Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-01-10
TIE FuBLIC LANDS

In the unoeasing DIN Of slavery agitation which
has been forced upon the South, much that is vau-
able in legislation and important to the country
has been measursbly neglected. Other questions
and interests are now pressing themselves on the
sttsntiou of the people and earnestly demanding
their action. Among these, by no means the least
important, is the present corrupt, fraudulent and
pirstical land policy which seems 10 be fastening
itself on the country.
We freely admit, however Notifying to US, and
gratifying to our opponents-tbat the old land
marks of Democracy, on this question, have been
strangely dsregarded by very respectable pOr-
ton of our leaders in Congress, who have not had
the moral courage to cling to principle whereit
oouficted with the peculiar interest of the section
they represent Since the fsll Of our great proto-
type in hs garden of Eden, it has been difficult to
find men who we're superior 10 temptation, The
sordid avarice of the heart has tOppled over many
8 virtuous resolution, and the tempting sTurements
OF the devious path to personal sggrandisement
have changed the minds of many whose earlier
impulses and opinions were in the simple line of
straightforward honesty. Human nature is very
much the same, whether regarded in an Individual
or collective cspscity-whether viewed through
the medium of private transactions or Congress
sionsl PROCEEDINGS.
The unoccupied public domsin has constituted
part Of the common wealth of the people The
policy of the Democratic party, founded upon cor
rect principles of justice and equality, hiss been
that the public lands ought to be sacrediy applied
to the national objects specified in the Consttu-
ton, in such manner as would secure homes to
the homeless, and as far as needs be, meet the de-,
mHnds Of the treasury.
The rapid increase of Railroad enterprise-the
great esgerness to secure their construction in sd
vance of the natural growth of the country
and perverted by capitalists and Rdventur Gus spec
ulators. created with many an Educement, that
had never existed before, for gradual Ioosening
of the cords that bound them 10 an orthodox
principle. Certain localities wanted Railroads.
whilst spectators were anxious for the rich hsrV-
ests Of public lands. The object was too easily
attained for q temptation so great and North
Western Democrats soon began to enquire if the
government mig not be robbed in such manner
that, not knowing it, it would not be robbed at
al. The means were soon found, and quickly it
was announced that policy had been discovered
by which the government might give away one half
Of its lands and make money by the operation.
Thus reasoning, whilst slavery agitation hiss been
diverting the attention of the people, Congress has
been for years squanderng the public domain and
transferring it to Incorporated companies and ind.
vidusl spectators.
The time has arrived when the people should take
this matter into hand What has been done can
not be uudoDe, but some security against the fu
ture may be devised. The great body of the
Democratic party are stesd'ast to their ancient faith
on this question, but enough have strsyed of with
the opposition to accomplish much evil and place
an instrument Of assault into the hands Of our en-
emies.
We are gratied to see that the Democratic
press in different portions of the country are eIici
ting attention to this question, as indicated by the
following extracts. The Virginia Valley Democrat
says:
"FroI the exhibit Of the report Of the General
Land Office, we learn that over forty millions #
acres of public lands have been disposed Of during
the last fifteen months, Of which only ten millions
produced al e-uivG.ent ia cssh-the balance
having been consumed Ia the shape of military
grants, and gifts to various railroad monopoies.-
This shameful rotbsry Of the Treasury, by specula~
tors ought not 10 be submitted to much longer
The public lands, instead Of being applied to the
objects contemplated by the Constitution and deeds
of cessi0D are squandered away upon railroad COM
pBuies and Reartess spectators who sell them out
at enormous profits to these sOuless corporations.
The time has come for the Democratic party either
to require rigid observance Of its creed upon the
part of al portions Of the country, or abandon its
policy altogether. This source OF corruption and
speculation should be stopped in some wsy or
other, or sOol the whole public domsin will be
consumed by the grasping TapaCIty Of spectators,
10 the detyiment Of the country and the govern
ment"
The Philadelphia Pennsylvania on this question
says:
as it not apparent that serious evils are result
ing-serous moral question arising the man
ner in which the National Legislature is disposing
of the public dOmsiu7 Are there not the sc who
ieeldeePIy impressed thsti in the multiplied schemes
proposing large grants of lands to various incor-
pOrsted bodies, the most demOrslzng effects upon
the country are sure TO follow. Congress owes it
TO itself gCit5O1U advancing another STEP fully to
consider whether the people desire and demand
such appropriations or not.
Great diztrust beginning tC be felt all over the
country Of the integrity OF our land policy Pow
erful corporations have sprung like magic Into
wealth aud influence under Its sway. RiCl men
have become rlCher-the few have been the actual
benefcGrIes, while the many-the stockholders in
the original estste-hsve looked on and wondered
how system OF equality could work out such
dispToportionste benefit"