Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-06-07

1t has been some twelve years since Mr..
Senator ANDY JOHNSON proposed this pre-
cious Homestead measure to the House of
Representatives and to use his own language
''it scarcely received serious consideration for
length of time" We believe that handy
ANDY was the father of it in the House. Mr.
CLAY, of Alabama, said recently that the pa
ternity of it in the Senate belongs to Mr.. SEW
ARD, and when first introduced by him into
that body, received only tsoo votes. But be-
tween Mr.. SEWARD and Mr.. JOHNSON 1.-THE
measure was pressed until the public mind
took hold of it." When the latter took his
seat in the Senate, one among his first acts
was its revival, and it was pressed again
till the Senate "took hold of it'' and defeated
it. We copied the New York TIibune's an
nouncement of the fact, as also that of the
Union & american, with brief reference to
the significance of the black republican sup
port of the measure. Thereupon the Union &
american CONSTITUTES our remarks into an effort
to injure n faithful public servant :" attempt
vindication of JOHNSON, by quotations from
his late speech, and suggests that we, as an
act of justice to the Senator from Greenville,
republish these extracts. We beg to assure
the Senator and his organ here, that we have
no disposition to do him injustice. And as
We are to suppose that the extracts, being
carefully selected from different parts of the
speech, contain the best that may be said in
his behalf, we cheerfully give them:
II live in Southern State; and If know
myself am good a Southern man as any
one who lives within the borders of the South.
Sir, carry out the homestead policy, attach
the people to the soil. induce them to love the
government, and you will have the North
reconciled to the South, and the Sputh to the
North, and we shall not have invidious doc
trines preached to stir up bad feelings in
either section. / know that in my own
State, and in the other southern States, the
men who do not ownElaves are among the first
to take care of the institution. They will sub
NIT to no encroachment from abroad, no
interference from other sections.
l believe the passage of this bill will
strengthen the bonds of the Union. Ii will
give US better voting population, and just in
proportion as men become interesed in
property, they will become reconciled
10 all the institutions of property in the
exist. Take the institution of slavery for
instance; would you rather trust it to the
mercies of people liable to be ruled by the
mobs of which my honorable friend from
South Carolina spoke, or would you prefer
an honest set of landholders? Which would
be the most reliable? Who would guaranty
the greatest security to our Institutions, when
they come to the test of the ballot-boxs
Now, we have no desire to enter here into
discussion of the merits of this hobby; but
we must say that Mr.. JOHNSON is unfor-
tunate, to say the least, in recommending his
bill on the ground that it will .'attach the
people to the soil, induce them to love the
government. We should like to know at
what value Mr.. JOHNSON estimates that patri-
otism. that. love of country which is to be
purchased with quarter section OF wild land.
Have we reached that era in our history when
we as people aud as individuals are 10 be
hired 6ribcd into a support of our institutions
by public bounty? 1t is not astonishing that
such proposition should scarcely receive
serious consideration" but il is astonishing
that man occupying seat, which is design
ed Nor Statesmen, should 'be found, thus ban
dying the appeals Of the demagogue. 1t was
scarcely to be expected of she Union and
American, that it would undertake the vindi-
cation of SO revolving proposition. when
only four or five days before, IL was denoun-
cling the principle in discussing the repeal Of
the fishing bounties in these emphatic terms
ssNow, il seems TO Us that no State or Sec
ton should be bribed to adhere of the con-
,federacy. If there 10 not patriotism and dis
interesiedness enough In New England to
hind them to their sister States. without
imaking them pensioners upon the govern
,inent, they are not worth retaining. IL the
tenure than public plunder. no higher motive
Than ayarice, then we should not regret a
cseparation. The nation Is disgraced by the
association"
That paper is about as unfortunate Is Its
header II Il horrible to make few men IN
n:cr;sted In the fisheries of the country, the