Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1853-10-27
WHOLE NO. lfl.


: fortunes from the Iandless thousands
who emigrate to the new States and
, Territories, and settle upon thesn.-
This spirit of speculation and plum
der, in the homes of the great mass
, of toiling thousands, ought at once
, to be arrested. and stilled to death,
, by timely and judicious legislation.
After some experience, and much re-
Election, as to the best mode Of dis
posing of the public lands, ! have
come to the conclusion, that the
General Government ought, and that
without delay to set apart theIentire
pub bic domain, by enactment, Porma-
nehtlY, as homes for the people
Tie homestead policy oughtIto be
fully carried out, and the further sale
of the public lands confined to actual
settlers, andito them only in limited
quantities. The public lands should
be unalterably fixed and set apart as
a heritage, for our children's cllildrcn
in the far distant future. They
should at once be- consecratel TO
this high and beneicent purpose,
and never thereafter be disturbed.
The Homestead Policy-thd great
idea of providing homes fdr the
thousands now living, and the mil
lions that are Vet to come after we
have passed I'D gone--is one that
has occupied much of my time and
anxious thoughts for many years
past, and have not yet abandoned
the confident hope fits final consul
1mation. The American mind has
been aroused to the consideration of
+ this great scheme of every head ola
Etmily in the United States being
provided with a home he can ea1 his
own. It is based upon the eternal
principles Of Justice, and is repleto
with all that is noble and good IN
our nature, and sooner OF later, must
become the settled policy Of toe
Government. ] never retur 10 this
great theme, witbous an expansion Of
all the nobler qualities of soul 1t
lis one upon which delight 10 dwell,
and contemplate the future good that
is to flow upon the coming. gen
erations. will refrain, however,
from saving more, on the present
occasion upon subject which is IN
terwoyen with the dearest sympa-
thies of my soul.
The true policy Of the Govern
ment, both State and General, con-
sists in the education and diffusion Of
general information among the great
mass of the people, aud at the same
time, employing all means by which
the toiIing, producing labor Of the
country can be elevated to its proper
position. Our children should be made
acquainted with the ge-
niusand spirit Of our beautiful though
complex form of government. The
of the United States,
md of the States, With their COM
should be made one of the
books to be studied, and
Understood, IN all the schools Of the
,ountry-anR thus thorough knowl
,doe of the GENTS and character Of
,ur free institutions acquirjl.-
nd If it shall be the pleasure-of Di-
-ine Providence to exempt this. 50
ar, favored nation from all wars, for
he next fifty years, anl it be per-
nitted to DO ON rs it haslbeen-cuI,
waiting tle arts and sciences Of
,eace-it will have no superior, IL
a equal, throughout the civilized
gorli. If Agriculture, Mechanics,
internal I'm proyements, with all their
sgitimate Incidents, are permitted to
pproximatf anything like perfection,
e will be the most powerful and for-
lidable people. on Gods habiiabIe
lobe. Why not, then, pursue that
nc of policy which VIII enable US to
tain this great and important end,
laking this people the wonder and
imiration Of tho enlightened na-
ons ofthe earth2 We should adopt
a rule for our future action, that
hich vas laid down by tbes i'm
Iortal Jefferson, on The 4th Of Mrcb,
SOL;
"Eqnal and exadt justice u all
en-. Of whatever state, or persuasion,
.ligious or politich -ipeace, com
cree, and honest friendship with all
atoms : -entangling alliances with
one."
Within tho last fdw vears--n6t TO
} firther back--theI American people
I'VE given to all nations, with whom
icy have any inter- purse, tlre4Iiost