to
cated by the signatures of the President, Mr. Adams, the improve the navigation of
Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Rush, and several heads the Ohio river.--Nays, 7 out
of Bureaus. It is No. 69 of the Senate documents, for of 12.
the session 1828-1829; and at page thirteen of the docu-
ment the table of recapitulation is found, which shows
the amount expended in each State. Let us read some

items from it.

1. Kentucky,

2. Tennessee,
3. Indiana,
4. Illinois,

5. Mississippi,

6. Missouri,

7. Louisiana,

The Table.

$90,000
4,200
nothing.
8,000
23,000

nothing.
do.

5. April 24, 1824. Bill for survey of roads, &c.-Nays, 9 out of 12.

Before 1825. 1. February 24, 1825. Motion to postpone appropriation for Cumberland road. --Yeas, 5 out of 12. 2. March 1, 1826. Bill to repair Cumberland road.Nays, 2 out of 12.

3. January 2, 1827. Bill extending the Cumberland road.-Nays, 5 out of 12.

4. March 28, 1828. Bill

to give land to Kenyon College.-3 out of 12.

5. December, 1828. Bill for making compensation for Indian depredations in Missouri.-Yeas, 4 out of 12.

Yes, [said Mr. B.] the Presidential election of 1825 was followed by a system of changes. There seems to have been a surrender and sacrifice of principles on that occasion somewhat analogous to the surrender and murder of friends which followed the conjunction of Antony, Lepidus, and Cæsar. It would seem that some guardian genius had whispered, the "Tariff, Internal Improvement, and Slavery, are the questions to govern this Union. A most beggarly account! [said Mr. B.] About one Now let us all agree, and throw up old scruples, and work hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars in seven Western together upon Slavery, Tariff, and Internal ImproveStates, up to the end of that administration which assumed ment." They did throw up! Old scruples flew off like to be the exclusive champion of Internal Improvement. A old garments. Leading politicians came to the right small sum truly, for the young and blooming West to take, about," the rank and file followed; and the consequence for the surrender of all her charms to the ancient and iron- was, the confronting votes and conduct which five years of hearted enemy of her name. Ohio, it is not to be dissem-explanations and justifications leave at the exact point at bled, has received something more; but that depends which they began. upon another principle-he principle of governing the The canal across the Alleghanies is mentioned. I utterly West through her. disclaim and repudiate that canal as a Western object. But the Cumberland road--that great road, the con- And here, [said Mr. B.] I take up a position which I shall struction of which, as far as the Ohio river, cost near fortify and establish on some future occasion. It is this: two millions of dollars. Sir, the man must have a poor That every canal, and every road, tending to draw the conception of the West who considers the road to Wheel- commerce of the Western States across the Alleghany ing as a Western object, to be charged upon the funds and mountains, is an injury to the people of the West. My the gratitude of the West. To the Eastern parts of Ohio idea is this: That the great and bulky productions of the it may be serviceable; but to all beyond that State, it is West will follow the course of the waters, and float down little known except by name. A thousand Eastern people the rivers to New Orleans; that our export trade must, travel it for one farmer or mechanic of Indiana, Illinois, and will, go there; that this city cannot buy all, and sell Missouri, Kentucky, or Tennessee. It is, in reality, more nothing; that she must have the benefit of the import an Eastern than a Western measure, built in good part trade with us; that the people of the West must buy from with Western money, taken from the Western States, as her as well as she from them; that the system of exchange I humbly apprehend, in violation of their compacts with and barter must take effect there; that if it does not, and the Federal Government. These compacts stipulate that the West continues to sell its world of productions to New two per cent. of the nett proceeds of the sales of the Orleans for ready money, and carries off that money to be public lands shall be laid out by Congress in making roads laid out in the purchase of goods in the Atlantic cities, the or canals "to" the States, not towards them. The laws people of the West are themselves ruined: for New Orfor building the Cumberland road have seized upon all leans cannot stand such a course of business; she will fail this fund, already amounting, in the four Northwestern in supplying the world of money which the world of proStates, to three hundred and twenty-six thousand dollars, duce requires; and the consequence will be the downfal and applied it to the Cumberland road. The same laws con- of prices in every article. This is somewhat the case now. tain a curious stipulation, not to be found in any other New Orleans is called an uncertain market; her prices for law for making a road, which stipulates for the future re-beef, pork, flour, bacon, whiskey, tobacco, hemp, cotton, imbursement, out of the two per cent. fund, of all the and an hundred other articles, is compared with the prices money expended upon it. This truly is a new way of con- of like articles in the Atlantic cities, and found to be less; ferring a favor, and establishing a debt of gratitude! But and then she is railed against as a bad market; as if these when did the New England votes in favor of this road, low prices was not the natural and inevitable effect of selland other Western objects, commence? How do they ing every thing and buying nothing there. As to the idea

SENATE.]

