Washington sentinel., 1854-07-20
THE HOMESTEAD BILL.
SPEECH OF SENATOR CLAY, OF ALA

SPEECH OF SENATOR CLAY, OF ALA.
JUly l2th 1854.
The Senate. as in Committee of the w hole,
resumed the consideration Of the Homestead
bill, when
Mr.. CLAY said
Mr.. President, am very lily prepared for
vocal gymnastics to day, but cannot consent
that the vote be taken on this motion without
replying to some remarks which fell the other
day from my honorable friend from Iowa, Mr..
DODGE. rise to exonorate myself from a
very grave and serious charge preferred by that
gentlemen against me-that of departing from
my fathers's faith, and following after strange
gods. In support of this charge he read from
so me remarks of gentleman of my own name,
who preceded me in the Senate, made by him
in the winter of 1888, in support of admitting
foreigners, like American citizens, to the right
OF pre-emption. s~
Now, sir, before stopping to inquire how far
may agree or disagree with that gentleman,
l wish to address an argumentum ad hominem
to my friend from Iowa. He, sir, Of all men in
the Senate, is the last who should ever quote
parental authority, or inveigh against filial dis
obedience; for think the entire Senate will
concur with me in the opinion that he exhibits
in his political conduct an utter disregard Of
parental precept and example. Laughter.
Indeed, sir, that gallant and faithful represen
tative of the Young Game Cock of the West"
upon this floor, is practical refutation of the
truth of the old saying, As crows the old cock,
so crows the young" Laughter. On the
contrary, the young cock generally sounds the
counter note to the old cock. In short, sir, it
appears to me that, repudiating the scriptural
injunction, "Hear the instructions ofthy father"
he is a perfect illustration of the selfsuffciency
aud flial impiety of progressive Young Amer
lea, kicking off the swaddling clothes, dod9iag
daddy, and "going it on his own hook" Laugh
ter.
Now, must confess at the same time, that
think my friend from Iowa has been generally
right in opposing parental example, he thinks
however, that | am wrong in doing the same
thing. am willing to compromise with him,
and agree that each is wrong in his Judgment
of the conduct of tho other. If / cannot make
this compromise with him, then propose to
show that am right and moreover, that
do not occupy an antagonistic position to that
Of my predecessor, from whom he quoted
Sir, he quoted the language of a gentleman
whose name bear, and who preceded me on
this floor, in favor of granting to foreigners
the right to pre-emption, like American citi-
gems. concur in that sentiment. If the go.
vernuent is going to sell land, say sell it to
every honest occupant who will pay the pur-
chase money, upon the same terms. But, sir,
that gentleman. in the same speech from which
my friend quoted, used this other sentiment,
in which / most heartily concur " / am not
disposed TO place foreigners upon q better
fooiing than American citizens" So say / I;
and it is because the sixth section of this bill
does propose to place them upon better foot.
ing than American citizens, that / am op
posed to it. l intend to show that it does
place them on higher and better footing, in
q manner so plain that none can misunder
stand, and so conclusive that none can refute.
Iintend to strip this bill Of all its false'and
fatterous pretenses, and al its studiously con-
trived verbal disguises, and present it in Its
truly hideous deiormity TO the gaze of the
American people. And when exhibited in the
naked daylight Of truth, | think few can en-
dure it, and none embrace it with pleasure or
pride.
Now, sir, in order to illustrate my view Of
the true character Of this bill, will use q
homely smile, which will go TO the hearts and
understandings of all men. Suppose father,
having large family of sons, and possessed of
an extensive tract of wild land, should offer it
for sale at fixed price to actual settlers, max
ing no discrimination between aliens and his
own relations. There would be fair illustra
ton Of the pre-emption policy. True, his sons
might complain that the old gentleman was
not as liberal to them as he should be in CIV
ing to strangers, aliens to him in blood and
feeling, right to purchase on the same terms
with themselves; yet perhaps, they would not
reproach him with injustice, inasmuch as they
expected TO enjoy, as a patrimony, what he
might realize by the sale Of his lands. But,
suppose that father, after having pursued this
policy for some forty years, should suddenly,
through some strange caprice or spasmodic
emotion ofphilanthropy, conclude to give away
his lands, and should advertise to the world that
he would bestow free farm Of one hundred
and sixty acres on every man who would come
and settle upon the lands and cultivate and oc.
cupy them for FIVE years. What would be the
reflections Of those older sons who had pur.
chased and paid for their lands? Would they
not reproach their father with injustice to his
own children in extorting from them the pur-
chase money for their land, whilst he gave land
to strangers2 Suppose, however, the old gen
tleman should 20 little further, and should ex-
act Of his sons (who had entered the wilderness,
reduced portion of II to cultivation, and rem
dered the remainder habitable and eligible for
the location Of those strangers) an annual con-
tribution forthe aid comfort and support of those
strangers, and exempt them from similar con.
tribution even for their own use and benefit. i
ask whether those sons would not be willing to
disown and repudiate their father? Suppose be
should even 90 further than / have suggested,
and should invest those strangers with the
power Of swindling, defrauding, and injuring
his sons, and, at the same time, deny TO them
all means Of redress. Would they not be
driven by an indignant sense of his unnatural
and cruel treatment of them, almost to curse
that father, and to address him in the vitupe-
rative language Of Scripture, "If man pro
vide not for his own, especially for those Of bis
own house, he hath denied the faith, and is
worse than an in6del2o A parent so lost to
every feeling of duty to his offspring might ap.
pear in the form Of man, but would bear
within bis bosom the heart Of demon.
Such, sir, is not an exaggerated picture Of
this bill. What does it propose? What is the
policy which It will initiate? Why, sir, this
government, after having for more than forty
years sold to her own children, native Ameri-
can citizens, the public lands at q fixed price,
L. a. r. e Il, IN