Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-03-17
The Home,tead Bin.


cies Of that fraudulent and demagogical scheme
known as the Homestead Bill, the more iniquitous
and hateful does it appear That our government
should lend its sanction to graceess and
SO demorazing, would, in the earlier and simpler
days Of the Republic, have been an impossible thing
The Of justice in the bosoms Of orefathers
would have countenanccd such departure from
the'linc Of duty and patriotism-no such alteration
from plain Republican princples-and would have
tolerated the preparation of such outrage upon
the rights of the numerous and more deserving
portions OF our people. 1t would indeed, have re-
volted the idea Of converting government into
stupendous alms-house, for the benefit of the va.
grants and paupers Of every nation upon earth And
yet such will be The result if the bill now before the
Senate is passed into law.
Whence Congress derives the right to give away
single acre of the public lands we have never yet
known-its power to this end has certainly never
been very clearly satisfactorily pointed out by any
of the advocates of the proposition. We know the
prctexts upon which it is claimed-but that these
prctexts utterly futile and ridiculous no rcasona
BILE man will deny. is time, indeed for our nation
al legislators to consider that pretexts, however
plausible-no subterfuges, however adrot and no
mere seemingly sound considerations of public poll
the plain letter and spirit of the Constitution or JUS
tfy the enactment of a measure. which strikes at
the foundation of the equality of the States, and the
individual rights Of the citizen. The measure under
consideration does all this, and more; and vet Cons
gress appealed to disregard the Constitution up.
on the subject and, in defiance OF reason and Justice
give it its sanction.
This bill, if it should unfortunately become law,
ha rtic, ,rl,-
the Southern States. We may ask, for example
what right has Congress, or where is the justice Of
the thing, to take from Vii gna four or five hundred
millions of acres (worth as many dullars) her distri
butive share of the public lands, AMI give it away.
leaving her with debt of twenty or thirty millions
OF dollars, and constantly increasing taxes and the
value OF her lands besides greatly diminished by the
operati IN of this act That the value of lands in all
the Southern States will be sensiby diminished there
can be no doubt. For if men can get as much land
as they want for nothing, will there be any demand
for land where something no matter how little. is
asked for it? 1t is evident that the land of every
man in Virginia would be diminished in value TO
some extent by the operation of an act so fragrant
ly unjust and Ubiquitous.
Besides, rs will be seen from the following extract
OF letter from the Washington correspondent Of
IL
proposed amendments, will completely destroy the
euects oil the repeal OF the Missouri Compromise for
which the South is so zealously contendinr Tho
view OF the subject here presented should invite the
calm consideration of the Southern people
"ln regard to the homestead bill the ameosm,,,.
thereto aiord subjects Of grave consideration Tn -
nal bill limits its benefits actual citizens of he T
stes bt 1t Is proposed 10 embrace foreigners who hay
sgnhed an intention OF becoming citizens Fx,endirn
the bill with his amendment the Kansas and Neh,,L
Territories the House will Duify the effect of the renal
Of tue slavery prohibition We shall give away the do
man 70 iOreIgn emgrans fast they cope int, Tho
holders from it. ' ''A'e
by one Of these land grants we can soon d,uble tho
amount OF foreign immigration and expeI sI,varv from
every Territory State where the Goyetonen, o5s NH
NC lands Ii said too that slavery TO be abolished IN
Missouri as soon as fifteen thousand additional yo,e.
pected from foreign immigration eau be secured in b,
h'e 10 suppose that Missouri is to remain slavehod.
ing state while surrounded by circle OF free stats ia an
surd. " '' u ao
The senate, by msority of only two votes c,cI,j.d
| Vh ae Tieht OF suffrage 10 the Territories of tnsas
and Nebraska, with view to improve the chances of ,l
toerauon oil slavery there; but is doubtful whether mis-
restriction will be retained. While we give-the domain
controal Il. ~ '"' power "
Though the Missouri prohibition NAV be reoe,ed vo
Tue tendency OF our legislation will be TO exclude savebo
us rom soy participation in the territories VIII.
10 view to ofod them some chance nigh, no o,;iI
tha'S STAKEHOLDER may be allowed homestead for esh
" ne family, aud thus have uducemcnt TO ,rust
WIZ" us property among abOitioust and aliens"
The Resources OF Turkey.
Inc LONDON Quarterly Review has an able article
on Turkey and Russia in which the writer discnss
es the subject OF the resources of Turkey and nro
sents an interesting account Of the population and
financial affairs Of the Ottoman emp ire,
The amount of her population is considered n mat.
ter oil doubt, but according to late writer's ON tb ,
Ject it's estimated at nearly thirty millions and
haIt including the Danubian Principalities. Svri,
Egypt, and the Barbary States. Without includn,
those countries, isputdown at about mil
lions No distinct information, however. s possessed
oy the Turkish Government of the amount Of ts ncn
ulat'on, nor has it any means Of otanint, that
nation. The military strength of Turkey is Tine a.,
tinated by writer, NJ. Ubcini IN piyn,, tho d.,,n
OF the organization Of the Turkisl, ormv ,o,,,,,.
troops las, 6SO-rediG or reserves, at the Same mr..
ber-contngents or auxiliaries furnished no So,.;.
Bosnia, Herzegovina, Albania and Epvn, =, ot.a,,
l2O,OOO-irregullrs amounting to 81 O0o ,r,Li,,.
total OF some 100000 men. But upon n LARGO ,or,io
OF these IS stated that very little reliance m, l.
placed and that only something like 900 900 c,ud h
brought into the field at the highest calculation
10 the regular Turkish soldier n high ,rii,,,
pad by the writer. They arc represented no r.
hardy' patient and docc-contcntn, ,bor,,,I.,,
with the humblest fare, and checrfully SUBMITTING
any PrlVauons This view is fully sustained b, :,
I"e operations oil Omar Pasha's army on the Donri,
where they have shown themselves abIo n co,,a .,
the Russian forces in superior numbers and 70 w.,
pare favorably with the best trained Eurono,, ,.s
dad 'ne'r proiessed allies afforded them that mid :,
previously promised, the Turkish yictoros ,,i
have been followed up with complete success, md :,
Russians perernptoiily driven from the D,n,iia ~
vinces. But by Withholding assistance from ,bc,n Il
advantages of those victories have been +, nroa, :,
tent lost, and Russia remains in possession n :,
Provinces, from whence the Western Powers ,,,r r.,
viii prove much harder now than It Womb ,,.,
done then, to eNpcl her soldicry.
VI inc turkish finances L is stated that the cmni
has h''herto been uncncumbcrcd by debt and Il,
'"' resources Of tho country may be said to ,,c A..
mos uNcSP'orcd' bu, that of late years the revcnn
nave oeen grca'iy embarrassed, chiefly ON accom-,
.""eqna'' collections, tic enormous expcns,s ot,o
dant upon the organization Of tl,e ,r,nv al n'.1