Mr. Foot's Resolution.

[FEB. 2, 1830.

49,000

63,000

10,000

6,000

87,000

32,000

3. Preservation of Plymouth beach,
4. Preservation of islands in Boston harbor,
5. Improvement of the Hyannis harbor,
6. Improvement of Squam and Gloucester,
7. Preservation of Deer Island,

8. Removing a sand bar in Merrimac river,
9. Building a pier at Stonington,
10. Making a road to Mars hill,

20,000 57,000

of sending the products of the West across the Alleghanies, it is the conception of insanity itself! No rail roads or canals will ever carry them, not even if they do it gratis! One trans-shipment, and there would have to be several, would exceed the expense of transportation to New Orleans, to say nothing of the up-stream work of getting to the canal or rail way; itself far exceeding the whole expense, trouble, and delay, of getting to New Orleans. Besides, such an unnatural reversal of the course of trade Near $ 400,000 actually paid out in this small way, and would be injurious to the Western cities-to Cincinnati, upon these small items, in New England, while seven Louisville, St. Louis, and to many others. It would be States in the West, up to the last day of the coalition adinjurious and fatal to our inland navigation-the steam- ministration, had had expended within their limits, for all boats of the West. They are our ships, their tonnage is al- objects, great and small, Indian roads and the light house ready great, say thirty thousand tons; the building of them at Natchez included, but $125,000. And this, sir, is the gives employment to many valuable trades, and creates a New England help for which the Senator from Massachudemand for many articles which the country produces. To setts, [Mr. W.] stood up here challenging the gratitude say nothing of their obvious and incredible utility in the of the West! But this is not all; the future is still to come; transportation of persons, produce, and merchandise, a goodly prospect is ahead; and let us take a view of cach steam boat has itself become a market, a moving it. The late administration, in one of its communications. market, that comes to the door of every house on the rivers, to Congress, gave in a list of projects to be selected for taking off all its surplus fowls, and vegetables; all its sur- future execution. I will recite a few of them. plus wood: the expenditure for this single object in the past year, in two calculations made for me, ranged between nine hundred thousand and one million of dollars. No, sir, the West is not going to give their steam boats-their ships, not of the desert, but of noble rivers. They are not going to abandon the Mississippi, mare nostrum-our sea-for the comfort of scaling the Alleghany mountains with hogsheads of tobacco, barrels of whiskey, pork, and flour, bales of hemp, and coops of chickens and turkeys on their backs! We are not going to impoverish New Orleans, by selling our produce to her, and buying our merchandise elsewhere, and in that impoverishment committing suicide upon ourselves. Nor am I going to pursue this subject, and explore it in all its important bearings, at this time; have that task to perform, but it will be reserved for another occasion.

The Projects.

1. Improvement at Saugatuck.

2.

do

at Amounisuck.

3.

do

at Pasumsic.

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14.

do

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at Cobbisecontee.

