The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-03-11

pat u encourage commerce, next
this our land the grain The fruit the cotton the tobacco
The whlskey. (asl not eas) will be borne beneath
coantsys nag toa paris Of the world thoug the Of
this bill Nor these alone; manufactures will be i'm
proved BY it. The skllial artisan will become skill
fal by ITS inhuence--how, nobody knows. We must
take that on trust, but sIll way this vii be The
result and The benign blessings OF this act VIII DC Tue
medium. These certainly great Objects no one can
deny that But the advocates OF tbs measure none
OF your FAINT praise none 81 your gafoed laudauon
look again the title OF The bill il does not conne IL
self the encouragement OF agriculture, commerce. and
but also 10 all other branches OF indus
try" That is true--true far the title is concerned
Wonderful ACT kind of physical vies usrsa Pandora's
box that let loose upon this regeneraed earth such
a multitude OF blessingsi DO not be skephcal, Mr.
President Do not fall back upon the incIedulous query
of old-How these things be- Do not talk about
the exploded maxims OF political economy Do moi ask
how the encouragement OF agriculture necessarily in
cudes the encouragement Of all other branches of in
dustry" These things can be doneso they are doneby
this bill beg padonby the title of this bill for there
nothing IN The body OF that either declares promotes
any such universal benefit. And how, do YOU ASK
Why, by the simplest method in the world And
what is it. The title describes the process viz: ..by
granting TO every man who is the head of family
homestead OF one hundred and sixty OF land out OF
the public domain This is the short the sure the glo
rious way ITO encourage agriculture, commerce. manu-
factures, and all other branches OF industry 1t true
~ have said, the body OF the act does state much
less prove how these benefits great and gigantic as they
are, will accrue but then know that the body of the
act never intended to express the intention OF the law
gveI Is The title, and the tile Alone which you are
to refer to ascertain all the objects and benefits and he
ways and means" OF accomplishing them. When Math-
ews, the celebrated wag, was here he told story of
Yankee whom, on his first landing he encountered and
who, with characteristic frankness informed him that he
was about compiling an American jest. book. Mathews
met with him two years afterwards and ask him
how he progressed with his great work. and he answer
ed Glorousy; it is amos, done have got the index
and the ttlepage and onty want the body OF the work
And Mathews tells this Joke. A Joke indeed Look
at the title OF this acmagnifcent in its views, over
whelmng with its prophecies-and then tell me if the H.
lie De not the best the greatest part of ii whether when
IN hItrh clnt,un Il.
we have not done all that country require of us
whether The lle glorious it slbera in lis promises
beautiful in It's hopes-wll not be better without the
cumbrance OF the body that tackled it, and whether
We had not better strike all that alter its enact
ing clause, leaving that and its title TO stand.
perennuS ere, OF human wisdom and human genius!
But now, seriously, let us look this tile in the face
Apart from its dogmaca assertion, where is the proof
that by passing this act you will encourage agriculture
alone, much less all other branches of industry? The
idea ir that by making every farmer you improve
the condition of your whole country; and BY improving
the condition OF the whole country, you necessarily will
improve AL branches of industry, az the welfare of the
whole embraces the welfare of al! its parts Now de-
ny both the premises and the conclusions | deny that
1t will improve agncnure and deny that by improving
agriculture you must necessarily, even naturally i'm
prove all other branches of industry
suppose mustnot say that agriculture is science,
aM1though ~ subordinate sense il is certainly SO
No one can be successful ,er of the ground with
out thorough training and enlarged experience He
must know the climate, the seasons the nature of the soil
the influence OF the weather. the seed the plough and The
sickle and this knowledge cannot be obtained intuve
~, nor got by becoming the owner Of quarter section
grauitousiy lnmy part OF the country herei large
class OF men VINO ample livelihood by becoming
supenniendents OF large planting interests They devote
their whole lives acquiring and increasing their know
edge on this subject No is rash enough to believe
that by buying or owning or nherng tract of land
he acquires appendant knowledge of the mode OF Gull
tvating IT. But this act proceeds upon an assumption
that the land and The science OF agriculture go together
that as soon make your entry you are equipped
as the law Directs" with all the necessary qualifications
Ito encourage agncullure; and so you are, far as
the law directs, but not as common directs. BY
some mental, eectcal governmental power the moment
"the head oil family" enters free of one quarter
secu0n oil vacant and Incorporated public lands" the
whole SCIENCE OF agriculture is flashed into his BRAIN and
he becomes hl aud proper person to encourage agr
culture, commerce, fractures, and all other branches
OF industry" What though such person be an aged
widow, with maiden daug hers-a rheumatic man. with
neither children, friends, or money-a blacksmith, who
has never seen field OF seaman who could moi
tell cotton IRON tobacco mean in the growtb)-a poll
cian, whose only ledge OF rye is derived from the
whiskey distilled from ii. 1t is all the same-he
whole science, with its coscomant blessings and ben
eh,s, Is conferred upon him ins,anter; and The only
condition imposed IS, that he must hire or sell the
and TO any other person. Who has acquired the science by
he slow and regular way, but he reside on il and
cultivate himself for The. encouragement OF agcu
ture Truly Ito speak sarcascally) this a wonderful
law; truly TO speak serously) il is ridiculous one
Test II by another way: As this law, by the benefits il is
said TO promote encourages all species of industry, sup
pose we ny The same experiment with OF these
branches OF industry suppose enact a law with a
magnificent title declaring 10 be an act 10 encourage
INC sucCeSsu anu saIe- WORKING OF steam engines, Gag
ncaure, manufactures, and all other branches OF indus
uy," by granting 10 every head OF family forty horse
s,sam-e engine the public expense upon condition of
personally working and managing the same for certain
period We claim 10 be intelligent men here-doub,less
most here are how long do you think MIR President
your engine would be IN successful operation How long
do you think that mine would encourage manufacturer
and all other branches OF industry How would you like
to trust yourself on voyage with any OF the learned
senators around you You can answer that question al
your leisure For myself. answer that the encourage
meni should give TO all branches OF industry by nv en-
CINE would be exceedingly brief The story of the wise
men OF Gotham, who went TO in bowl, would be
Teenacted IN It's brevity and its caaslropheihe differ
ence being, that whilst they went down. myself and
crew would 60 up-a distinction without any very solid
difference. And think, so far moral effect is con-
cerned. similar late would await in the manag emenf
OF my "quarier section = my doom would be more pro-
lleve mysef and the rest OF mankind who are profes
sonsl men, know about much OF the nanag ement OF
sieam-engines as OF quarter sections and that we are
about "A III IN the The other encourage agr
culture. commerce, manufactures, and all other branches
oil industry do not think therefore, that you encourage
agriculture by this bill but II you do, you certainly do
not encourage all other branches OF industry Ii il irue
to certain degree that agriculture when kept within ,s
legitimate limits, has tendency to improve the com.
merce oil nation; whether IL improves its lures
disputed point So far from il being neces.ari
ly that find the agricultural and The manufacturing
Inerests constantly arayed against each other in this
country One asks for Tree trade and the other for pro-
iectve tariff. sh
But be that "a it may You certainly do not increase or
encourage all other branches of industry II you lure
away IRON their socceesfn pursuit the skul and
eGeuc mo- who have hitherto adopted them Our
country needs the practical and competent mechanic "A
well AZ agricultural