The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-09-30
THE PUBLIC LANDs-FREE FARMS.

Independent Democrats, as announced by theii
Convention at Pittsburgh. The policy, though
acceptable to the masses of the people, North
and South, has been adopted by neither of the
old parties, chiefly because repugnant to the
Slayeholding Interest and to the peculiar in
terests of Capital. 1t is essentially Democratic,
its tendency being to change laborers into
landowners to multiply the number of small
proprietors to raise the wages of labor, to re-
strict consequently, the power of Capital, and
to discourage land speculation and monopoly.
Ii. is said, the price Of the Public Lands is
now so cheap that he must be worthless who
cannot raise two hundred dollars to purchase a
quarter section. Let us see He is man OF
family 1t will cost him hundred dollars to
pay the expenses of emigration to the Far West
He must buy farming implements; he must put
up log cabin he must lay out money for
bread and meat till he can SOW and reap, and
raise stock of his own. Very likely by convert
ing what few valuables he has into money, and
borrowing little he could contrive to meet all
tuCSC CApCioCo puo tlCh uC HiuSb puy uON
two hundred dollars for his new homestead
Now, all we ask is, that the Government, which
is not dependent upon the public domain for
its support, shall relieve him from this heavy
expense and secure to him at once free title
to the homestead. The mere fact that by
raising money enough to defray the cost of
emigration, and make the necessary outlay for
farming, he would secure, without charge one
hundred and sixty acres of good land, for him.
self and children, would inspire him with new
life; he, and the community in which he had
so long been drone or something worse would
be alike gamers. There can be no doubt, then
Of the benefcent consequence of this policy to
that increasing class of population in the East
ern States which consumes more than it pro-
duces, and is burden instead of blessing to
itself and society
Small shop-keepers, just liable to feed and
clothe their children, without giving them the
requisite education to secure their advancement
in densely-peopled region; mechanics dis
tressed for want of work, or by fluctuations in
wages; workmen in factories always the first
to suffer when their employers fail to realize"
their expected profits would so far take advan-
tage of it, as to relieve the older States of their
surplus labor, and thus enable the working
classes left behind to secure employment on
reasonable terms
There would be no danger of too great a
drain of labor; for the man who could make
enough by his work, at the anvil or loom, to
live respectfully, and give his children fair
start in the world, would not be anxious to VEN
ture on the hardships of pioneer life.
Nor would the working of this policy in re-
lation to our immigrant population, be less be-
nefcent. 1t is useless to talk of the evils of
foreign immigration. The door is open, and
be shut-nor would we shut it, had we
the power. The earth is the Lords and is for
the use of his children Let them seek homes
where it pleases them best. But, while we
welcome the stranger to our shores, let us point
him to home where he may escape from the
vices of large cities, and from the privations
belonging to an old civilization, where he may
find independence and competence, and con-
tribute his full share to the general welfare
Such home this homestead policy proposes to
provide.
We are aware that it is not favored by the
class of large Shareholders but the poor white
men of the South, who are held down by
the incubus Of Slave Labor, for whose children
the State provides no common school instruc-
ton, who scarcely can hope ever to rise to So
cial equality with their arstoeratic neighbors,
will hail it as measure of relief True, their
transfer to free homes in the West might
diminish the police force of the slave States.
reduce their political power, and foster the
growth of free States in our Territories but all
this can furnish no objection to the policy, in
the judgment of the true Democrat-of the
man who thinks more of the interests of the
Many than of the claims of the Few.
1t is a policy, too, of which the free colored
people might avail themselves, in the work of
SlDtd it finally prevail,
land of this there can be no doubt) they could
then emerge from the degradation to which
they are now subjected. They could leave the
cities escape from the oppressive competition
md prejudices of their enemies, and distribute
themselves as settlers on the public domain,
n the possession of Independent homes as in
lustrious producers, they would he treated
With respect encountering little Of that preju-
lice which they cannot surmount 30 long as so
many Of them follow mental pursuits, or live in
qualor and poverty, without any steady EN-
,loyment at all, in our cities and villages.
In general way, We may add, that such
,olicy would retard the growth of a redundant
population in particular sections of the country,
promote the equalization of conditions, thus IA
'oring the perpetuation Of Democratic Institu-
ions in their purity, make foreign immigration
\ blessing enlarge the Western market for the
,ale of Eastern manufactures, and augment the
Western granary for the supply of Eastern
necessities, thus augmenting internal trade, and
rapidly the materials for external
commerce.
As it is, the utmost prodigacy prevails in the
disposition of the public domain Spectators
bay up large portions of the best districts, and |
keep them lying idle and unproductive until
the labor of the small settlers in the neighbor-
hood has so raised the price of land that they
can sell them at enormous profits. Bounty
and bills are passed by Congress disposing of |
millions Of acres by warrants, which, instead OF |
being located by poor soldiers" as they are
styled, are bought up by agents, at half or
two-thirds their value, and made the subjects
Of an established system Of speculation Trade
in bounty-land warrants is as regular bust
ness rs buying and selling merchandise. Then !