The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1841-02-18
mTe. nAgGUn's SPEECH,
On TIE
PROSPECTIVE PRE.ENPTION ELL


thai there was any incOngfulty between
the bill under consideration aud the pro.
posed amendment and far less did be con.
cur III tie justice or The propriety Of de.
/ nounclHs tue amendment as monstrous, as
an unfair mode Of assault, as, 10 short, an
enormlty. The Truth is, (ssld MIR. NJ }
4 there is no one who looks at the various
movements which are made in relation TO
tho public lands, aud the various questions
which come up here, that does not per
ceiYe that consideration Of one Of them
necessarily aud properly calls up the Goa
sldefaliun cf all the rival aud alternative
propositions.
As 10 The pre- emption bili COW before
Tue Sonale, It Is impossible TO form lst
estimate Of Il, and coGo 10 right coaolu.
slons, unless we consider /, in conneXloa
w!th oil the other measures Of is friends
unless se consider il las i. IS part OF 4
great sys,eui-as an element IN the great
schef ( q deii1iIiys aud ultimate DISPOSE
ton Of The vas! public domain Of the country.
i,ls, in truth, IN the language of tho hon
orable eenator from Tennessee, & Mr.. An.
deTsea,) tho first step TO final disposition
Of The public domain. thank the senator
for this explicit and manly ayowal Of the
purposes aud views Of tue friends Of thus
measure. The first stop to final dlsposI
lion of the public domain Yes, sir ii is
the first step IL tbs race where each strug.
giles to be first in the great work Of squdn
derIng aad scattering this more than prince.
~ domain 10 al! the winds Of Heaven, BY
beslowlng /, 10 largesscs, BY giving IT to
schemers and spectators, and inviting 10
lis occupation all the ends Of the earth, the
bandl! q The Apprentices, the mercenary
Swiss, the hungry loaier OF the cities Of the
old world, the otial of.the dlsgorged jails,
| penleUtlares and houses Of correction Of
foreign countrles--ali, all are invited by
this bill 10 ming,e with our American ell
zens, and seize upon the public lands, and
| appropriate tLom, excluding the old States,
whose property ID common with their sis
leTs they are, from any substantial aud
equal participation in this common proper
ty Of them all.
9ptG NV ~ tLldN ail u u iUos
TO determine which is tie more ollecuona
bic, the principle or the details of this bill
To ne, il seems The crudas;, the most Iejune
and tho least safely guarded thai have ever
| knogn TO be introduced into the Senate. II
being, however, sort o.! wholesale dispos.,
tlcn Of this vast property, without equivalent!
or consideration, tie details can DO OF but
1 little moment, except 10 exhibit TO curious
/ observer What vast results may be found in
/ conpeAlon with the weakest bunellag.
| This bill! goes to reyoiutioDiZe the whole
system Of emptlon ITSELF as that has
heretofore existed, ADD ID the end TO ah.o
gate the whole land system, which hes beqn
bull: up and consolidated through series Of
| years, by so much care and labor, aud which
has extoned praise aud cI!ogi1m frem all
sides OF this Chamber. Heretofore, when
settlement had gone il advance Of u regular
disposition Of The public lands, and ;he bar,
dy pioneers had shown evidence Of good cit.
izenship by habits of honest labor, Con
gress, out of tenderness for the citizen, aud
sctupulous desire that every one Should
enjoy the avails Of his own labor, have over
looked the original Intrusion, and IN lbeT
al and parental spirit given the right Of pre-
enpion, so that evety one might continue
to enjoy the humble dwelling and other i'm.
proyemon,s, the result of the sweat Of his
own BROS and the work OF bis hands. This
was pure bounty, unmI2ed gratuisy, confer
red by Government unclllIng TO rePress or
thwart the energies and enterprise of these
hardy men, who had sought upon the dark
brew of the wilderness resting place for
thelc wives and their children. Il vas O
/ kind cnncesson 10 the restless energies Of
this nsio American race Of ours, which,
though lille loo Dnobscrvant Of the rights
Of others, yet had the hearts, the hands, the
wishes, the purposes, and the patriotic aspi.
ra,ious of American citizens-a race that
loved their couotry, loved liberty, and were
ready TO peril all they had IN enterprises,
dangerous or otherwise, IN defence Of their
country. 1t may be that, in any aspect,
financial or political, the occasional aud ju
dIcious interpostlon Of Congress IN their be-
half was wise, as most individually il was
kind liberal, and parental. All these cases
were retrospective, overlooking initiative
error, and quieting these hardy pioneers in
their homes, ,her titles, and all the fruits
Of their labor. Ilihis Legislation vas some.
what uajnst to the old States, yet it was
kind aud upon the whole may not have
been unwise.
But now, for the first time, /, is proposed
TO hold out standing lures and temptations
to the whole world, to come and seize upon
our public domain. To sustain this sweep
ing prospective measure, have heard doc
tfiuss avowed more Objectionable than the
measure itself, from which thy Judgment 70
volts, and which, am conident, could they
be submitted directly to the whole American
people, would be indignantly, II no. con
temp,uously, rejected. | say this bill invites
the whole world, aliens as well as citizens,
to come aad take possession of our public
domain; and how? Under any rule Ac
cordiog to any uniform regulation No,
no, sir, The bounty is held out to the swift
est foot and the strongest man; these are to
/ A 4 II