The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1854-09-27

country in preserving the orqasat0n and ascendeney
Of the democratic party. Whether the homestead Dill
had been approved or rejected by th9
scbisn in the party would have been the inevitable
consequence. But Mr.. Hunter has happily paired
| the blow and by presenting measure upon Wh1cE
the whole party will uite, indicated by the una
imous democratic vote Of the senate, has won III
umph in the very extreme of division and defeat.
Notwithstanding this smooth, we'll turned
and plausible encomium of the Richmond En-
ouirer and similar ones Of other Pierce jour
mails, the original bill of Mr.. Hunter did not pass
the house. 1t takes patch of black from this
mans plan, one of white from that; streak OF
green from one party, of red and yellow from
others, till every conceivable color is exhausted
then weaves the fragments into what purports
to be measure for the settlement Of the fierce
land controversy, which has been raging for a
quarter of a century, almost. Its advocates
claim credit for it, as taking this vexed land
question out of congress-a very equlvoca
compliment. A similar plan was proposed neal
twenty years ago. But how? BY giving the
public lands to the wcsterndStates. Instead Of
exemptng the presidential contest from the en-
oarrassment of tbs land question, Mr.. Calhoun
himself made, by this very proposal of his, one
of the highest bids ever offered for the Office
oHe might be willing, and probably was, to cut
oa6anv succeeding candidate for that station
from making capital out of the land controver-
81; but he was surely not sorry to be able to
do it himself.
Ifcongressmen must shrl this and other most
momenous duties of legislation, because they
are deliSate, the sooner they give up their leg
islative functions the better. There will be lit
tie utility in preserving so cumbersome and ex-
pcnsve an organisation as the two houses of
congress, merely to pass bills for the creating
of new offices, to increase the old ones sala-
RES, and making appropriations to- pay mem
bers' per diem and mileage. Congress should
be composed of men competent and honest
enough to grapple with the most difficult pro-
bIen,s of the republic, and, in fact, it is only
they, who can and who ought; and to @surren-
der that trust is unwise, and demonstrates a
paltry, shrinking spirit. Especially are they
bound to take care Of the wlst territory of the
5Jnited States, and eliact all needful laws for its
preservation and regulation. They Gre to dis
pose of them, it is true, but as good land
holder disposes of his property; that is, in a
careful and judicious manner. Alternating them
to particula men, or irresponsible corporations
at one Cell swoop, is not prudent disposition
of the public domain in any body's sense ofthe
term, and never was contemplated by the franz
ers of tho constitution. 1t was not our inten-
ton to speak of this; but rather of the motives
which animate the Pierce partyjn the greatest,
as we'll as meanest transactions. Here is bill
giving away millions on millions of public pro-
perty, and the act is advocated and defended
on the paltry grounds that it will preserve the
organisation and ascendancy of that partly
What sort of thing Is this same party, that
the common interest of the United States should
be made to yield to5it? This meagre conside-
ration, if not the sole reason of the measure, is
boldly put forth as principal argument in ia
vor of its adoption. This is not the first, nor
will it probably be the last, time we have wit
messed such iyno6le promptings of public men
in their public duties. It is sordd view Of
their high responsibilities, which they ought to
blush to avow, however much they may be
tempted by the corruptions of their association
sometimes to0be guilty of. There can be little
OF no honorable craftsmanship in soil, where
such rank weeds grow. A man cannot be fit
toanaEe laws for a great nation who carries to
his lofty functions the temper and habits of
"small potatoe' huckster, and is only trading
for himself or party, or both, while he tries to
make the public, his constituents, and perhaps
himself, believe that he is laboring for his coun-
try. Miserable self deception, we weye about
to say, but there is no deception in it, except
that of the people, and they have grown rather
of thecnumerous class Of politicians,
who are eternaIly making efforts to bride the
people with the peoples own money, so that
they themselves and their partisans may be
in Office This is the worst. but the
lIioSb anu most ancient form or char
latanisn among demagogues from Julius Caesar
to the present day. Let us be wary of such
men, who come to US with public plumber in
their hands, and ask us to take portion of it
for our ''sweet voices" Such men are as I'M
worthy of attention, and deserving of as little
heed as the laudations which AL office-holdcr
chants in honor Of his employer.
1t is most evident. that the ideas OF vounc
Richie, of the Enquirer, unlike those of his
lamented father, never rise above consdera-
tons of party. "Party" is mentioned three
times in seven lines, while country or republic
does not occur once within that space. 1t is
not possible for one of so narrow a vision to see
the good Of the whole Union in measure
According to the extract at the head Oft this ar
ticle, this very bill of Mr.. Hunter did not even
the interests or welfare of the gen
eral government. Its object was to preserve the
of the democratic party, nothing
more. But, if the congressional reports of the
Daily Sentinel are to be relied on it proved to
have little of the precious adhesive metal and