The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-05-12

whose savar ti0l y !, ,FttF.fs fsstf ns,sesi
| ! 6J uut cnml4tiHEof l t.g f5s.8ss ta.t
tn cump'ain ~ ~ 0nt shsi Gts sferasfiss
upon ilit rnueaf iista tNaAtf6sss faa,
q 10 u, AtRlcr biz ta8ti h4s iasfKc htsR As8.
Cd ~ clearing aAy ~ 0Ar .g tas' g Ar eEY ~
our toxins and cittes, isiat tFy ef esm tffEpsAsa
cahals, qr railroads ~ aaiss 4 hsa sfsro az
Inc harvest viii, lhDse NH0 hase bprHe me baf-
den and heat of tho day
ilatier myself that every gentleman here sil
agree with me tha; tiis wYttsn ~ al,cenlailea
ought 70 be broker ult Surely gytfy frtHd III NJ
new States, and of yieitins t. Iatya,s,sg ANA taA
their lua reward, wjl hCip ~ hreak il up faa
can hardly conceive of apyihHg us0rs tsNAsp,fs
than this 10 our people, who have conslaniy tssierr
their eyes the lnlquHous workings q ihis sysiem,
By the side OF their Plantations they hnd large
tracts Of lard locked up from the time they hrsl
worked their way into the wilderness on ihsir pask
horses-untoached save by the bszing-axe Of tho
Government surveyor ard so t w]l fennaIa ant
tho distant owncr--Whose face WsK neyfr
there--shail please 10 sell Il oF, moro probably,
until il is Disposed of by his btirs W executors.
Inns should not be 50. Discomfort and bad t-e~
ing are cngendered Every one must ackno~ ledge
that the system is wrong The lard ought TO be
sold to actual settlers, and To no others.
To them then, provide thns these secs shall
be made at twenty-five cents por acre because that
Is deemed fully adequate, q compensation 10 the
Government, for original purchase, survey, and
patent to the purchaser In this | am fully sns-
tanned by the figures of my colleague, Mr. HEs-
pRIcKs,) as presented yesterday. That sum 10
enough, and il is litte enough--for any man who
has spirit enough 10 erect log cabin upon has
land, or clear field, can surely raise his SO for
forty acres, $50 for eighty acres, $40 for his
hundred and slxly-acre tract.
MIR. Chairman, have not the face % stand up
here ard ask any gentleman on this hoor 10 tax
his people to buy farms fora portion Of NINE No,
sur my people are not very rich, but. thank God,
III
care OF their own poor. / did not come here % ask
aims. | got my instructions very clearly on that
point, before ! came But am here 10 ask for
Justice To ask this Government not to make her
self a professional land -obber--speculating upon
her own citizens Nor TO allow herself to be used
by others for like purpose.
| have no agraranism in my composition sir |
abhor it. Where the settler has acquired and
hewed out his homestead ia the wilderness, |
would secure II to his family safely, against impro-
violence misfortune But lei him be freeman
still and if he desire 10 change or sell his home,
| will not take from him the power To do So When
the pioneer has thus paid for the land much a.
1t cost the Government, and most probably as much
as II is really WORTH he will feel that he is not
mendlcant, dependent upon the bounty OF the Gov.
ernment, and can, like honest, e-hearted man.
enter upon his land, make himself farm, and
not make his children ashamed of their father.
There IS one great objection | have TO the bill OF
my friend here, Mr.. JoHNsoN) He asks every
man, before lie can entitc himself TO a farm, 10
swear that he IS poor man. Sir, honest poverty
dlsgraces nobody. But had my health, and could
keep my family from absolute suffering withou, IL,
would not take that oath, If were not worth the
shirt wear No, SIR; and it seems to me that no
man of spiIt enough 10 be anything else than a
men!a, ever would could he, as | said, avoid il,
and prevent his wife and children from being turn
ed out Of doors. Where Is the man that has am
Independent heart in his bosom, who will, for the
mere purpose of having aims granted to him by the
Govcrnment, go up and swear that he is so poor
that he cannot well get along unless you and help
hmi lou find such proposition in this bill. II Is
wrong. Ii does not correspond with the feelings Of
American hearts, with the feelings Of those true
hearts that arc hocking TO our shores from foreign
lands because they love our country better than
they love the country of their fathers. For il the
foreigner come thus-and be not sent here felon
or helpless pauper-from whatever land the love
Of liberty brings him, and " hateyer may be his re-
ligion-if he but declare his intention, in good
faith, TO become IN heart one Of us-I would hail
him as a brother, and eiectuaily open a way To
a home for him. as ! would TO the native born.
Mr.. Chairman the American people are accus-
toned TO say, with swelling bosoms,
''1liy spirit, Independence, let me SHARE,
Lord Of the lion heart and caglc-eye,''
And let me tell you inasmuch as We are now FIX.
ing up---lf tins bill pass IN us present form--a
mode by which the charities Of tho Government are
to be dolcd out to her citizens--tha, you viii find
quite as much Of that royal spirit below, as above,
your five hundred dollar measure. Il is not the
worshipper of mammon, supple for thrift, and too
care-worn 20 sleep when night comes II Is not the
incumbent Of Official station, however elevated, that
can appropriate 10 himself that spirit Of the lion and
the eagle. No, sir; they who suppose so, make
an egregious mistake. II you wish TO sec that sp-
rt fully developed, go amongst those who
have sought, and now seek, homes in the uniamed
wilderness, and there you will find, often amongst
A.
noble spirit OF independence, Uf sclfsuficicncy,
without arrogance, that would deem Il no pariicu-
lar compliment were the King 10 call them cousin.
Enter the home Of such as these II you WILL az the
close Of summer days long labor, and while you
hear the husbandman's song, you may appreciate
not only the spirit Of hls independence bat his hap
pncss also.
"sscet IL the bread that toll has won,
Aud sweet the sleep Il brings;
And ss,ccty, wlicn the day j. done,
Wy cheerful lfelp mate sings
How proudly round my hcarh see
Ny sturdy sons draw near;
Ana "a how sindly smiles on me
Each one hats ea,herd here ("
There, sir, you will find the spirit Of indepenj-
cnce IN { corresponds with the feelings Of Amer
can hearts and with that Of those hearts which are
coming 10 us from foreign lands, because they love
our country better than the love their own.
The HcNt main feature in my proposition is this
and wish TO attract The particular attention of
the House 10 t-that such OF these lands as shall
have remained subject to private entry, at twenty
five cents per acre, for term of five years, shall
vest IN the States, respectively where they are su-
ate, for particular purposes.
Now, one great end that will be subscrved by
this, Will be 70 rid the General Government OF a
great deal of trouble in the management OF these
lands The States will do Il much more economl-
cay and better than the General Government can
Aud when Il IS done, and the lands shall have been
sold at such reasonable price as the States may
thnk proper 20 ask, then particular disposition -
20 bc made Of the proceeds.
Mr. Chairman, what guarantee have We that the
states viii execute this trust iudclousy. The best
ln the world. We bring II directly home to those
who are most Interested ~ the increase Of popula-
ton upon their lands, for opening them up to sui
u'atlon, or IN holding on TO them for their own
good, and, as a consequence, for the good OF The
whoe, for what IS for the good OF part in thus
be half, - fnr the good of the whole. Fhe HPoIum
in Rlptrio being thus ended al occasion for loalou
sizes and heart-burnlngs, growing out Of the man
agemcnt of tho lands, Will also end But my time
does not allow me 10 elaborate any Of these propo-
siiions as would.
The States having thus sold the lands, let me in
"A