Now he [Mr. Lincoln] did not at this
time take the floor for the purpose of attempting to make an argument on
the general subject. He rose simply to protest against the doctrine which
the gentleman from Indiana had avowed in the course of what he [Mr.
Lincoln] could not but consider an unsound argument.
It might, however, be true, for anything he knew, that the gentleman from
Indiana might convince him that his argument was sound; but he [Mr.
Lincoln] feared that gentleman would not be able to convince a majority
in Congress that it was sound. It was true the question appeared in a
different aspect to persons in consequence of a difference in the point
from which they looked at it. It did not look to persons residing east of
the mountains as it did to those who lived among the public lands. But,
for his part, he would state that if Congress would make a donation of
alternate sections of public land for the purpose of internal
improvements in his State, and forbid the reserved sections being sold at
$1.25, he should be glad to see the appropriation made; though he should
prefer it if the reserved sections were not enhanced in price. He
repeated, he should be glad to have such appropriations made, even though
the reserved sections should be enhanced in price.
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