I resume the subject of Internal Improvement. I say, at Ponceaupechaux, alias Soapy Joe. and I say it with the proof in hand, that this whole busi- the late administration, and to be executed in future. Such are a sample of the projects held in abeyance by ness has been a fraud upon the West. Look at its pro- They were selected as national objects!--national! and mise and performance. Its promise was to equalize the not a man in the two Americas, outside of the nation of expenditure of public money, and to counterbalance, New England, who can take up the list and tell where upon roads and canals in the West, the enormous appro- they are, without a prompter or a gazetteer. And now, priations for fortifications, navy yards, light houses, and sir, what are the results of this partnership, of five years' ships, on the Atlantic board; its performance has been to standing, between the West and the Northeast, in the busiincrease the inequality of the expenditures; to fix nearly ness of Internal Improvement? First: Nothing, or next the whole business of Internal Improvement on the east to nothing, for Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Missisof the Alleghany mountains; to add this item, in fact, to sippi, Louisiana, Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri. Secondall the other items of expenditure in the East! Such was ly: Eight or nine millions of dollars for large objects east the promise; such has been the performance. Facts at- of the Alleghany mountains. Thirdly: Near $400,000 for test it; and let the facts speak for themselves. small neighborhood objects, in New England. Fourthly: The Facts. A selection of objects in the Northeast, for future nation1. Cumberland Road to Wheeling, $2,000,000 al improvement, the very names of which are unknown 2. Delaware Breakwater, (required) 2,500,000 in the neighboring States. These are the results. Let 3. Canal over the Alleghany, (subscribed) 1,000,000 any one weigh and consider them, and say whether this 4. Baltimore Rail Road, (demanded) 1,000,000 business of Internal Improvement has not been a delusion 5. Delaware and Chesapeake Canal, 450,000 upon the West; if our partners in the East have not kept 6. Nantucket Harbor, (demanded) 900,000 the loaf under their own arm, and cut off two or three Here we go by the millions, while the West, to whom huge huncks for themselves for every thin and narrow all the benefits of this system were promised, obtains with slice which they threw to us? What is worse, that is to difficulty, and somewhat as a beggar would get a penny, say, what is truly mortifying to our pride, is, that we are a few miserable thousands. But, sir, it is not only in the not allowed to choose for ourselves. It is in vain that we great way, but in the small way also, that the West has contend that Western objects should be somewhere in the been made the dupe of this delusive policy. She has lost valley of the Mississippi; our partners, assuming the ofnot only by the gross but by retail. Look at the facts fice of guardians, tell us it is a mistake; that every true, again. See what her partner in this work of Internal Im-genuine, native-born, full-blooded western improvement provement, the Northeast, which commenced business must begin upon the Atlantic coast, and if one end of it with her in 1825, has since received, in the small way, points towards the setting sun, that is enough. It is now and upon items that the West never heard of, under this six years since I made a movement upon an object achead of Internal Improvement.

The Facts-again.

1. Preservation of Little Gull Island,
2. Preservation of Smutty Nose Island,

tually Western; one which, being completed, will produce more good for less money, according to my belief, $30,000 than any other of which the wide extent of this confede15,000 racy is susceptible. It is the series of short canals, sir,

FEB. 2, 1830.]

Mr. Foot's Resolution.

[SENATE.

