Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-03-31

dial duDroYuk- IL AdA ley cuNpolL u.lGteEl years J.
ago. in this body. The Secretary Of the Interior (
has well said that the advantages and profits aris
inc from the first settlement of anew country ought
to be enjoyed by the early settlers They have pc
cuar hardships and prlyatons to undergo, especial
dangers and labOrs to encounter. The law does not
contemplate that they shall have any competition /
except from other aetual settlers in selecting the
most fertile lands and the choicest locations This T
is all well and truly said, bat does It furnish sufh
cient reason for granting the privilege Of securing
without competition, lands worth ten twenty dol
lars an acre at the price of 81 %, if reyenue Or
money equivalent, is the man object to be looked I
TO in dlsposing Of the lands Upon the hypothesis
that the settlement of the lands is the main object
and the raising of revenue merely secondary con-
sideraon the reasons Of the Secretary granting this
valuable preference to the pioneers. and Of now
proposing to enlarge it, are amply sufficient They
place the law the principle that the trustee Is IN
the discharge Of his duty, when he adopts measures
manifestly necessary and proper In carrying out
the objects of the trust
Itremains now, Mr.. President, for me to show
that the bill before the Senate stands upon the same
principle upon which the entire system OF laws con-
sttuting our present land policy, is sustained and
justified. The direct, immediate, and only object
sought to be accomplished by the BILL is the gather
ing the public lands Of population, with the view
of forming States. The Constitution was form
ed upon the assumption that the formation and adj
mission of States were great objects calculated
to promote the prosperity, happiness and greatness
of the Federal Republic. twas for these purposes,
and these alone. that our Federal system was en-
dOwed with the power OF expansion. This meas
ure like all the others embraced in cur system of
land laws looks to the accomplishment of these car
dinal constitutional objects After the pre-emptors
have made their selections and after the purchasers
at the public sales have made tkeir investments, an
invitation Is extended to all heads of families to make
homes on the unapprOpriated odd sections, subject
to private entry. and, as an induceInent to do So
title in fee is rendered to quarter section, upon
the condition of five years occupancy and cultiva-
ton. If it be objected that the measure yields no
/ revenue to the Government L answer IN the first
! place. that occupancy and cultivation of the SOIL
with view to States and not revenue, are the
great constitutional objects to be accomplished In
the second place, that no revenue is derived from
| grants to railroads internal improvements. public
buildings, and swamp lands though more than one
hundred and fifty million have been thus dis
posed of. In the third place, that while present
revenue is derived from the homestead bill, from
the grants for the several objects just enumerated,
yet in all these cases. the necessary cOnsequ
such an increase of population and application of
labor and industry in developing the resources of
the SOIL to enable the population to treble and
quadrupe at early day, their ability to and
enjoy articles from which revenue is derived; and
IN that way to constitute each one of the series Of
acts a fruitful measure Of revenue. In the fourth
place, that whilst neither the homestead bill nor
either of the other measures produces present rev
enue, yet they all have direct and necessary ten
dency to enhance the value and SaleableneSS Of the
| remaining and adjacent lands. And, in the last
place, that the receipts from graduation, preemp-
! ton, and private entries, and from public sales,
these being the only sources from which land rev
/ enue is now derved,) are not inteFfered with by
the bill, except to the odd sections subject to pri-
vate entry its only effect Icing appropriate these
! odd sections as hOmesteads for class of settlers
who would never be purchasers for cost, and there
| fore producing diminutiOn in the present land
| revenues On the of policy, therefore,
! distinction can be drawn between the bill now be-
fore the Senate and the other of the land
system and on the score of principle, they all rest
firmly together the same constitutional platform
1t cannot be assumed, however. that the outlet to
labor furnished by our public lands has proved en-
tirely eactual in preventing the evils to the inter-
| ests Of labor sPpreheRded from too dense popula
| ton. Within a few weeks past we have witnessed
indications of dissatisfaction amongst labCring
! and women in some of the New England States
| which show that the competition for employment
/ has reduced the wages of labor to point at which
looks out for relief from tie expressions of capital
We have had placed on our tables paper, purport
ing to be memorial to the Legislature Of New York
containing statements as to the growth and preVa-
lence of pauperIsm in that State, which are so as
founding that it is difculS to give them credit In
that paper it is said:
"The Governor, his message declares that while
in twenty years. from 1891 1851 the population Of the
increased only sxyone cent paupsrsm increased
hundred and six 1884, there relieved
every hundred twentythree inhabsnts lS4
to every thirty nine in 1851 10 every weafOur and
! IN 1886, one to every seventeen"
II these De facts, lney snow state OF social Inc
quality that fully justifes the Apprehension on this
subject manifested by the founders Of our Govern
ment, and furnishes pointed illustration OF the
! truth that
an fares the land, to fastening ills a prey,
Where wealth accumulates, and men decay
| which was so impressvely quoted in the Senate
few days ago. by one Of the Senator's from that
! State, Mr. Seward1
! do not allude TO this subject with the view of
criticising the social system in the States where
these inequalities Of condition thus exhibited,
but for the purpose of showing the bearing of the
bill before the Senate on the interests Of labor in
Its competitions for employment and in its contest
with capital for remunerative wages. Its influence
on this subject will be apparent when 1t Is
bered that its direct tendency will be tC diminish
the competition for employment by drawing off
portion of those seeking it. and thus beneting those
! who remain behind; whilst it furnishes remunera-
| tive employment to that portion which shall accept
! the terms offered by the bill. Whether we look.
