Weekly national intelligencer., 1852-05-29

for speculation by capitalists but will remain open
the actual settler at rate moderate to be always
within his reach This is the great interest of the settler
You have achieved great and national bless
ing If you can, for long series of years. maintain this
system of public domain by which any citizen
purchase eighty of uncultivaed land for $780,
forty for $780, which is the smallest quantity offered
by law The great achievement is continue that state
of things and not let the land pass into the hands Of
few it will do If you give away reduce the price
to any considerable extent for you cannot in this age
lock up real property from commerce. prohibit aena
ton beyond very short period, by those to whom you
donate it, do not think that any system can be devised
well calculated the present to keep the public do
main of the grasp Of Spectators and within the easy
acquisition Of the actual culvators of the SOIL As long
the present system preserve land for sale by this
Government at prices we shall have an ndepen
dent and hardy of yeomen who will stability
the Government and liberty to all its citizens They
win at oil times have competency, if not opulence with
in their reach at the producers of boundess
tonal wealth. and the buwark Of the State in peace and
1t Is great mistake to suppose that you will
terl bscr the condition Of the in the old States,
or * xtlante cities, BY living him one hundred and
shy scres qf land in the far West The dif6cuty With
h is not that Of procuring the land but to Snigrate
himself and family to the country where is and to OBJ
tain the means Of cultivang it. Without this the grant
is useless to the poor man. The gift to make 1t efficient
should be followed up by further donation to enable the
beneficiary to stock and cultivate it,
1t would be far greater boon to all citizens, of
native and foreign origin to furnish them for few dol
lars rapid of reaching the land States in the
Great West and this in my opinion, may be accomplish
ed by exercising the legitimate powers Of the Government
and without drawing upon the Treasury, diminishing
the value Of the public domain source of revenue
And the truth should not be forgotten that the who
is upon the public lands and does not procure
to purchase, will have industry and thrift suf
cient to keep his farm, if you give it to him.
Once in country, his labor readily commands a
rate of compensation which will in short time enable
him to become landhoder have observed with aston
shment the magical influence of this change of residence
in the of the German emgrant in Texas The first
year of his emigration without being able to speak the
English language, he contryes to enough from his
earning to purchase tract of land ample for moderate
farm. The next year there appears upon 1T neat cabin
and moderate-sized wecultivated field, and about the
house few head of stock In half dozen years he has
purchased adjoining tract Of land, enlarged his
buildings and his fields has numerous herds upon the
prairies, and is of substantial wealth. He is a
useful member Of society Ii he brought with him ideas
of socialism, which is often the case he has by this time
abandoned them unfit for country where wealth
is within the reach of any who is not ashamed Of
honest toll Indeed, your German is true practical phi
losopher His sentimenaty stands in the way of
his thrift AS soon as he has obtained and stocked his
farm he begins lay by cash for the purchase Of
few negroes. l welcome the German emigrant- He is
Industrious frugal intelligent conservative and attached
to republican government The German does not require
or need this grauity from Government He is naturally
pioneer, and relies with confidence and success upon
his industry and perseverance There are very few
foreigners of other nations who could be made agrcu
turists by donations Of lands Neither see any
cessty for this system Of argesses The bounty land
bill TO soldiers of last session of Congress threw upon the
market than CO. 900 of Of public domain
This scrip is selling for about fifty cents per acre.
that for the sum of $50 man may purchase him
self farm of forty Of land; and 1t is not in the
power Of legislation to enrich by donations whs
has not industry and energy sufficient TO procure thu
amount of means. He would remain poor you gay'
him farm at every Presidential election. You canno
enrich such persons unless you provide them with guar
dams as well as farms And il viii be that il t
bill pass the present Congress- il will be renewed ever,
four years IL this system is begun, il win faster
itself permanently upon the legislation Of the country
But il argued that Congress has made grants Of alter
sections railroads for the purpose Of settling the
country and increasing the value Of the remaining public
domain and that this win have the effect
think the analogy fails first because the alternate
tons on the roads doubled in price, which is the
provision Of this bill and second because increase in
value under this measure is not direct
The Government should manage its public domain a
wise and liberal proprietor would conduct his private
tate And while deny the power Of Congress to give
these lands away admit the right 10 legslate in such
TO increase their value and augment the
nue. arising from the sale Of the lands speak Of egs
aton which has that direct result and not Of
Of which that would be remote incident in the settle
ment Of the country and the increase Of its population
wealth. and commerce. take the ground, that IL by
grant Of portion Of the public land as alternate
tons for the construction of railroads through large bodies
Of public domain the value Of that which remains TO the
Government is worth than the whole would be with
out such improvement Congress not only has the power
make the grant, but it would be wise proprietary II
is the purchase Of improvement which enhances the
value Of the public domain fourfod wherever 1t is
structed IL does not rest accurately speaking the
footing Of a donation II is exchange Of land for
equivalent advantages which operates directly in the
augmentation Of the value of the land and the
deriyabe from that source. Suppose the Government
the Of square in the city of New York and
the corporation individuals, upen condition Of grant
of the lot should offer 70 place edfces upon IL
which would render the half sti remaining TO the Gov
ernmen four times valuable the whole without the
structure, would doubt either the power Of the
Government or the propriety Of making the grant 1t
would be purchase Of increased value and availability
in property by means Of an improvement IL is direct
result Such, Also will be the effect Of making railroads
through the public domain Viewed in the light Of pc
cuniary arrangement only, it is advantageous TO the
Government much more so than sale at the minimum
price, could that always be effected which we know
not be done with large bodies Of land remote from
products Of agricultural labor Not only alternate
sections reserved Of equal value to the whole without the
road but its construction brings rapidly into market the
whole country for many miles along its line IL Is sup
posed by that Congress win be importuned TO
duce the price Of the alternate sections which, by the
provisions Of the railroad bills held at 50 90 per
acre but the effect will be rather immediate sale
the road is located and before application
to Congress be made Lasd that is worth any thing
either for its timber or for cultivation will bring more
than 81 so per il situated in the immediate vicinity
of railroad The road will the entry Of the poor
land along its line which would not otherwise find pur-
chasers for age
The making Of these grants to roads is therefore
wise proprietary act They win have further beneficial
effect The alternate sections win be reserved from the
location Of bounty land warrants which are now for
few cents per acre. going into the hands Of spectators
~. n.