Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1853-04-16
NUMBER IL.


of every day frontier life Nay MORE sir, the set
tier is honest, kndhearted. and hosptable. If
the stranger or weary traveller calls on him, with
''taken in, not in any doubtful sense, but he is
cheerfuness and hearty welcome, which more
than compensates for his homely fare. He never
forgets favor, either from an individual or the
Government. ! recollect an occasion at land
sale, of being requested by some settlers to bid
off their lands for them. | did so. Some years
afterwards was canvassing for the Office OF cir
cult Judge On approaching certain neighbor-
hood, / met man with whom was acquainted,
but when / made myself and the object of my
visit known, he remarked, that need not go into
his neighbOrh0od seeking votes; that they had
learned that was candidate; that they remem-
bered me having aided some Of the settlers in
purchasing their homes, and that they all intend
ed to vote for me. l did not lose vote at that
box. l alude to this incident, in passing, to prove
the truth of my remark, that these people are
never ungrateful.
Sir, have not overstated the attachment of the
settler to his homestead. If misfortune overtakes
him, he will surrender all his other property be-
fore his homestead A lady viii yield to her hus-
bands creditors her carriage and other raluables
almost without murmar, but when you come to
take the homestead, that spot which has become
endeared to her by so many associations, the deep
drawn sigh and the unbidden tear attest the strong
hold it has upon the human heart.
Mr.. President, cordially approve the object of
this BILL and appreciate the anxiety of its friends
for its passage, and think shall not fall behind
them in any proper effort to make glad the hearts
Of the poor. But neither this, nor any other OBJ
ject good in ITSELF should be attained at the ex-
pense of justice l have some objections to the
bill, which l shall proceed to state. In the first
place, it is not founded on the proper basis.
respectfully submit, that the correct principle for
the disposition of this trust fund.- is to sell it to
tual settlers at cost. Let dispose OF it as to
provoke no complaints from the old States, that
they have paid for these lands, and the new States
have reaped the benefits of them. Graduate the
price according to their value by such scale as
will restore to the Treasury every dollar of the
cost of acquisition survey sale, and Incidental ex-
penses; but let not the Government turn land
Spectator. Every principle of good policy and
generosity, well justice to your citizens, for
bid it. acknowledge the plausibility of the claim
of the old States to portion of the proceeds of
sales of the public lands. But sir, it seems to me
that if the people of those States will reflect upon
the prvatiOns and tolls of the early settlers in the
new States in making the lands valuable, if they
will recollect that these settlers are their children,
(for the new States are composed of emigrants
from the DID,, they will come to the conclusion to
which l have arrived that the lands should not be
sold on speculation. There is something abhOr-
rent to every generous mind in the idea of this
Federal Government specializing upon the home
steads of her citizens and that class of her citi
zens, too. who have the strongest claim upon her
paternal regard and fostering care. s. ~
Ny opinion upon this subject is formed upon the
reflections and observations of my life, and ! am
confirmed in the correctness of them when l find
that they in accordance with the views and
recommendations of President Jackson. That IL
ustrious patriot, sagacious statesman, and Just
man, in his message of the 4th December, 1889,
says: -a s,;. -,
; at seems to me to be our true policy that the
public lands shall cease, as practicable, to-
| be source of revenue, and that they be sold to
) settlers in limited parcels at price barely suf-
fcent to reimburse to the United States the ex-
pense of the present system, and the cost arising
under our Indian compacts.'' =
'The adventurous and hardy population of the
West, besides contributing their equal share of
taxation under impost system, have, in the
progress of our Government, for the lands they
occupy paid into the Treasury large portion of
; $4,000, 900, and of the revenue received there
from but small part has been expended among
them. When, to the disadvantage of their situa-
ton in this respect, we add the consideration that
it their labor alone which gives real value to the
: lands, and that the proceeds arising from their
sale are distributed chiefly among States which
> had not originally any claim to them, and which
; have enjoyed the undivided emolument arising
from the sale of their own lands, it cannot be ex-
. pected that the States will remain longer con-
. tented with the present policy after the payment
of the public debt. To avert the consequences
: which may be apprehended from this cause, to put
an end forever to all partial and interested legsla
y ton on this subject and to afford to every Ameri
can citizen of enterprise the opportunity of secu-
. ring independent freehold, il seems to me- there
s fore, best to abandon the idea of raising future
s revenue out of the public lands.''9o -; - ~
This statement of facts made BY President
s Jackson in his annual MESSAGES to my mind, un-
- answerabe, and now propose to adopthis recon.
. mendaton. Twenty years after its delivery find
it to be true in fact and sound in principle as II
:. was on the day it was read to the two Houses oil
:. Congress. / shall at the proper time move tc
strike out from the enacting Clause Of the bill and
!; - insert the following as substitute :: gaso q
ID "That all Of the public lands Of the United
States shall be subject to sale and entry at dol
lie lar per acre, and any portion which shall have
e. been in market for Eve years upwards prior Il
in the time Of application to enter the same under
n the provisions of this act, and still remaining IN
sold, shall be subject to sale, at the price Of sew
n entyfve cents per acre; and all the lands Of tn
e United States that shall have been in market 70
NJ ten years or upwards as aforesaid, and stiIl re
ne manning unsod shall be subject to sale at fft
mt cents per acre. and all of the lands of the Unite
vel States that shall have been in market for 6ftee
wears or upwards, as Aforesaid, and still remain
ed ing unsod shall be subject to sale at twenty y
IA cents per acre; and all of the lands of the Unite
O. 49, XII Il =