then. to its influence in the old States in the Ter
rtOricS, the measure will be productive of benef-
! Cal results. At the same time. it secures a large
annual increase in the number of those having the
interests Of property well as of personal rights
10 strengthen their attachment to the Government,
thus diminishing the evils apprehended from too
great proportion Of those having no sympathy with
| the rights and interests Of property.
When the policy proposed by this bill Mr. Presi-
dent, originated, in 1916, in the House of Rep
resentatives, by my colleague, l examined It with
care, and came to the conclusion that 1t meas
ure Of great national moment. At that time the
spirit of sectional agitation had not progressed so
far array the two sections against each other
! in dangerous antagOnism. Hence the fact, then as
| well discernable now that whilst the benefits of
| the measure would be sought for by CnterpriSing
and needy families in all sections of the country
vet that its operation would be greatest in the North
ern States, did not induce me to hesitate to the
prOpriety Of its adoption. ItbecOmes grave ques-
ton now. however. when sectiOnasm has been for
maly installed by distinct political organization,
and when it is believed to be actuated by sentiments
inconsistent with the full enjoyment Of their COnst
tutiODal rights by Southern men, whether in this al
| tered condition of things, should not be
| found for Withholding support from the measure
In considering this question, am bound to COnGede
that the majority OF those who will be attracted to
! the pablo domain by this bill, will be opposed in
sentiment to my views the subject of slavery. l
am bound to fOresee that the States which shall be
formed upon the population thus gathered together
will be free States. l am bound, further, to know
that every new State thus formed and admitted in
to the COntederacy, viii increase the prcpOnderanCe
! OF political power against the South. l am bound
to believe from the facts around me- that when this
preponderanCe reaches a certain point if the sec
! tOnal spirit that predominates in the free
States shall then prevail. attempt will be made
to destroy the institution of slavery by means of
amendment of the Federal Constitution. On the
other hand, cannot shut my eyes to the fact that
! the public domain TO be peOped under the opera
ton of this bill Is inevitably destined to be free ter
ritOrythat this is the fiat Of the laws of if
not Of our law. cannot avoid seeing that the tide
of emigration westward, under the influence of our
present land laws, must, at very distant period,
gather upon public domain such an amount of
population as will render the formation and adms-
sion of new free States unavoidable l cannot see
any other result from the growth Of population on
public lands under existing laws. than the con-
tnua increase of the political prepOnderance of the
free States until that point shall be reached when
the power will exist to amend the Constitution by
the exercise Of pure sectional strength Whether
this bill then, passes or not the result is to be the
same-new free States are to be formed and added |
to the Union until they are to constitute controlling
political power in the Government
The question then assumes this attitude the public
lands acquired to be settled and prepared for
admission as States Congress holds them as
trustee for that sole purpose, and is bound by the
Constitution to adopt the measures necessary and ,
proper 70 execute the trust. The homestead policy
is, in my Judgment such a measure Shall l then /
decline to discharge what | regard as the duty of .
the trustee because a political organization has /
sprung into existence which manfests so much hos
tiity aninsutuOn essential to the interests of the
South that nothing but lack political powerrestran
it from destroying that institution. Am to assume
that sectiOnalism is destined to rule our political
contests until there shall be such an increase of
free States as enable it to accomplish its ultimate
purpose? Inmy judgment. this sectional antagon-