Washington sentinel., 1854-03-11


too high, put them down, even to the cost of sur
yeying, &c., but no matter what price you affix,
place all upon an equality.
II you pass this present Homestead bill, and
give portion of your public domain away to
settlers and the balance to the various railroads,
in a short time you will find that you have killed
the goose that laid the golden egg II will be all
gone. Gentlemen talk about giving this land
away TO keep it out of the hands of SPECTATORS;
and yet they propose to give millions Of il to the
greatest spectators in country, (the railroad
companies.) j wonder how you will keep the
land you give under your Homestead bill out Of
the hands Of spectators after the fve years gov
ernment tenantry is out, provided in the bill.
Humane as it may appear thus to donate these
lands, the restrictions you throw around the gift
makes il undesirable.
Ifyou desire to donate each settler home, why
not give il to them, either to sell or to keep as
they may Judge best. Very few independent,
proud spirited Georgians, win become your ten
ants for FIVE years for the sake of two hundred
dollars worth ofland. Ifyou give it to themwth
out condition they will accept it, provided all their
countrymen placed upon an equality with
themselves. No American citizen will thank you
for one hundred and sixty acres of wild land upon
the terms proposed. IL the settler absents HIM
self for six months from any cause, he loses his
right to the land. Sir, that hardy race Of men
who 60 as pioneers upon your frontier, do not
remain stationary. AS well might you ask an
eagle to be confined in a cage, as to ask one of
them to remain on one quarter section of land
for five years; for in that time he will have
bought and sold at least five tracts.
Sir, this bill is wrong in principle. The Con-
stitution authorizes Congress to make all needful
rules and regulations concerning the public lands;
but il must dispose of them mpnrtially and
equally. No other plan is needful.
The people Of every State, from Maine to Tex
as, from California to Virginia, are all equally
interested in this matter; and there is a day COM
ing when they will be heard.
am willing to make some alterations in our
present laws, by extending the right fpre-emption
in favor of poor men. This bill, even, might be SO
perfected as to meet my appreciation; but from
the present temper Of the House, have no ex-
pectation that such changes will be made as to in
duce me to vote for it.
| may vote for giving lands for the construc-
ton Of the several railroads, but before shall do
SO, there must be something done to make the bene
fits applicable to all sections of the country.
There must be some compromises made. Com
promises have come to be very fashionable at this
day. | am not, however, much of compromise
man. believe in administering the government
according to the plain letter and intent of the
Constitution. But if compromises are to be made,
ask for such a compromise in reference to the
public lands rs will give to the old States fair
share OF this common property. Let those gen.
tlemen, therefore, who want my vote (and trust
may speak for others of the Georgia delegation)
for these land measures, prepare to do Justice to
the old States and the citizens thereof / believe
am speaking the sentiments of my constituents
and large majority Of the people of Georgia.
One hundred and thirty millions of acres of the
public lands have already been given away to
fourteen States of this Union, seventeen States
have received not one acre.
While am upon this subject, | will say that
will not vote single dollar for the construction
of a Pacific railroad, nor do believe any State
rights man can consistently vote money out of
the public treasury for that purpose. II is not
the policy of this government to become the pro-
prietor Of railroad, and we have no right to
take the peoples money to construct railroads.
You may say that it is national work. / assert,
it is sectional; for, wherever you build the road,
the people of that section will derive the main
benefit, and the balance of the country will receive
no direct benefit.
1t is the policy of this government to have sur
veyed the routes and mountain passes, and open
all possible avenues to our enterprising people,
through the territories of the United States, and
to grant the right of way and some small portion
ofthe public lands. The policy of this govern
ment should be to dispense its favors upon the
principles of stern justice and equality. Many
ofthe advocates Of the great Pacific railroad pro-
ject agree with me that we cannot appropriate
money out of the treasury for such a purpose;
but they say wo can very properly give land.
Land is property, and property is the representa-
tive of money at its cash value; and do not think
this sophstry will deceive the plain matter-offact
common-sense people Of the country. Many Of
the friends Of this great Pacific enterprise agree
with me that it is mpolitc, if not unconstitutional
tor the government to own railroad running
through sovereign State; but they say it is very
proper for the government to construct railroads
through the Territories Very soon all our Ter
ritories will be peopled and be knocking at your
door for admission as Independent States. l will
never vote dollar nor an inch Of land for gov
ernment work of the kind.
again repeat to those Of the new States who
asking grants land for railroad purposes and
the advocates Of the Homestead BILL to come up
to fair, just and equitable arrangement by which
each State in the Union is BENEFICIARY, and then
you may, with more propriety, ask such favors
you should not ask for yourselves what you are
unwilling to grant to others.
Much as have been opposed to distribution Of
the public lands, yet if they must CO. let them be
divided upon the principles ofjustice and equality
We should be just before we are generous Let us
pay the debt of honor and gratitude that we owe
to the old soldiers; those who fought in your In
dian wars in 1890, and in the various wars with
the savage tribes since that period the gallant
men who stood by your flag in 1912, not forget
ing those who suffered in Dartmoor prison, and
our gallant Iars who, in those DAYS. allied under
the stars and stripes, and placed many laurel
upon our gallant little navy, then only known as
sampson IN the cradle. i should like to speak
more of the volunteers upon our extended from
tiers, who have beat back those he-hounds of fury
who used the tomahawk and the scalpinp-knife
of the men who have done as our old Georgians
used to do-some used to work week while their
neghbors fought off the Indians, and then fight
week while. their neighbors worked. Sir, many
Of my constituents were rocked in the cradle Of
war. The men Of Georgia, and Carolina, and
Tennessee, had for years to defend our frontier
against hostile foe unaided by government.
Not regular soldier ever made a track on our
soil, except when President Adams sent General
Gaines with regiment TO awe the Georgisns into
submission, on account Of some Indian treaty dif.
fculties and il he had not left the State quietly
and quickly, he would have beon eaten up for
breakfast spell. tLaughter) Many Of ,hese old
soldiers OF which have been speaking. have never
received justice at the hands Of the government
Georgia surrendered TO the government, by the
compact Of 1902, vast and valuable territory
which forms two powerful and wealthy States. She
ceded thisland for the general good ofallthe States.
and for trifing consideration; and now shall thar