New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-24

| latOr, IiRe everything else must Auh VII oS So
erIed in its price or value by the demand Tor IL
! and every year in our country, by the steady IA
! crease Of this portion Of oar population and tne
superseoing Of labor BY machinery, Is the demand
for labor decreasing, while labor itself "a increasing
| And what is 10 be done with this surplus LABOR
| these thinking. moving mental machines, who re-
ouire meat and drink 70 sustain the HE ther Gre
| ator has given them Are we 10 build poor.
houses and aims houses to people them with this
! portion of our population are they 70 dle ana
rot q, in Ireland for the want Of that sustenance
which they would gladly earn by the swest OF
! their brow If the privilege Of so doing could be
| granted them Are they to beg or steal that
which they cannot esrn1 Sir, it is TO prevent
such scenes and consequences as these that We
advocate the measure now claiming our atten-
ton To the lsbofing men and mechanics OF oar
untry, who are unable to procure employment
and whose families in this suffering condition,
we would tell them TO leave these crowded and
populous cities, these busy marts and whirlpools
OF strife and contention, where sordld avarlce
s crushing the feeble, and selfish interest cares
not for the helpless and go to the green hills aud
sunny plains OF the far West, where they can
have a home Of their Owl, and where they can
worship their Maker under their own vine and
fig tree 7" Sir if we could tell this at the present
time 10 those weary and toll worn creatures. In
whose breasts there is scarcely ray Of hope len,
with what thrill Of rapture would It be received
by them Tell such poor creature that be is the
owner OF quarter section, or even eighty acres Of
good land, and give him title to the same, of
which he nor his children can ever be Invested,
either by the cunning of his fellowman or the iron
grasp Of the law and independent of the Joy you
will have infused into bis heart, you will have done
an act which will have tended to secure more
firmly than ever the prosperity Of our people and
the perpetuity Of our institutions; for, by an act
like this, you will have made citizen Of one who
will feel that he is in truth and reality part OF
this Government, and that in its continuance and
olt I'D
ay Sir, the moment you give a man like this
title deed TO aportion OF the soil upon which he lives
and by which he is enabled TO support his family
that moment does he indeed feel that he is man;
and you identify his interest with the Govern
ment under which he resides; and in the sustain
ing of that Government, and the enforcement Of
law and order, you will find him ready, 10 the
sacrifice of his life, if necessary. | question, Sir,
whether there is member of this House whose
experience will not sustain the truth of this posi-
ton; who cannot say from actual observation, that
as a general thing, the law abiding and useful
citizens of the community in which they reside,
are those who have some vested right, or pecunla-
~ interest at stake, in which the laws OF their
country is TO protect them. Now, do not wish TO
be misunderstood in this matter do not wish to
be understood as saying that believe the property
holders or the rich and wealthy, are the best citl-
zens Of this or any other country, while the poor
are the worst and most useless class, as | do not
so believe for believe those are the best citizens
of any country who are neither rich nor very poor,
and that heheppiest community wherethe means
of subsistence is within the reach of ALL But the
fact which wish to enforce or illustrate is this
that as a general thing, Of those who make up the
long catalogue Of criminals and offenders against
thelaws of our country, not one in hundred will
be found to be owners possessors of property Of
any kind and whenever we are called upon to
witness the destruction of property or OF life, by
riots mob violence, as has recently too often been
the case in our country, not Que in hundren Of
those composing the active participants of those
riotous assembages, will be found TO have any pc.
cuniary interest at stake, under the laws they
thus violating Now, | do not suppose, by any
means Sir, that any legislation whatever which
may emanate from this body upon the subject OF
the public lands, or any other subject will eiiectual
ly cure all these evils render entirely useless the
criminal code upon our statute books but do be-
lieve that by legislation here, we may cure some Of
the present evils, and prevent many future evils OF
this kind to our country; and in no manner do
think it can be more safely and eifectuaily done
than by securing this beautiful domain, this soil Of
Heaven, which is after all, the true source Of all
our wealth, and from which every creature of God
must subsst, either directly or indirectly. Secure
this, say from the blasting, avaricious grasp Of
the Spectator and retain IL for the poor and friend
less OF the present as well as future generations.
! Now, as said az the commencement Of these re-
| marks | may be charged with the manifestation of
an sgrarian spirit desire 10 limit the acquisition
! OF weatb, by preventing the citizens Of this coun-
try from buy ing and selling and trading to any
| tent they may see proper in these lands, the same
as they. do in any other marketable commodity.
Such 10 not my feeling or intention, Sir; desire to
uut 10 limit whatever upon the acquisition Of
| wealth for care not if the money.worshippers or
uoney.seekers Of our country shall count their dol
lars y millions and their title deeds and mortgages
| ty hundreds; but when that portion of the soil
| which is Low vested in the right of the citizens,
! and the various avenues Of trade and commerce
are insufficient 10 satisfy their avarcious thirst for
wealth. and they shall seek toincrease their already
untold thousands by grssping that portion of the soil
now held by Government, and which belongs 10 the
people, then would say to them, Hands off, l would
tell them that this soil is not to be bought and sold
like bank stock in the market. Why, Sir, il we
wanted any illustration Of the evils arising from
an extended system OF land monopoly, il is unne.
cesssry for to go to unhappy Ireland for It, where
il exists 10 such al alarming extent, and where
we have seen the terrible evils resulting from it,
and TO which the honorable gentleman from South
Carolina Mr.. Holmesl has this morning alluded,
when be called cur attention to the millions who
die there from starvation and want. We have
here in our own country an instance Of evils which
result from large system ofland monopoly al
ude 10 that portion OF the State oil Newly which
is known as the anttrert district, and where have
been enacted scenes which, to say the least are
6iscreditable 10 an enlightened community and a
Republican Government Ike ours And wish II
TO be understood that in thus abiding 70 the dis
turbances in this portion of the State OF New-Yorl
that 60 not uphold those antirenters in their VIC
lent measures and opposition TO the laws of our
country for if they have no right or title TO the
land on which they reside ard the title be good
and valid in the family who claim it, then those ten.
ants are not and cannot be justified in forcbly VIC.
lating or resisting the law OF their State which
would enforce the collection of their rents. But
aDude to this existing state OF things in that dis
trict as TN evidence of some Of the evils which
suit from very large System Of land monopoly |
and fear it may, unless some means are adopted |
to prevent it, when the soil which is now held by
Government shall become the property of com |
psra,ivey small number, and the of the peo-
pie shall be precuded from the cultivation OF H. "
the enjoyment OF the same, except it be at the |