This provision was incorporated
in the formative act of every State and Territory until the organisation
of the Oregon Territory. It was a tribute to home rule. Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Missouri, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana were the States
benefited in this way before 1825. The States which contained no public
lands were obviously deprived of this resource. The income from the
school lands has been small in each State compared with the sum raised
by local taxation for educational purposes; but the gratitude inuring
to the Central Government for its charity toward what has become almost
a fetich, free education, must be noticed in describing the unification
of the American people.
Mention has been made of the share of land sale receipts under which
the Cumberland Road was begun. The original purpose was to cross the
watershed from the Potomac to the Ohio. In 1820, the great work was
completed to Wheeling, on the Ohio. Three waggons could be drawn abreast
over the greater part of its length. Solid stone bridges arched the
watercourses. The well-paved surface greatly reduced the length of
time required for carrying the mails across the mountains.
Pages:
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526