Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1849-04-20
xa,ley.l Reform ADDRESS.

rallgou, on the e6lh ulI., for The purpose OF ad-
dressing Ihe National Relurnors Of Carroll co. /
lu compliance with the duty then and there as.
sieoed Us, we now assume 10 address you; aud
While we speak 10 Nafoslal Retormers. we shall
say uotAing thai We would not say to the whole
ward beside.
"a In the frsI place. however-in studying the
Divine plan in the government Of Gods uni
verse-,he rolling Of The Heavenly bodies
wherein all move and shine with sweet consent,
each enc adding glory and beauty TO all-no
one asking special Fririhges, nor lramPllng up
on the rights Of the olher;-whcn we leave me
frman, NJ, and descend 10 the maitilous inhabl-
lanis of The forest, we hear no tenant thereof
say TO his fellow 20 here, or 60 ihere--bulld
thba my nest upon this bush or that hawthorn;
we repea.--when we contemplate the Divine
plan, with lis beauty, order aud symmelry--in
hqrmoaeous analogy with Gods revealed will
70 man, "wc are taught TO regard the whole
hnman species as one family; the high and the
low. tharich aud the poor who, us created by
one Almighty Parent" should aid, protect and
defend each other in the enjoymcnls OF their
natural rights, in upright and yluuous bearing
toward all, whereby brotherIy love and true
With this cxordium, we assay to lay down
briefly, what VIC understand to be the Reforms
advocated for the ameliorl;ion of the toiiing
mlIions--,he producers Of the worlds wealth.
We dsclaim any and every oucmptto interfere
with, or impair any Of the present legally or
consti,ulionally established orders Of society
but ask reforms Of abuses aud repair Of griey-
ances, 10 the way aud manner already prcscr.
bed by law and conSiilutious--lhe recognition
Of equal and natural rights, not already usurped
by partial and unjust legislation.
We hold thar the tile, the "jee simple OF
our uasoH Public DOMAIN is in the lChOie peo.
pe--man. woman and child, and that congress
5socly the agent through which lllle is pcrcc-
,cd 10 the Purchaser--haI the people have the
same equal actual and iHaiicRabIe right, each,
ln 50 much Of the soil as will secure by its cul.
,iyaton, life. liberty and the pursuit Of huppi-
pine,s as they have to light, air and water.--
We cannot in a brief address, argue this point:
but in the language Of the immortal Jefferson,
We say--"l sci out upon this ground, which !
suppose TO be solicvdcnl, that the earth b. longs
in usulrnct to the living" Hence, all traffic IN
the public lands should cease. That the hold
ing of large tracts Of uncuItivuled lands by IN.
dlyiduals, (as one 'nublcman' in England now
holds 90 600 acres in Wsconsin,) Is injurious to
the state aud Il grievance to the people--relards
the improvement Of country, yields compara'
lively no revenue to the state, and is unjust in
moral 2nnciple--no intelligent, rational man
can deny. Therefore, there can be no possible
excuse for the continuation OF This unnatural
and unhoy traffic by government
The plan then, is to have the public lands sur
vryrd INTO townships of six miles square, sub
divided INTO farms Of 100 acres each, exccp
one section as near the centre as possible, which
shall be surveyed into village lots for mechan
les, with public square for churches, town
hall and other public conyenlrnccs. And thO
each iandieSs person shalt have Il right to 10
cate, improve, aud receive tile for quarIe
section aud no more, at cost OF survcy--suy ler
cents per acre. To mechanic, only one vii
lagc lot aud out lot, say, two dollars WIN NJ
entire prohibition Of spccuIuIlon--or any on
person holding rlc for any more. Aud only Il
those of the United States. or that have swur
allegiance lherelo-by which we mean not lha
this country shall mol be the asylum for the op
pressed.
We will not attempt to portray the advaniN
gcs aud blessings 10 millions of young men
farmers aud mechanics, who are unable to pun
chase homes, by this freedom OF the publ
ards; nor The glory and stability Of govern
menI thereby secured forever
BY this plan, calculating from the best dat
within our reach, the rapid increase Of popul,
uon aud the more than billion of square mile
lit would require more than five hundrc
years 10 settle all the unsod lands now ownc
by the people Of the United States.
The next is u Homestead exemption, whic
provides for the family Of the unfortunate
hp,ae, in case Of misfortune, distress and II
various vcissiludes Of llIc--lo secure the wido
aud orphans home, resting place, "und
their own vine and lie.uee"--as The wisdom
Legislation may provide.
The following language, attributed to Jen'l
sou, we extract from lippord's "WaShiogI,
aud his Generals:
"When the war is oyer and our Freedom wo
tho people must make new declaration; III
must declare the rights of man, the iudividu
sucred above all craft in priesthood or gover
ments--lhey must, nj one blow, put an end
all the uickrres OF English law, which, garn
ed up in thecharnes Of ages, bind the heart n
viii with lies. They must perpelualo repul
can tTnlh, Oy making the HOMESTEAD OF eve
man hoy thing, which no law can touch,
upge wresl from his wife and children. III
Ibis sdone, the Revolution will have been lou
~ vain"
LAND LIMITATION AND FREEDOM OF THE P
Lie LANDS:
The HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION;
FREE Soil AND FREE LABOR, embracing
position 10 any ard every species Of lyra
and usurpaIion--to slavery oI body or mine
REDUCTION Of exhorbuanl salaries. Th
with amendments in The organic law Of OH
LEGISLATIVE meetings only once in
years:
ALL OFFICERS elective BY the people:
No STATE DEBT, unless approved OF by
people:
Asp, a more efficient LIEN Law for The S
riiy OF mechanics and laborers: