Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-07-13


About eight years ago, the Senator from New York.
who perhaps is entitled TO the credit Of originating
this measure in the Senate offered BILL Of which
this is substantial copy, perhaps literal one and
I itsreeeiyed bat tWo votes,
It vas stated By my friend from Alabaus--and
! former Senator from Mississippi (Mr. Adans) fsl
( into the same error-thst Felix G. Mcconnell, with
whom served in the House Of Representatives, and
for whom / entertained q great deal Of respect,
originated this homestead policy in that House. It
[ is as far from me as It would be from any one to
I detraot sugbt from that individual The Senator
from Aabama calls him unfortunate son Of genius
I from his oan State Sir If ahere ever was q man
/ who was a Democrat by instinct and BY nature, it
vas Felix GrurSy Mcconnell Even when he was
in one of those unfortunate mOods-One Of those IN
fortunate spells that he occasionally fell into-you
| might wake him up out Of q reyerie and present to
him question that involved Democracy on the one
hand and its opposite the Oiher aud By instinct
intuition he always on The side Of Democracy
But wish to SET the facts right, there seems
| to have been some controversy as 70 who was the
| originator Of this great measure. 50 far as an
concerned, whenever have alluded TO this subject,
from first 10 last have meyer claimed its paternity
! Ia the speech which made q short time since, I
! showed that the policy inaugurated by Wash
ington, that it had been approved and indorsed BY
The most distinguished meusof the country. from
that period down 70 the preselt time As, how
ever, there seems 10 have been some contest as %
the origin Of the measure in this particular form,
intend 70 state the facts without regard shat may
be said in reference 10 myself
It appears from the Journal Of the House Of Rep
resentsuVes, that on March -, 1876, &" Mr. A
Johnson asked leave to introduce ball entitled % A
bill 10 authorizs every poor man in the United
States who is the head Of family enter hun
dred and sixty acres Of the public domain, without
money and without price. Objection being made,
/ il was not introduced "
On March p, 1876, ''Mr. A. Johnson, in pur-
Of previous notice, asked and obtainedlesve
to introduce "a bill to authorize every poor man in
the United States 10 enter one hundred and Sky
acres Of land SC; which bill was read twice, and
committed" +"
In the House of Representatives, August 5, 1876,
the French spOlistion bill being under oonsidera-
! ton, " Mr.. Mcconnell moved to add to the bill
section granting hundred and sixty acres Of
I land to every man, maid, or widow, in the Uniied
/ States. Ruled out of order"
August 6, 1886, the Oregon bill being under con-
| sideratiOn 81 Mr.. Mcconnell wished TO offer as an
amendment, an additional section authorizing every
man, maid, widow, &C., to enter one hundred and
sixty Of land in any portion Of the territory
! of the United States. The Chairman decided the
! amendment out Of order at that time"
Thus fad that on the l2.h Of March, 1916, no
tice Of the bill given, and on the 9th Of March,
/ 1916, the bill was introduced and committed; aud
on the 9Th Of August, 1916, Mr. Mcconnell offered
| it as an amendment to some other bill Ny friend
! from Alabama was disposed to give The credit at
tached TO it, to former Representative from Ala
| bsma, and he spoke Of him 5 unfortunate son Of
genius. If he was entitled to it, should have no
] objection. He was for the measure; he was De-
moerst; he loved his country; and if there was
ever q man devoted To the people, 1t was Felix
| Gruudy Mcconnell.
My honorable friend in arguing VII it should
be postponed, said that this had its origin
in the Senate about eight years ago, when il was
| introduced by the honorable Senator from the
State Of New York Mr. Seward and said that
his bill only received two votes in 1850 When We
come to examine the facts, it seems little strange
that my friend from Alabama should fix upon the
honorable Senator from New York as the introdu5sr
Of mis- proposition. Why the Senator from New
York was selected as the intrOducer Of the bill,
and the allegation made that then it only le;eived
two votes, l cannot tell, unless 1t was to convey
prejudice to the South, the suppositiOn that OW
ing to his peculiar relations 70 Some OF the S,a'es,
! his name would be calculated to prejudice, in the
southern section Of the country, measure he intro
dueed reference 10 the journal Of the Senate for
I 1850 will show that Daniel Webster and General
Houston introduced the proposition then. Stephen
A. Douglas-I call him not IS q SenBtor, but as
Stephen A. Douglas from the State Of Illinois, in
trodueed two homestead bills, one in 1850 and
1851 Thus the proposition was brought forward
by various distinguished individuals at about the
same period Of time; but somehow or other my
friend from Alabama has the idea that the measure
| was then presented By the Senator from New York.
Itis not strange, when il vas introduced by masy
distinguished men, that my honorable friend did
not think that some ofthem had introduced il but
how does the fact stand call on my honorable
friend from Alabama 20 make his statement coed
want him to show when the Senator from New
York ever introduced homestead bill a. all
have examined the Journal and cannot find il. II
he has the reply ready, ! will lake it.
Mr. CT Y refer 10 the Senator from New York
himself. learned what / STATED from him
Mr. Seward ThshOnOrsble S'nuOr fron Tennes-
see suppose, will the result OF his arches
He knows more about il tban do
Mr. johnson, Of Tennessee Upon bill 10 es-
tablIsh Surveyor Generals ofios IN the Territory
Of Oregon there was amendment offered prevent
ing the land that granted in tha bill 10 actual
settlers from forced sale Of one hundred and Sky
or three hundred and twenty acres, and upon that
the yeas and nays called, and there were only
two voLes for the amendment-not this proposition
At al--the vote CT the honorable Senator from New
| York and of the honorable Senator from Wisconsin
| (Mr Wakerl TIE honorable Senator from New
/ York never introduced homestead bh; but be lid
in 1850 introduce a bill grounded partially on the
same PRINCIPLES, granting land 70 the Huhga ian
refugees who coming to this country, as viii be
by referring TO the Journal Of that year. page
1l9 True, The distinguished Senator from NsW
York-snd thank him fer the argument he made il
did his heart and his head eredIt-maje speech on
the bill granting the overf5 we'd lands to the States
10 which they lie, in which he argued this whole
policy, and argued ably aud well before the whole
country; but ne never introduced hOme5le2u pro
position in the shape it is here, though he covered
the whole subject in his speech.
Then, in the first instance it is seen, an exam
inaon Of the journals that notice was given Of the
homestead bill. IL was introduced and cOmmitted
in the House Of Representatives before my respected
friend from Alabama Mr. MeCOnnelD ever offered
his proposition as an amendment 10 the spOlisliOn
bill In 1850, the period TO which the Senator from
Alabama carries back in the Senate, the Senator
from New York never introduced homestead bill at
all; but half dozen others did shadow forth pro
position in its brOadest sense. None Of them were
to be referred to By the Senator from Alabama; but
the Senator from New York must be brought into
connection with it, do net say that my friend from
Alabama intended to be unfair; do not say that be
intended to excite any improper prejudice by this
connection; but will tsy that his remarks left ss
/ th,T we're, we're calculated to do that.
In the first place, We find the Senator from Ala
bsma mistaken in his stement Of TACT as to the
origin of the bill; in the second place, we hLd him
mistaken as TO the fact Of Mr. Seward introducing
the propozt on eight years ago; in fact he introS
dueed no such measure at all. The remarkable &C
euraey with which the Senator from Alabama stated
his facts seemed 70 indicate that be had made him
self thoroughly acquainted with the history Of the
subject. II be had made himself acquainted with
All Ihe facts connected with the homestead PROPOSE
ton feel assured that he would not have made the
statement be did: and not having made himself
sc0uained With the facts, he not authorized In
making the statement he die
The Senator denies that this proposition has been
approved by the public judgment Let rs see how