It came

amounting in the aggregate to twenty-seven miles, which to the politician that shall attempt to cut it or to break it. would unite New Orleans and Georgia; which would The late Presidential election was an affair of some inconnect, by an inland steam boat navigation, safe from terest to the West. The undivided front of the Western storms, pirates, privateers, and enemy's fleets, the Cha-electoral vote tested the unity and the intensity of her tahoochee and the Mississippi, the bays of Mobile, Pen- wishes on that point. Was that election carried by Northsacola, and St. Marks; and enable the provisions of the ern votes in opposition to Southern ones? Was the West Western country to go where they are exceedingly want helped out by the North, in that hard struggle of four ed, to the cotton plantations on the rivers Amite, the years duration? Yes, to the extent of one electoral vote Pearl, and Pascagoula, in the State of Mississippi; the from the republican district of Maine; to the extent of Tombecbee and Alabama rivers, in the State of Alabama; many thousand individual votes; but these came from the the Conecuh and Escambia, in West Florida; the Chata- democracy, some few exceptions; but nothing from that hoochee, for five hundred miles up it, on the dividing party which now assumes to be the friend of the West, line of Georgia and Alabama. The Senator from Louisi- and so boldly asserts that every Western measure has been ana, who sits on my left, [Mr. JOHNSTON] moved the bill carried by Northern in opposition to Southern votes. that obtained the appropriation for surveying this route, The graduation bill, [said Mr. B.] is a Western meafour years ago; the Senator from the same State, who sits sure: there is no longer any dispute about that. on my right, [Mr. LIVINGSTON] has sent a resolution to from the West, and is supported by the West. Memorials the Road and Canal Committee, to have the work began; from eight Legislatures have demanded it; seventeen out and the fate of this undertaking may illustrate the extent of eighteen Western Senators have voted for it. Has to which the voice of the West can go, in selecting ob- the Northeast carried that bill in opposition to the South? jects of improvement within its own limits, and for itself. It has repeatedly been before both Houses--was once on Such are the results of the Western attempts to equal- its final passage in this chamber, and wanted four votes, ize expenditures, to improve their roads, and enrich them- which was only a change of position in two voters to carry selves upon public money by means of the Internal Im-it. Did the Northeast, out of her twelve voters present, provement power exercised by the Federal Government. give us these two? She did not. Did she give us one? The South, we are told, and told truly, has voted no No, not one. There was but one from the North of Mapart of these fine allowances to the West. And thence it is son's and Dixon's line, and that of an honorable Senator-I argued, and argued incorrectly, that she is an enemy to the do not call him honorable by virtue of a rule-who is no West. Sir, the brief answer to that charge of enmity is, longer a member of this body--I speak of Mr. Ridgely, of that she has voted nothing on this account for herself; she Delaware, that little State, whose moral and intellectual has voted for us as she did for herself; the argument should strength on this floor has often kept her in the first rank be, that she loved us as well as she did herself; and this is of importance. How was it to the South? A brilliant all that conscionable people can require. But another view and powerful support from the Senator of Virginia, not remains to be taken of this affection, which is to be tried yet in his seat, [Mr. TAZEWELL] whose name, for that supby the money standard. It is this: That, if the South port, is borne with honor upon the legislative page of has voted us no public money for roads and canals, they Missouri and Illinois; a firm support from the two Senahave paid the West a great deal of their own private tors from Georgia, [Messrs. COBB and BERRIES] since money for its surplus productions. The South takes the ceased to be members. A motion for reconsideration from provisions of the West, its horses and mules besides, and the venerable MACON--the friend of me and mine through many other items. The States south of the Potomac, four generations in a straight line--to reconsider the vote south of the Tennessee river, and upon the lower Missis-of rejection with a view of passing the main part, the first sippi, is the gold and silver region of the West. Leave section, which contained the whole graduation clause. Seout the supplies which come from this quarter, and the veral other Senators from the South, who then voted stream that Missouri is drawing from Mexico, also to the against the bill, expressed a determination to examine it South of us, and all the gold and silver that is derived further, and intimated the pleasure it would give them to from other places-from any places north of Mason's and vote for it at another time, if found, upon further examiDixon's line-would not suffice to pay the postage of nation, to be as beneficial as I supposed. Thus stood the letters, and the ferriage of rivers. This Southern trade is South and West upon that greatest and truest of all Westthe true and valuable trade of the West; the trade which fern measures; and we shall quickly see how they stand they cannot do without; and with these States it is pro-again; for the graduation bill is again before the Senate, posed that we shall have a falling out, turn our backs and next in order after the subject now in hand. upon them, and go into close connexion with a political How stand the North and South on another point of incaste in a quarter of the Union from which the West nev-calculablei nterest to the West--the motion now under diser did, and never can, find a cash market for her surplus cussion-no, not now under discussion--the motion now products. I know that the West is not credited for much depending, to stop the surveys, to limit the sales of public sagacity, and the result of her Internal Improvement lands, and to abolish the offices of the Surveyors General? partnership goes to justify the Beotian imputation to How stand the parties on that point? Why, as far as we which we have been subject; but there are some things can discover, without the report of yeas and nays, the which do not require much sagacity, nor any book learn- Northeast, with the exception of the Senator from New ing, to discover how they lie. Little children, for exam-Hampshire, on my right, [Mr. WOODBURY] against us; the ple, can readily find out on which side their bread is but-South unanimous for us. And thus, the very question tered, and the grown men of the West can as quickly which has furnished a peg to hang the debate on, which discover from which side of Mason's and Dixon's line their has brought out the assertion that every measure friendgold and silver comes. We hear much about binding the ly to the West has been carried by New England votes, different sections of the Union together; every road and in opposition to Southern votes, is itself evidence of the every canal is to be a chain for that purpose. Granted. contrary, and would have placed that evidence before the But why break the chains which we have already? Com- West in the most authentic form, if the ingenious Senator merce is the strongest of all chains. It is the chain of from Massachusetts [Mr. WEBSTER] had not evaded that interest. It binds together the most distant nations; aliens consequence, by moving an indefinite postponement, and in color, language, religion, and laws. It unites the an- thereby getting rid of a direct vote on the resolution, which tipodes; men whose feet are opposite, whose countries has become current under the name of the Senator who are separated by the entire diameter of the solid globe. introduced it, [Mr. Foor, of Connecticut.] We have a chain of this kind with the South, and woe be

How stand the South and North upon another point,

SENATE.]

