Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-05-08

their lives health for the public eood2 why not grant to
mem what they ask for! Are the defenders Of European
States OF more consequence than the defenders Of the United
Our own people fought and bled for these andet
them have some individual right in them
Again, IN another place, he says
~" we deny it Ia homel to them we deny what God has
given tous we deny what fathers fought and BLEED or
s deny what your ancestors achieved and sought to dis
butte among all men,"
Much as respect my learned friend, and highly as l
yeGerd his theology ask him to show any divine right
t our lands In this country. think it would puzzle
11m: as he SAID not mreycrently "the earth Is the
Lords and all that therein is - or the fulness thereof
locprding to another version But hidden 70
that we have by the of brow and this Is the
only title sanctioned by divine authority that know OF
~ property OF any kind The interrogation Of the gen.
PnaR from Pennsylvania leads to notice other sent.
whioh that honorable gentleman uttered with great
zee shaking my own convictions, and causing me
my Judgment in the result; but since have
"a those sentiments, find them to be like that
oxracted by bees from the beautiful but poisonons
sweet 70 the sense yet mortal to the soul Ysnt
mig Task the honorable gentleman to review The sept
sRts which he has offered in his speech, and think In
has calm and more deliberate moments he will acknow-
ledge that he could have uttered nothing which would
have direct tendency weaken the bonds of
city, and shake the title Of property throughout the
wpid. He has said, sir, speaking Of that book which
hB been handed to us to be light through all the
darkness that may surround that the whole history
the people Of the Bible is land claims and land
distributions, managed it will be recollected, with
courtesy the part of Abraham towards Lot than is
blehe history of the people Of the Bible history Of
land claims and land distributions The journey of Abra
ham, under divine direction the wanderngs Of the Israel
es and the invasion Of Canaan adopted precedent
10 sanction that which, if followed, is calculated to
horze any enthusiastic fanatic horde deemng them
selves inspired under the lead of modern prophet
70 seize the airest portion of this land Once adopt the
idea that the Bible sanctions equal partition of lands
among the people, and you your enemies, you
those who have lost the light of conscience you the
most dangerous members of society against all the ns
tutons of civilization and accumulatons Of honest in
dustry.
What other tendency has this bill? 1t proposes not
only give to every citizen Of the United States but
every who will declare his intention to become ct
zen Of the United States, quarter section Of land
Mr. JOHNSON of Tennessee. No such provision is con-
tanned in the BILL The first section provides for all
citizens of the United States and all those who were or
may become citizens, required by the naturalization
laws before the first day of January 1852 and not
for those who may into the country thereafter
Mr.. BOWIE beg the gentleman's pardon. meant to
present no feature which did not actually exist in the
BILL $500
Mr.. AvERErT. As understand it, the bill advocated
by the gentleman from Tennessee provides that any per-
son who will that he possesses land and has
sold none to obtain the benefits of this BILL may receive
one hundred and sixty of the public land 1t
the gentleman has backed from that The present
Limitation is that the land be granted those worth less
than $500.
Mr.. JOHNSON. In reply to that by the permission of
the gentleman from Maryland, will state that the gen.
not exist. backed out from no such position will
take the bill with without that provision Just as the
majority of the House may determine But for the purpose
Of having correct understanding upon the first section
hope the Clerk may be allowed to read 1t it is. 1t
will not consume much time
Mr. AvERErr think cannot besnistaken about this
matter believe have in my portfolio the bill which
the gentleman from Tennessee enthusiastically advo-
Gated.
Mr.. JOHNSON There win be no difficulty if the gem
tieman will hear me- The committee propose that
amendment ! state that win take the bin as originally
introduced or with the amendment proposed by the
| commtteez-either way am in favor Of it.
Mr.. AvERETT Take it either way and the result
is to give exclusive benefit in the public domain to
special class Of persons
The Clerk then read the first section of the bill
MIR. BOWIE. 1t may be recollected Mr. Chairman, by
those who did the honor listen to my Introductory
remarks that considered the tendency Of this b its
effects precedent of the greatest objections
it, repeat that though this bill may not contain provi-
sions which will admit all future emigrants from
Europe, yet let it become law and it becomes wedge
by which public domain win be forced open to them
The first agrarian laws to which have alluded but
restraints upon the quantity of land to be held by each
person. The first agraran laws not laws Of part
ton donation, but of restraint upon the quantity
which any should hold but the succeeding Tribune
anxious to distinguish himself above the rest required an
annual distribution and required that the ranares should
be opened and the treasury divided Sir must guard
against small things "O5sa prncpis" We must arrest
the food the commencement, not it at ALL
Arrest it now the barriers which the Constitution and
law designed to throw around this invaluable property
win be swept away.
Mr.. Chairman, can any thing be more dangerous than
the infusion of Undue proportion of dissmiar people
among our own Can any thing in other words be more
dangerous this period than the infusion Of undue
proportion Of foreign sentiment foreign habit and foreign
influence into the American mind? Our census now
shows that almost every fourthat least every fifth
in this country is European the descendant of
European since 1890. Reflect, sir! See the large
influence social moral and political which they daily
acquiring Consider the increase of 900 within the
last ten years, and, if newspaper accounts to be
credited the increase Of nearly 250 600 within the last
nine months What effect must these have upon the theory
and action of this Government upon our foreign and
domestic policy? upon intervention at home and abroad
there danger of European ascendency in American
councils Ours is Government which lives and acts by
public opinion The honorable gentleman from Pennsyl
yania r CHANDLKR) has gone far intimate that
the tenure Of lands has changed with public opinion
that legal rights and constitutional rights dependant
upon public opinion Look his classical on citation and
tdnfu and nos mu0nnr Ills; that is, the tenure
of public lands has changed and opinions il is evil
dent are changing with them.'" How has the tenure
Of public lands changed Are not the deeds of ces
sion from the old land States as strong ever Are not
the provisions Of the constitution which authorize
direct their disposition binding ever? Does public
faith lose its obligation by time Is there any statute Of
limitation against conscientious obligations observe
and consrue these deeds Of ccssion according their
tenor and meanng2 Idefy any to assign rational
not Of one who has examined into the legal claims of the
United States but Of generous heart borne away by
zeal Aye the milk Of human Kindness
which flowed so abundantly in his BOSOM has drowned
his Judgment The tenure of the public lands never
change as long there is any obligation in oaths to
in the deeds which ceded them to the United States if
hour shall come when these soen sanctions