The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-06-10

With : considerable capital 10 defray the e. :.
nenses of transp0rtati0n, end 70 suspS.. -
fau,ily until he can cut down the i.luso 1'.s
forest trees, build his log cabin, ciea. .ne sosl
SOW his seed, and reap his nafves. III ~ u.s'
ns 10 ;mniements and seed, hire laborcrs
.nd sss;stants to enable him TO make q clearing
mi erect his cabin, buy a couple OF oxen, and
undergo heavy expenses in variety OF ways,
iii which are inevitable, no matter how frugally
and economically he goes to work. And, after
ali. he would find that the expenses thus en-.
tailed on his ..iree farm would have been
amply sufficient TO purchase one already
cleared and titled. The great advantage Of
this highly commended measure would then
utterly disappear, and the dupe who allowed
himself to Re deceived by the golden promises
Of these visionary phianthropists, would at
length discover the falsity OF their specious
pretences, and learn, with dear bought expe.
rience, that he had been sacrificed TO the sor-
did interests and vanity OF these selfish re-
formers. A few might be deceived and tempt
ed TO make these ruinous experiments, but tne
great mass of the people would not be so easi,
ly duped, and OF course the bill itself would
become an absolute nullity, and only remain
on the statute book as a monument OF iegisla-
tive folly. To render it at all operative, the
Legislature should have introduced clause
into the bill creating fund out OF which each
actual settler should get government assistance
to the amount of FIVE hundred dollars or more,
to be paid back by instruments. In this way,
and this only, could it be of any practical
utility to the poorer classes OF the population,
whom it is particularly desig ned TO serve ; but
as the bill now stands, it is the merest humbug
and delusion.
Comment The practical absurdity OF this
scheme is, no doubt, properly exposed in the
extract above. Few persons, we believe,
would take advantage of the license, and those
sonly men of the most desperate fortunes.
Our reasoning, the other day, upon the SUBJ
ject, was predicated upon the supposi,on that
all would claim their land, and presents only
one view of The case. The extract from the
Herald presents another, and very strong
one. According to this view the law would be
wholly imperative. But there is state of
which the Herald has failed to take any cog-
nizance. Even though not q single family
should take advantage of the law, yet it d.
vests the United States, forever, of all its right,
title and interest, in and to the public lands
They cannot sell an acre of them, in future,
and thus all the resources of the government
from land sales will be destroyed at blow.
But suppose it were to have all the effect
claimed, or desired, or deprecated according to
the views of individuals. Suppose every acre
should be occupied. What effect would the
throwing of 500, 100000 acres of land open to
all who choose TO settle on it, have on the OLD
States? Even now, thousands upon thousands
leave the Atlantic country for the West every
year, and that country feels the effects of this
wholesale emigration. The discovery of gold
in California, by carrying off many thousands
from the old States, produced very serious
consequences. What would be the condition
Of those States when the emgrants should be
wanted by millions instead Of thousands 3
Every department of business would be struck
as by paralysis. The cities would become
ruins, the fields deserts. Property, every
where, would cease TO be of any value. All
who hold it would be ruined. Tue arts-agri-
culture, manufactures and commerce all, all
would be cat up by the roots.
The two great parties, alike forgetful or re-
CARELESS of the public interest, have united to
press this measure. They have, indeed, been
shamefully bidding against each other, for
votes, as though the favor of the people were
set up at auction. But the aboitionists and
freesoiers have been the most active of all
Every manner Of ism suits theirpurposes, and
the object they have in view, but none better
than agrarianism, or which is nearly the same
thing, socialism.