Mr. Foot's Resolution.

[FEB. 2, 1830.

also of overwhelming concern to the West-the scheme will become an object of high consideration to these new for partitioning out the new States of the West among the lords proprietors; and hosts of spies, informers, prosecuold ones? Whence comes that scheme? Who supports tors, and witnesses, will be sent into the new States, to it' What its real object? The West will be glad to know way lay the inhabitants, and dog the farmers round their the when, the why, and the how, of that new and porten- fields, to detect and persecute the man who cuts a stick, tous scheme. But, first, what is it? Sir, it is a scheme to or lifts a stone, or breaks the soil of these new masters keep the new States in leading strings, and to send the and receivers. While the land is public property, and the proceeds of the sales of the public lands to the States from proceeds go into the treasury, like other public money, which the public lands never came. It is a scheme to di- there is less interest felt in the sales by the individual vide the property of the weak among the strong. It is a States; but, from the moment that the proceeds of the scheme which has its root in the principle which partition- sales are to be divided out by a rule of proportion which ed Poland between the Emperors of Russia and Germany would give nearly all to the populous States, from that and the King of Prussia. Whence comes it? From the moment it would be viewed as State property, and every Northeast. How comes it? By an innocent and harmless engine would be set to work to make the lands produce resolution of inquiry. When comes it? Cotemporaneous- the utmost possible farthing for the individual States. ly with this other resolution of innocent and harmless in- Each would calculate, in every question of sale or gift, quiry into the expediency of limiting the settlement, check- how much his State, and how much he himself, as a unit ing emigration to the West, and delivering up large por- in that State, was to gain or lose by the operation. And tions of the new States to the dominion of wild beasts. who are to be the foremost and most insatiable of these These two resolutions come together, and of them it may new lords proprietors? Let the vote, on the reference be said, "these two make a pair. A newspaper in the of the resolution, answer the question; let it tell. They Northeast contained a letter written from this place, giv- are the States which never gave any land to the Federal ing information that the resolution of the Senator from Government! Massachusetts and Maine, which retained Connecticut [Mr. Foor] was brought in to anticipate and their thirty thousand square miles of vacant territory, and forestall the graduation bill. I saw it in that light, [said are now selling it at twenty-five, at twenty, at ten, and at Mr. B.] before I saw the letter. I had announced it in five cents per acre. Connecticut, which seized upon two that character long before I received the letter, and read millions of acres of the land which Virginia had ceded to it to the Senate. This resolution then was to check-mate my graduation bill! It was an offer of battle to the West! I accepted the offer; I am fighting the battle some are crying out and hauling off; but I am standing to it, and mean to stand to it. I call upon the adversary to come on and lay on, and I tell him-

at.

"Damned be he that first cries out enough."

the Federal Government, and held fast to the jurisdiction
as well as the soil, until the Congress agreed to give he
a deed "to all the right, title, interest, and estate, of the
United States" to the soil itself. Who are our defenders?
They are the States south of the Potomac, which were,
themselves, the great donors of land to the Federal Go-
vernment. Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia-these are
our defenders! And without their defence, the West
would fare now as she would have fared without it forty
years ago, in the times of the old confederation.

I

Fair play and hard play is the game I am willing to play War to the knife, and the knife to the hilt; but let the play be fair. Nothing foul; no blackguardism. I have now, [said Mr. B.] gone through the "chapter" This resolution, then, from the other end of the capitol, of the conduct of the Federal Government, and the relatwin brother to the one here, comes from the Northeast; is tive affection of the North and South to the West. resisted by the South, and is ruinous to the West. New commenced without exordium, and shall finish without Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New peroration. On two points more, and only two, I wish to Jersey, and Delaware, were unanimous for it: Massachu- be understood. setts, nine to one for it; South Carolina and Georgia were First, As to the reason which has induced me to enter, unanimously against it; Virginia, ten to one against it; North Carolina, eight to four against it. This scene presents itself to my mind, [said Mr. B.] as a picture with three figures upon it. First, the young West, a victim to be devoured. Secondly, the old North, attempting to devour her. Thirdly, the generous South, ancient defender and savior of the West, stretching out an arm to save her again.

