Weekly national intelligencer., 1852-05-29

producing population That truly great man. Mr. CAL
houn, urged that the Government should make liberal
grants in aid Of these objects, whenever il would ad
vance its interests as proprietor by such course Of
legislation.
If the homestead bill were amended as donate only
alternate sections and double the price Of those reserved
to the Government it would not be Of equal advantage to
the Treasury hrst because it would not settle the
try fast the railroads and second because the road
would enhance the demand for the land much more
tensvely than the process Of settlement under the home
stead law, enacted Neither would the result be
beneficial to the settler the road If farmer is remote
from market it is much important to him to be in
the vicinity Of railroad than to have neghbor the
adjoining section But the truth is the road would in
settlement much rapidly and render far
more dense than the other Nothing tends
much TO the rapid settlement Of country easy and
cheap channels of travel and transportation for the pro-
ducts Of labor In this respect the railroad is as have
already endeavored to show, beneficial to the emil
grant than the donation Of the land would be without
the road because it enables him for few dollars reach
the public land and to avail himself Of the increased
value Of labor which he will always meat With in anew
country Nor does the relative impostaars of ths rail-
road system stop here. The construction Of these roads
win furnish employment for years 70 that class which
only enable him to purchase his land but give him time
to examine and chooRe eligible situation. The effect
of this additional for labor will be to increase
generally the demand, well its remuneration, in the
States where these works are in progress.
Sir the indirect and general advantages to the Gov
ernment will also be far greater arising from the grants
railroads. than those from the donations to settlers
not only in the rapid settlement but in the
tainy Of far denser settlements for the obvious
that there will not only be settler the section
granted to the road but also the reserved to the
Government, wen those sections more remote
from the immediate line of the railway All these viii
be producers, with the facility of ready market They
WILL therefore, be able to support Government by direct
taxation, it should be resorted to. They will also
be producers something export increase the
md q
have the greatest of consumption they augment
in the ratio the importatons and of the
country. 1t is the export which produces the mpor-
tation.
II is quite astonishing to what extent these rail-
roads create wealth in country bringing oil its sources
of production into activity and its products into mar
ke 1t is said that before the railroad completed
from Charleston to Chattanooga, there sold in
Charleston scarcely five millions of merchandise per
there distributed from that point to the
interior about twenty millions Charleston has not drawn
this additional commerce away from other points Ii
has been created by the amount Of the various
productions Of the country consequent upon the railroads
and other increased methods Of communication.
think therefore, that the grants to railroads furnish
no precedent or argument favor Of this homestead bill
do not propose to vote for many Of these railroad bills
but there of them Of sufficient direct advan
tage to the and its revenue to induce me to
give them my vote, with some amendments which will
their construction within reasonable time,
forfeiture Of the grant.
1t has been suggested that my hostility to the home
Federal Government gives away its public domain it will
affect the value Of real property in Texas, and check
emigration TO that State To what extent the passage Of
the bill would have that effect not prepared to say
but the is not especially commended TO my sup
port from the fact that in addition to its being hostile to
the best interests Of the whole Union is also direct
blow aimed at the prosperity Of my own State. Nordoes
this affect njuriously the prosperity Of single
Southern State alone Its effect will be TO draw off free
labor from all the Southern States to the free States of
the Southwest. Freesoil members Of Congress have
ayowed that motive in its support That such win be its
States fit for planting have already been entered at
the land Offices The poor therefore, to whom this
donation Of hundred and sixty Of land be
an inducement viii seek home the fertile soils
of the free States Of the West Texas, apprehend win
be driven to counteract this effect by similar grant, If
this bill becomes law. Ii is in her power to apply
efficient remedy, If the has injurious effect
upon her. any thing than her superior climate and
soil are found necessary
But the South has suffered enough from Federal legis-
aton without this TO injure her still further by
drawing off her population, well as checking emgra
ton TO her borders; which disspates large
revenue in which the South has large interest and
when its waste must later give rise to the in
OF Federal taxation. The old States, who win
suffer most from this measure, the Southern members
of the Confederacy.
surprised that any friend Of popular rights should
be found supporting this bin They not udicious sd-
vocates Of Democratic Government who found urging
that tend debase and demorare the people,
measures which pension any portion OF the industrious
classes upon the treasury Of the nation instead Of tesch
ing them TO rely upon industry fugalty, and their
energies. History furnishes with examples Of many
such counsellors but the people have followed them only
TO their destruction. No Government has
long survive such policy. IL is at with
the basis Of all civil goyenment-the industry ndepen
dence, and integrity Of free people.