the public lands, and seemed to think this policy wrong. He held it to have been, from the first, hard and rigorous; he was ofopinion, that the United States had acted towards those who had sub dued the western wilderness, in the spi- rit of a step-lnother; that the public do- main had been improperly regarded as a source of revenue; and that we had rigidly compelled payment for that which ought to have been given away. He said we ought to have followed the analogy of other governments, which had acted on much more liberal sys- tenn than ours, in planting colonies. He dwelt, particularly upon the settlement of America by colonists from Europe; and reminded us, that their governments had not exacted from those coIonists payment for the soil; with them, he said

 1t had been thought, that the conquest of the wilderness was. itself an equiva-

 lent for the soil, and he lamented that

 we had not followed that example, and

 pursued the same liberal course towards

 our own emigrants to the West.

 Now, sir, deny, altogether, that there

 has been any thing harsh or severe, in

 the policy of the Government towards

 the new States of the West. On the

 contrary, maintain, that ithas uniform

 ly pursued, towards these states, lih-

 eral and enlightened system, such as its

 own duty allowed and required; and

 such as their interests and welfare de-

 handed. The Government has been ato step-nother to the new States: She

 has not been careless of their interests. nor deaf to their requests; but from the first moment, when the Territories which now form those States we're ceded to the Union, down to the time in which ] am now speaking, 1t has been the invariable object of the government, to dispose oi the soil, according to the true spirit oi the obligation under which it received lit; to hasten its settlement and cultiva- ton, as far as practicable; and te real the new communities into equal and in- dependent States, at the earliest mo ment of their being able, by their nlm- bers. to form regular Government. 1 do not admit, sir, that the analogy to which the gentlemanrefers us, Is just or that tine cases are at all similar. There is no resemblance between the cases upon which the statesman can found

 ;ln 1.rgament The vriSsnei North \. merican Colonists either fled from Eu- rope, like our New England ancestors to avoid persecution, or came hither al their own charges, and often at the ruin of their fortunes, as private adventures.

 Generally speaking, they derived nei- tber succour nor protection from their Governments at home. Wide, indeed. is the difference between those cases

 and ours. From the very origin of the Government, these Western lands, and the just protection of those who had set tied or should settle on them, have been

 the leading objects in our policy, and

 have led to expenditures, both of blood and treasure, not inconsiderable; not

 indeed exceeding the importance of the

 object, and not yielded grudgingly o1 reluctantly, certainly; but yet not in.

 considerable, though necessary sacrif. ces, made for high proper ends. The

 indian title has been extinguished at the expense of many millions. Is that

 nothing? There isstill a much more ma, terial consideration.

 These colonists, if weare ocall them

 so, in passing the Alleghany, did no,

 pass beyond the care and protection of

 their owngovernment. Wherever they

 went, the public arm was still stretched

 over them. A parental government at

 home was still ever mindful of their con.

 dltlon and their wants; and nothing was spared which a just sense of their neces- sites required. Is it forgotten, that it

 was one of the most arduous duties oi the Government, in its earliest years.

 to defend the frontiers against the north western Indians? Are the suferings and misfortunes under Harmar and St. Clair not worthy to be renemberedf Do the occurrences connected with these mili- tary efforts show an unfeeling neglect ol western interests! And here, sir, what

 becomes of the gentleman's analogy What English armies accompanied our

 ancestors to oclear the forest of barbarous toes? What treasures of the Exchequel |

 were expended in buying up the origin. al title to the soil?-NNiilat eoyernmen.