with this length and precision of detail, into the question of relative affection from the North and South towards the West. That reason is this: that having been accustomed, for the last five years, to see and hear the South repre-sented as the enemy of the West, and the Northeast as its friend, and in the very words used by the Senator from Massachusetts, [Mr. WEBSTER] on this floor, and having always maintained the contrary in the West, I could not, Let these two resolutions pass, and ripen into the mea- without suffering myself to be gagged hereafter with an sures which their tenor implies to be necessary, and the unanswerable question, sit still and hear the same things seal is fixed, for a long period, on the growth and pros-repeated on this floor, without entering my solemn disperity of the West. Under one of them the sales of the sent, supported by authentic references to its truth; espelands will be held back; under the other, every possible cially when I labor under the thorough conviction that the inducement will arise to screw up the price of all that is sold. object of these statements, both in the West and in this From that moment the West must bid adieu to all prospect chamber, is to produce a state of things hostile to the well of any liberal change in the policy of the United States being of this confederacy. Secondly, That in repeated in the sale and disposition of the public lands; no more reference, in the course of my speech, to the federal party favor to the settler, no justice to the States; no sales on in the United States, I mean no proscription of that party fair and equitable terms. Grinding avarice will take its in mass. I have a test to apply to each of them, and accourse, and feed full its deep and hungry maw. Laws cording to the proof of that test does the individual apwill be passed to fix the minimum price at the highest rate; pear fair or otherwise before me. The test is this: Is he agents will be sent to attend the sales, and bid high against faithful to his country in the hours of her trial? As this the farmer, the settler, and the cultivator. Dreadful will question can be answered, so does he stand before me be the prices then run up. The agents will act as attor-a fair candidate or otherwise for a ratable proportion of neys for the plaintiffs in the execution. The money is the offices, subordinate to the highest, which this country coming to the States they represent; they can bid what affords. This declaration, I trust, sir, will not be receivthey please. They can bid off the whole country, make ed as arrogant, but taken in its true spirit, as a qualificait the property of other States, and lease or rent small tion due to myself of things said in debate, and which tracts to the inhabitants. The preservation of the timber might be misunderstood. I am a Senator; have a voice

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upon nominations to office; and the country has a right to be informed of my principles of action.

