Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-06-02
THE RICHMOND TIMES.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 1852.
LAND REFORM MEETING.

The Socialists and Aerarians of New ork city
held great land reform meeting few days since
and adopted resolutions declaring their satisfaction
and delight at the passage of the Homestead Bill
by the House of Representatives. The meeting
was addressed by the Hon. Andrew Johnson of
Tennessee, the author of the Homestead bill, Ho-
race Greedy, of the Tribune, John Van Buren,,
and others of the same stripe.
Letters were read from the Hon. Wm H. Sc
ward and the Hon. Stephen A. Douglas. The
latter gentleman excused himself from attending
on the ground that the Homestead bill was liable
to be taken up at any moment in the Senate, and
he desired to expresshis sentiments upon it. What
Mr.. Douglas views are in regard to this measure
we do not remember ever to have heard, but as he
claims to be the originator of the great system of
land-piracy which Congress has been so industri-
ously engaged in carrying out for the last few
years, we presume that he is the jealous advocate
of this particular scheme. We apprehend that
his Southern admirers will not very greatly relish
seeing his name in such close juxtapositon with
that of Seward. These two Senators, it seems,
enjoyed the exclusive honour of an invitation to
attend the unholy concave of aboitionsts social
lists and disorganzers of every hue and color that
recently assembled in the city of New York, to
camor for ssfree farms for everybody
There exists in New York an association of
loafers oilers and mischief makers who have dub
bed themselves the Industrial Congress, and we
learn from the n York papers that these industrial
gentlemen were the most prominent leaders in this
land reform M vement. They want farm with
out working for it and demand that Congress
shall grant them landed estates for nothing.
The New York Mirror makes some excellent
remarks on this subject which we suboin:
FREE HcMEsrEADs- = The earth u.s. no doubt
badly enough divided and still more badly used 1t ought
to furnish homes for all, and plenty to render those
homes independent and happy. But the question will
force itself upon "Would onehalf of mankind-per
laps much larger number-work free soil and keep
iree homes if they had them furnished and stocked to
hand ?" We doubt it much and we doubt also If nine
out often These elamorous in this movement have
any desire or design to TIL the earth under any crcu
Their alpha and omega 1t will be found On SIT
ting the matter agitation political capital taulttnding
with the present order of things which, though they d
cry it, they the very last men IN the world to set
about practically improving
He who lacks the energy farm at ten shiings
per acre-pubc and-is hardly the man to settle such
farm and work his living From the foundation OF
the world the industrious and intelligent have been sue
cessfu and thrifty while the de and ignorant have been
the reverse.
The New York Herald speaks of the movement
as follows:
The progressive Democrats and progressive Wings
have taken up this electoneerng humbug in view of the
Presidential election-each faction trying to bid higher
the other for the popular vote But they both mlsca
culate Theq viii get very few votes in return for this
hanlbug The shrewd OF the people know uil well
thai free farm Ia the lar West would be perfectly useless
to the great majority of them, the condition which
would of be attached to ITS possession IN the event
OF such absurd enactment being passed by Congress-
Every woad have to settle upon the farm granted to
aim But should like to know how many OF the lazy
oaers who are advocating this would accept
are, nader such conditions whether mechanics iii
iar, towns would abandon their occupations and turn far
- Where would thew get the stock and the farming
utensils and the large capital necessary to clear and cuE
- So, firms and render them productiye-to say
,fn OF tie expense OF conveying themselves and their
faa,ss TO such distance? And suppesing themto be
osazed Of the necessary means, why the purchase OF
a farm would be a mere nothing, compared with the out
Law bring it into cultivation tue Vie Oh e
land IS the smallest item otthe expense
1t is the price Of farm thaF stands N the way OF
naop becoming farmers but the prlee labor and the
;c. If stock want of skill, the distance and other
ii+;o7s free farm therefore, ia the Wilderness is OF
no use to man without means and Is no Involvement to
a man with means What do mechanics or the great ma
orit OF citizens know about iafllng They could not
caro- coats ter backs by agriculture III wen known
tfst fr r Ia five per cent is the most that can be
aize4 Lv 5al invested In farming operations The
thing sounds verv fine who neyerfeheet and never
look beneath surface OF any halbl5 bat II Is as
parelv visionary kossrths PltGlsa oatties ad ms
atopian reeabie t,at IS to be in Hungary II tue bill
should pass tomorrow would not brlag another acre OF
ground into cultiTaoi Or II It I'D II "ouu uI VI NoeP
a. MANY acres oat of cultivation somewhere else,
Thsu1thtiifY have naturally looked with envy at the
s=ssieog If the the thrifty; ana have charged the dit
ference Of POSITION but to that VIII
si. gsn OF their brains, unequal law government, so
rierv. Sc This charge politicians have been feaay
IA nss has been their weapon masses OF the
-is ar rf,-Dls plished by the hand but by
the voice each successive reform leaving those masses
deeper aueger in the sloug-9f Inc simple reason At
the asd not the la. government aad society heeHea
reforming - .l..i. thu,
4 -. - b,-,ss comfort and Independence through
1r. ssirical or ,sysr4.4aenlai movement They must
earn and deserve these things or they eanho, h'e lnti-
TIE starting int Of hundred OF one huhdFea ana SIX
T. aes % ten shilling land is Of no account unless llei-
gent 1atifia Industry takes It it hand, ana tnt
viii have little difficulty IN acquiring land uhaer iese
r all we can see the delusian of expecting them 10 DC
manufactured keptin order By politicians or Iessa