The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1859-10-25
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The relation Of land holders aud cultiva,
tors of the soil TO governments, and thci,
influence upon the elements of national
wealth and tte habits of the people cannot
easily be ovcrtstimatcd. The tendency of
other pursuits TO .norlinate private accu.
mutations of property, has somewhat cloud
ed our vision |. is Lardly cause of sur.
prise, that the bold business enterprises
which have startled the world from slug
gish courses of life, and translated their
agents to elevated positions, high honor,
and possessions of vast wealth should tempt
cupidity, or monopolizo in great part the in.
duStrial enterprise Of land.
The first genuine property of the State
is its land, a unique species of property in
which possession is not at all dependent
upon occupation. Every State frames its
institutions in reference TO this property.
Monarchical governments make it the ba-
sis Of their division of society, and cstab.
lish orders Of nobility upon its muniments
Of title. Dcsp2tisms find in it the surest
support of crowns, and transfer their sub
!jects with tho soil, to which in some cases
they are attached. Limited monarchies
make its possessions badge of political
freedom, society is organized, its separate
classes and their peculiar privileges main
taincd 10y its perpetual possessions in few
hands, or its distributions among masses of
the people; and men are really free in pro.
portion as they may with facility and Sc
Guilty possess, occupy or dispose Of lands.
The abolition Of the rights Of primogcn-
iturc and the statutes for the distribution
of property in lands, as in other possessions,
established by the American people with
their government have really as much TO
do with their political freedom, ms universal
suffrage, the liberty of speech or the press.
The principle of Republican governments
demands the utmost possible freedom in
transfers Of land titles as Of other species
of property. Every head Of family,
wheresovcr from, in whatever condition,
however occupied, is entitled TO home
upon the easiest possible terms consistent
with the rights Of property, and if up7n
government lands, without profit or price.
We are taught by tradition, principle
and experience, to regard the HOMESTEAD
of the citizens Of the frontier settler, (to
use an English phrase,) as his stake in the
country. Thus the cry Of "land for Tie
laadless," which has the ring of Il pro'eta.
rian ralcalis',, ~r"l agrarflan shllpoetn,
is in truth the simple assertion of one of
the fundamental principles OF % Republican
government. It's effect is traced IN our
language. The word farmer" means pro
priclor, and does not, as in other lands,
designating class of men, renting lands
with far less Of profit, improvement, or LID.
erty.
The prosperity and freedom OF a people
are measured by this principle, aud polti-
cal communities thus secure to their indi-
vidual members, their separate rights in
proportion as they adhere to, or depart
from it. A glance at history in any drec-
ton verify the fact.
Who thc'posC s,ion and occupation ofland
las IN alliance 50 nitrate and profound
with the foundation. constitution and inst.
tuition of the State, it commands our con.
sidcration upon the higher ground that
with 1t is inscparabIy and perpciuaIIy as.
sociatcd, the prosperity and business pur.
suits Of the greater proportion Of the peo-
PIE.
1t is a!ter an instructive experience in
other rugged paths, that we most readily
turn to rest TO the homcly joys Of rural /
life.
We shall rroliJabIy pass the present
hour, if according to the measures of .
strength given Us, We reverse the ordinary
Jud cement OF men upon claims Of this pur.
suit, and seek to mako it an attractive and .
vocation for ambition as well .
IA for surrcitcd mon.
The characteristics of trade which con ,
tribute most directly to its svcccss. arc .
Thrift and enterprise. OF fthcse-although /
without great enterprise great accrctions .
could not accumulate, thrift is hv far tho |
most important clement. Small savings, .
make more men and more nations aflluont .
than great success Whatever Of ostcuta. /
ton may be exhibited in methods, the
slightest observation will satisfy us that tho
S;rictcst thrift makes the rounds of the lad
der by which men lise. This is true Of
merchants and tradcrs. The Thrift Of the
farmer generally, bcars no comparison, cx.
cept, perhaps, in the use of morcy, with
that of the successful and afilucnt trader
There are annual wastes upon every farm,
equal to its profits, which, by only por.
ton of the sagacious care given ty trade
to the accumulation of small things, would
Offset present deficiencies of income, and
produce gratifying surplus.
Agriculture is deficient in enterprise
Until recently it has made but few expert.
ments among Us; and in other nations, it
still pursues, unchanged, the customs Of
thousands Of years. The germ Of agricul
tural implements which have been cXhibi-
ted today, and which must have powerful
y impressed bcholdcrs, existed in the me.
chanical treasures of the Greek, Romans
Japanese and Chinese, thousands Of years
ago. This l. true of the reaper, dull hrs.
tandry, portable manures, and many 9TH
or things. They are described in tho works
Of ancient authors, if not with sufficient nc
curacy for reconstruction, yet enough TO
prove the possibility OF their existence. Is
it possible that adventilious aids, SO rcmar-
kable as those agricultural machinery, APP
piicable to commercial or mechanical en-
tcrpriscs, could have rested untried, and
unknown, TO merchants and man.
uiacturcrs for thou ands Of years. No