[SENATE

tion this, that the position which I occupy may be distinctly understood. Animadversions upon party measures af[Here Mr. BENTON brought his remarks to a close.] fect no particular geographical division of the country, but Mr. BURNET said that he did not rise for the purpose only the individuals who sustained them, wherever they of engaging in the debate; but merely to explain a law of may reside. But the gentleman has assailed all the Norththe State of Ohio, which had been referred to by the Se-ern States, and particularly those of New England; acnator from Missouri; and to state, for the information of cusing them of narrow views, and systematic hostility and the Senate, the circumstances which induced the Legisla- injustice towards the West; while, on the other hand, he ture to pass it. One of the motives, and, perhaps, the has lauded the South, as her generous, liberal, and magnaprincipal motive, which actuated them, was a desire to nimous friend. Such assertions, in order to gain any creprevent runaway slaves from seeking shelter within the dence, must be supported by proof. Of this, the gentleState, and evading the pursuit of their masters. On that man seems to have been aware, and has, accordingly, atsubject, frequent and loud complaints had been made by tempted to sustain them by a recurrence to historical the citizens of neighboring States, and particularly by facts. I shall endeavor, concisely, to remark upon such those of Kentucky; and, if his memory was not incorrect, as appear to be of importance enough to deserve attenthere was a correspondence between the Governors of the tion, and which have been stated with sufficient distincttwo States on the same subject. The Legislature of Ohio, ness to render them susceptible of being followed. desirous of removing the cause of these complaints, and He has gone back to the days of the Old Confederation, of checking the evil complained of, passed the law which and the records of the Continental Congress; and dwelt has been referred to in the debate, by which all persons upon certain proceedings, in 1786, relative to the defence of color, on coming into the State, were required to bring of what was then the western district of Virginia, now the with them authentic record evidence of their freedom, State of Kentucky. A proposition was made to send two and to exhibit it to the clerk of the county court, whose companies of Federal troops to the rapids of the Ohio. It duty it was to record it, and give a certificate of the fact. is to be recollected that we had just then emerged from The law also imposed a severe penalty on every citizen who the war of the Revolution, that tremendous struggle, in should harbor or employ persons of color, who have not which we had strained every nerve to agony, and had sunk complied with its requirements. Thus far [said Mr. B.] down to a state of exhaustion; destitute of money, without it will be admitted that the law was well calculated to revenue, and without credit. To send two companies to guard the rights of property in the neighboring States. the then distant wilderness on the Ohio, was a severer burBut, sir, the Legislature had another object in view, of then on the public finances than to send thousands now to great importance to themselves and their constituents. the mouth of the Columbia. Upon this proposition, the They found it necessary to take steps to guard the State, votes of New England were equally divided. During its as far as possible, against the evils of pauperism; and, for pendency, on the twenty-first of June, a motion was made that purpose, they introduced a provision that no black or by Mr. Lee, a delegate from Virginia, to add two compamulatto should be permitted to reside in the State with- nies more, making four in all, for her defence; which out giving bond and security, in the sum of five hundred was supported by that State alone; all the delegates from dollars, to indemnify the township against any expense that the other States, excepting one from Georgia, answering might be incurred in consequence of their own inability in the negative. to support themselves. These [said Mr. B.] were the provisions of the law in question; and he submitted it to the Senate whether they were not both justifiable and commendable. The people of Ohio had excluded slavery, She is a great and magnanimous State. I would not with its advantages, if it had any, and it was natural for retract aught from her merits. New England seeks not to them to desire, as far as was practicable, to escape its evils. prostrate the fabric of others' fame, in order to erect her Knowing the general character of free people of color, own from its fragments; she is rich enough in her own they were desirous of having as few of them as possible, splendid materials. But the gentleman has not been forand of having some indemnity against the charge and ex-tunate in selecting this vote, given for her own exclusive pense of supporting such as might settle in the State. benefit against all the other States, as an illustration of her Mr. B. further stated, that the law, which he understood disinterestedness and liberality. To attribute in this inthe gentleman from Missouri as complaining of, had been stance so great merit to her, is an implication of demerit in force more than twenty years; and that the movement in all the others, which I leave to be repelled by their older at Cincinnati, to which he had referred, was nothing more and abler representatives around me. than the giving of a notice, under that law, to those persons on whom it operated, and who had not complied with its directions, that they must do so, within a stated time, or leave the State.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1830.

It was upon his stating this vote, that the gentleman exclaimed, in tones of delight and exultation: Magnanimous Virgina, ay!

On the 29th of June, eight days only after the almost unanimous refusal of Congress to send more than the two companies to the defence of Virginia, a committee, consisting of two members from that State, and one from Massachusetts, made a report in favor of authorizing the commander of those two companies to march into the Indian country and make war, or treat for peace, as he should see fit; and, also to call, at his pleasure, upon the Governor of Virginia, for one thousand militia. This reMr. SPRAGUE rose, and concluded the speech which port being under debate, a motion was made to postpone he commenced yesterday. His remarks were as follows: it for the present, in order to take up another proposition, Mr. S. said it was with reluctance that he entered into which, after reciting that there was not sufficient evidence this extraordinary debate. The gentleman who had just of Indian depredations to justify carrying war into their resumed his scat [Mr. BENTON] had most gratuitously country," recommended the adoption, without delay,"

The Senate resumed the consideration of the resolution heretofore offered by Mr. FOOT.

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given to it an unpleasant sectional character. Some por- of "such measures as shall effectually secure peace to the tion of his remarks related merely to measures of a party Indians, and safety to the citizens inhabiting the frontiers in opposition to the administrations of Mr. Jefferson and of the United States." This motion the Senator from Mr. Madison. Had he confined himself to those acts, I Missouri pronounced "cold blooded, cruel, and inhuman; should not have felt myself constrained to participate in the discussion; because I was, from the first, politically opposed to them, and have never changed my sentiments. I men

equalled only by the National Assembly of the French Revolution, which, when their fellow-citizens were falling around them by the daggers of assassins, passed to the or

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