The daily union., 1854-07-26

I
settled for centuries to come for term, indeed equal
the lives OF the ancient pararchs. During that period
much OF this vast domain is to remain uneutyaed and
unimproved-a home only for the Indian and for the ami
mails his coenans Of the forest whom God has given to
him for his support The injunction of the Scripture io
replenish the earth and subdue t is deayeddenied in
fact by Christian people And let ask why Why
these extensive districts to be shut out from the of
man The reason sir, is not very dignied one but
nevertheless it is too true TO be conradcted This inter
dcton is enforced in order that you may make hun
dred per cent out Of your Investment That is the truth
in plain English The land cost you sixteen and half
cents per acre. and you will hold to it with tenacious
grasp till 1t will yield you 81 25 per This not
tive worthy Of such country this OF the example
which ought offer the other independent States of
the world What do the elementary writer's tell us the
subject of uncultivated, unapproprated regons' They
maintain that civilized people may take possession of
such countries notwithstanding they held by barbar
tribes And this doctrine defended for the
that the earth given for cultivation and for the sup
port of man. and that tribes occupying any portion Of
it, and not applying 1t to its legitimate purpose may be
rightully confined within narrow limits and the residue
of the country taken and themselves brought under the
jurisdiction of the stranger This principle has been
adopted and practically enforced with the Of all
civilized nations since the discovery of the continent
Were this fund necessary that consideration would justify
longer adherence to this system of accluson than could
otherwise be defended But rch rich beyond the
dreams of aVarce and think it is time should shut
eyes upon the hundred per cent and look to
our duty a Christian people.
But in the second place. there another benefit which
will result from this project and which has already been
ably and eloqueny touched by the senator from Illinois
There are portions of our country where men are crowded
together as they unfortunately crowded in many parts
of Europe The effect of this condensation already begins
to be visible but its evils and its dangers will go in
creasing till they find remedy or make one There is
many with strong physical and intellectual powers,
who looks to his position, and realizing the dark
prospect around him. considers society enemy by
whom he is i'll used and against whom he fights and is
ever ready to fight
1t is great deal better to open way for such
into the woods, and thus turn his warfare against the
trees You will elevate him in the scale of humanity You
will furnish him with hopes to stimulate him. and with
motives for exeron From enemy to your institutions
he will become fast friend future will he spread
before him He will have free scope for the exercise of all
his energies without the power the motive to do injury
But again, sir third in favor OF this
by this augmentation upon your frontier you will have
hardy vigorous population able and ready to defend the
country in times Of den voluntary army worth all
government and the country by all the motives that can
animate freemen. @
And in the fourth place this act if carried into effect
will increase the wealth and OF the country almost
indefinitely These settlers will become produ-
They will be also consumers, with increased means
and thus production and consumption will recprocaly act
upon each other The effect OF this augmentation viii be
felt through the country and If you look upon the
ure merely statistical question touching dollars and
cents you win find strong motives for promoting this kind
! of emigration
In the fifth place all experience shows that the class of
smaller ndhoders among the safest and most natia
defenders Of the country and especially they 80 where
institutions free and equal Men living upon
their farms not subject to those agitaons which
trO lime 70 uup ulSlrAcl ulNue our ucnse
communities No prudent man can look upon these loreF
counting InosSniests wfthotf being satisfied that our
agricultural population is OF our great clements of
safety and that the more they increased the more secure
| will our institutions become.
But in the sixth place desire this for its effect
upon the world and especially upon republican institutions
throughout the world think 1t will furnish the nobeSt
example held out by any country under heaven The
great business of governments all know has hereto
fore been to tax the people, to wiring from them much
of their earnings possible take from the mouth
labor Mr. Jefferson well expressed it, the bread il has
earned Here is an immense domain belonging to the United
States and which cost almost nothing, aud the true value
of which has been created by the abors and exerons Of
individual citizens. Now il is proposed TO permit its
patton by allowing every maa to select tract tor his resi-
dence And repeat sir that by doing, shall present
beautiful and encouraging spectacle to every lover OF ree
7 dom through the world.
The senator from Mary Mr. PEARcE if understood
him correctly thought had better adopt such expert
ment because already doing WELL and he seemed
TO attribute to our land system the unexamped career OF
prosperity of the States Sir il common to
place coemporaneous events in the relation of and
effect when in reality they NOT entitled to such consd
Grafton This is illustrated BY old English legend The
Goodwin Suas appeared about the time Fentcrden stespe
WAS built and it became strong popular belief that the
steeplc was the of that dangerous obstruction of the
navigation 1t is to take very partial view of the subject
to maintain that the improvement and prosperity OF the
country attributable alone to the system of set
tng the public lands Our national character, enter
prise ou nautions and the advantages which these hold
out have greatly contributed to this result These nHu
gave impetus to those States which carried them
forward in their great career and which carrying the
WhOle tne most glorious uesuns ever
any nation
do justice TO the system adopted for the settlement Of
! the public lands 1t excellent and emiuenty a
practical When speak Of that SYSTEM refer to the
mode by which the land is surveyed and to the of
the settler TO find any tract he desires and examine it. and
then go to the Office and enter it. The plan has worked
WELL 1t excludes al questions about title and the pur-
chaser feels that when he has paid for the land and received
his patent the property is his own beyo.d doubt
troversy This has undoubtedly been of the Of
rapid settlement but submit that it has nothing to do
with the present proposition No seeks TO change this
mode of disposition We all desire to leave it just it is.
But desire grant the land for the consideration of
settlement and not for the consideration of money Whe-
you demand two dollars dollar acre,
nothing at all is matter totally independent of tho
land system such We desire that the actual settler
would receive his land upon such terms Will euabe him
TO devote what little capital he may have to support his
family, and to render his property productive. We
desire to leave to him all the advantages OF security which
the present system of conveyance holds out
II great error to maintain, has heon done here
that any person buy land and therefore that
provision like that proposed is unnecessary. think the
from Maryland the other day. and the senator from
Louisiana to-day both took this view, will not repeat
what have already said upon this subject what has
been better said by the senator from Illinois Mr. SHIELDS
respecting the hnrdsips and prvatons of the set
ter but will assert from my own knowledge, that there
many of them with small ptance just sufficient to
enable them reach The western country, and with but
little of support To such particularly the pro
posed grant will be Invaluable
There is other point which will briefly touch, and
then quit the subieci refer the prejudice created by
the agraran policy and to its application to the pres
cut subject We all have read that part OF the history
Rome which the dssepsions between the great
body Of the people and the powerful and wealthy
classes Till lately II had been taken for granted that men
seeking popular favor advocated this measure very unjust
4 a ~ -.Iy 1.nl1, xtt art, VI.