The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-25

most to the wealth Of the country live the hard
est, and enjoy the least Of that wealth. tell
you that feeling is growing one. | call upon
my Democratic friends, instead of going off half.
cooked upon the idea Of being the especial
friends OF the poor, to demonstrate by what
practical operation this feeling existing amongs 1t
them has arisen. 1t is owing to the fact t: at
your S50,0OO,O0O and odd expended by you
yearly are distracted from the labor and prop
erty of the country Ii is abstracted by your
indirect system of taxation in the form of high
tariff and by pampering, and sustaining your
legislative pets, in the form OF banks, manufac-
turing aud other corporations. Those millions
are from the earnings Of the labor of the toling
multitude. They are from the property and
the labor Of the country. Do not let us be
mistaken about this matter do not wish 10
charge bad motives to any one. have no
doubt that some Of those who profess feeling
for the poor are actuated by good motives.
They are, however, going the wrong course to
benefit the poor. If you would befrierd the
poor, leave them free to enjoy their powers and
faculties of mind and body-and keep the hands
of your tax -gatherers out of their pockets. Let
them alone.
Here on motion of Mr.. BococK, with Mr.. AS
assent, the committee rose
THURSDAY, April 8, 1862.
Mr. AVERETT resumed, and concluded sub
stania!y, as follows:
Mr.. Chairman, | have been so frequently
interrupted, that | fear my speech will appear
| very homogeneous. | complain not of those
interruptions, because submitted TO them at
the time, II acquiesce noa0," but hope may
be allowed the Jew minutes remaining to me,
uninterruptedIy, to cay what intended to say
hope--interrupted | have been; confused,
and, perhaps, incongruous as my remarks may
appear--that | have made myself sufficiently
understood, and have made the committee un.
dcrstand and the reporters, whose general
accuracy has astonished me, amid the confusion
of this Hall--the grounds upon which oppose
this homestead bill, and all kindred propositions
have taken the ground that the right of
property in the public domain was right in
which no exclusion could be adopted by Con
gress without violation Of the Constitution,
and warfare against the principles of cur
institutions. have taken the ground that the
public domain is the property Of all; and the
further ground that the grant in the Constiiu
ton Of the United States, of the power to make
all needfu rules and regulations respecting the
territory or other property ofthe United States,
could confer upon this government any power
or function not expressly in the Constitu-
ton, or necessary to carry out the powers
expressly granted in that instrument. | hope
that am understood. hope that my friends
who have gone off half cocked-with all due
Difference to them-will consider the question
again. Can the fact that Virginia ceded her
northwest territory, and that other States ceded
lands which they had acquired by their blood
and their treasure, give to this Congress
is vested only with the power to make needfu
rules and regulations in regard to lands and
lher property of the United States-any func-
tons not to be found in the Constitution?
Mr.. HALL. No.
Mr.. AVERETT You say no. Stand to
that; but ! am afraid you will back out when
you come up with some of your Missouri bills
Now, utterly deny-and | proclaim that it is
growing heresy-that the power to make all
needfu rules and regulations respecting the
territory or other property Of the United States,
gives us the power to engage in matters which
were not only not granted, but expressly repu
dated and refused by the convention which
framed the Constitution. The gentleman from
Tennessee Mr.. CHURcHwELL comes in here
with BILL not homestead bill, but common
school bill-a bill to make use of these public
lands for the purpose of prosecuting a system
of common-schoo education. Well, think il
will be found as difficult to show power in the
Constitution to teach our children their A B
C's, as it will be to show power to support
our poor, or power to cure the insane, with our
public lands. Where is such power to be
found in the Constitution Would Patrick
Henry, would General Washington, or would
even Alexander Hamilton, have sanctioned the
power TO make this government board of
overseers of the poor, or the board of common
school education! The absurdity of comforting
the power upon this government Of curing in
sanity with the public lands, or teaching our
children their A b C's, through the instru.
mentality of the pubic lands, is superlatvely
ridiculous | beg you, gentlemen, who have
taken your position upon this question: have
no interest in this matter Individuality big
you reconsider the principles which lie at the
bottom Of this bill, and you win find the prin-
ciples subversve of our institutions, if they are
carried out. AS have before said, and wish
to impress it upon you, this government ''neither
tolls nor spins" it earns nothing, but it squan-
ders millions; it disburses and consumes taxes
at the expense of the toiling multitudes The
interests of the property holders and honest
laborers are identical. And here beg my
friends who look to the interests of their child
rem, who really value our institutions as our
fathers handed them down to us, to consider this
one thing. There is an effort to array the poor
laborer against the capitalist and the property
holder. 1t is an unrighteous warfare. stand
upon the position, as stated before, that the
interest of the honest laborer is identical with
that of the property holder, so far as the func-
tons of this government are concerned
The property holder wants eecurity in the
enjoyment of that which belongs to him, and in
the assurance that that which he has accumul.
ated and husbanded by his frugalty and indus
try, will be enjoyed by those nearest and dear.
est to him. The poor man, on his death bed,
finds consolation in the reflection that he leaves
his penness children in land equal rights and
equal laws and that, penniless though they be,
they may, with industry, economy, and the bless.
ings of God, rise to the highest point of pros.
perty-yea, to the highest pinnacle of fame
Sir, you have seen little children fighting for
their playthings; you have seen the little boy
fighting for his toy which has been mschievously
wrested from him. SIT IS MlNE!" cries the lit
tie fellow, when seeking his own, would say
to mothers, fathers, voters, cherish the spirit Of
hat little fellow. Don't allow it to be brbed
or corrupted by governmental fraud don't al
l~..- "a