New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-09-19
Military Bounty lands.

W Iltu VIC ul6P lOA0 VIZ @OstN 1900 ~
Prize Song, we thought the line
As long as thy heroes remember their 'cars,
about the fattest and most maladroit we had
ever met with for who ever dared suspeci
our modestly brave defenders of hearth and
home lin the heart Of Mexico for example,)
Of remembering their wounds gladly well
coined in the service Of their country? On
the contrary, don't they hasten to forget
them as soon as they have fairly healed
over2 Don't they efIace all lingering ap-
pearance of them with bushes whenever
any one else happens to mention them in
their presence? A soldier ENGINEERING his
scars what an idea
And yet, since we have been thinking
the matter over more carefully, we see beau
ties in that hastily condemned line, which
ought to buoy it long above the sluggish
waters of Oblivion. Since looking at the
bills now before Congress, especially the
Military Bounty Land bill with its numerous
riders, we begin to perceive thot our heroes
do remember their scars and don't mean
to let the Country forget them. Yes, that
is great line Of Baya5d' History, Prophe-
cy and Poetry, all condensed into eleven
syllables.
AS long as thy heroes remember their
scars'-that is more poetcal way of say
ing, as long as wood grows and water
runs'-at least, as long as the public goose
has one Remaining feather. Here are our
New.York Volunteers who had their bounty
and City or State donation before starting
their,pay while absent, and a quartersection
of Public Lands $50 much more than they
bargaiued for) when they were discharged
from service; and yet we have had appeals
after appeals to the generosity Of our cit-
gems in behalf of the New York Volunteers.
Some Of them would seem to think that, by
going to Mexico in fighting attitude, they
earned right to be supported evermore at
others cost. But this local evil shrinks in
to insignifcance when compared with the
effort now making at Washington to give
ouarter-section of Public Land to every one
who fought in our Last War from thirty
six to thirty,eight years ago) with Great
Britain, or who even shouldered musket
in that contest to guard their homes from
possible attack by the enemy. Surely these
three months militia, who turned out to re-
mel attacks which never were made, do re-
member their scars with an inyincible
tenacity. And then the Indian fighters Of
the last sixty years, and even the seamen
who would have fought off the Florida coast
during the Seminole Wars had our savage
foes possessed few liners to capture-yes,
all these, too, remember their scars and
want them remembered by the Government
to the tune of several millions of acres. And
these acres they generally don'twant 70 set
tleupon nor cultivate, else their championsin
Congress would agree to take them subject
to no assignment-but no, they are wanted
to throw into the market-to swell the fever
cd currents Of Speculation, to gorge the
yulture Of Land, iobbipg, and to hasten the
coming day when al the choice lands Of the
United States shall have become the proper
ty of wealthy few, 70 be sold at such pri-
ces as Avarice shall fix and Want must sub
nit to. There is No limitation to those who
need land-no exclusion of those owning
townships and mansions-but every one
who shouldered musket in those old wars
is to have quarter-seotion, opening door
fer frauds and rascahties innumerable.
We do trust that the poor and deserving
portion of our country's ex.defenders will
separate their cause from that of the monopo-
lists and speculators and take their stand
with the People on the broad platform Of
Lands Free to AL, and no man to have more
than he needs. Such Land measure would
not only secure home to every poor man
whe needs it, but would secure Free Homes
likewise 10 bis children and grandchildren.
Let the first bill passed be that which appor-
tons Land to the Landless, and then We will
see what may fairly be done for ex-soldiers,
railroads, schools, &c. &c. But we protest
against the passage of any bill granting
Land to partin advance of that which is
doat;ned 70 sacure Homes to All.