Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1852-02-26
Letters from the Border.
BY CORA MONTGOMERY.
The Best Defence of Republics.


1t is such ayorte and rooted idea with a certain
class o legislators that money should be made Of
the public lands that all their speeches and votes upon
the subject have flavor of merchandise if it were
lot OF butter kegs bales of cotton bought at the
cheapest, to be sold again the best a favorable
change oil market. Not but that a calm and udicious
consideration should be had for effects on The treasu
y and the imports necessary fill the treasury; only
that the higher consideration for which that treasury
exists, should be as carefully kept mind. The rues,
best, and most permanent good Of the people, its
oroadest advancement in morals and intelligence,
well as wealth and power the aim and end OF repub
can government, Tor this treasures legislatures and
all the complex machinery exists. very plain un-
contradcted truth il bun unfortunately sometimes it
is lost sight of in practice.
For example, If the respective value this Union of
these two dispositions Of million OF public land
were placed together before the people, there is little
doubt of their choice.
Will you sell this much Of vour common ratrimony
and construct splendid ship like the Pennsylva.
MIA to be maintained at expense under a shed or
IN safe harbor being large for use and requiring
such an armament will be likely to forbid her ever
making cruise, in any way whatever Of rendering
service except show the world that can build as
large ship any kng7 will you rather distribute
this million among her Thousand andless fsmi-
lies, in farms of hundred EACH and thus
work ten thousand and spades cutting roads,
and ten thousand ploughs to produce bread for the
wordl
Which will add most to the comfort Of the masses and
the power oil the nation, astOnshingv large ship Of
war, gigantic national toy the size Of Noahs Ark
grateful and patriotic army Of Ten thousand home
possessing men, who guard all that is dear and sacred
in guarding their country, and whose every settlement
is voluReer frontier post! Is this the nobles and
cheapest defence of the republic? Those who think
splendid and expensive Of rulers constitute the chief
glory of a nation and who fancy in their hearts
that an independent, seEespecting people are quite
secondary element OF national strength will inevitably
desire make profitable speculation of the public do
main; for If VIC must have costly pageantTy, money
must be found pay for it, and all comes at last
from the productive labor Of the may almost
as well be drained from the land buyers any other
way. Ii is not, however, the large land buyer who
eventually paws the money any than il is the own
er of rented house who pays the taxes As the ten
ant pays the in the shape Of increased rent the
final tIer Of the soil pays of his earnings for the in
creased price of his land II is the large monopost,
who can buy whole townships he would buy pack
age of lottery tickets bat without risk OF blanks-and
waits to what blind fortune will do for him who
pockets these earnings. Without days productive Ia
Dor this soil and rejardng its advance by keep
ing large tracts rough and wild n the path Of others
labor, his land becomes valuable because working
have fenced him round with fields and orchards and
schools and roads. They have tanned the wilderness
and driven forth the wild beast for him; they have
bdged the torrent, and made healthy the morass, and
this bis invested dollars fed by the lives and abors
ol the working men, have multiplied exceedingly and he
a rich man-even a prince great one-because
the many have been made toll in subservence OF the
And all this Congress call wise and just most
peratively Legislation. profoundly wise policy.
Whenever you legislator jealous for old and
magnificent usages, eager for large appropriations Civ.
ing literally stately ortresses, grand ships OF
and imposing embassies crowned heads you must all
so see il he has any idea Of the tendency Of his own
acts the advocate OF high land prices for all this pomP
must be bought with money. To dignity labor and ele-
vate the aborer is well enough in theory but practical
y the first thing with them decorate the govern
ment with much splendor and extravaganza as the
people will endure and hence il is easier TO win from
such men million Of acres for Snowy, useless ship
than give allotted homes 10 ten thousand working
Eagle Pass, January, 1852