Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-04-14
The STANDARD.
REMARKS OF MR.. CLINGMAN,
OF NoRTH-CARoLINA,

the bill:
Strikeeut, in the first section the words =" to en-
ter one Quarter section of vacant and unapproprl-
ated public lands, or quantity equal thereto, 10
he located in BODY in conlol nifty with the legal
subdivisions of the public lands and after the same
shall have been surveyed" and insert in lieu there
of "to have issued to HIM her, by the CommS.
sioner of Public Lands a warrant for one hundred
and sixty acres of land, to be located in the same
manner as that under which the bounty land war
rants heretofore issued have been located on any OF
the public lands of the United States subject to en-
try, the applicant being required to make proof IN
support of his claim, in such manner ana under
such regulations as may be prescribed 10y the Sec
rotary Of the Interior soaS to make the
That anv person who is the head of family, and
citizen of tine United States shall, from and after
thepassage of tbs act be entitled to have issued to
him or her by tt Commissioner of Public Lands,
a warrant &C."
After the amendment had been read, Mr. CLING
MAN said
Mr. President think that, on this amendment
being understood by the Senate every Senator who
is in favor of the principle of the bill will adopt 1t;
at anv rate am confident that every Senator who
favors such proposition ought to support it. am
frank though, to admit, in the outset, that have
been opposed to this policy OF giving away the pub
lie lands. In my judgment, the public lands stand
on the same footing the other public property of
the Government and ought to be used for the Gov
lions of land and donations in money take this to
be a naked donation. While, therefore, ii You leave
it to me- would retain all the lands for the use OF
the Government so to keep down the public taX-
es nevertheless there seems to he disposition on
the part of many Senators here and there clearly Is
manifested in the other wing of the Capitol dlSpo-
sition to give away large portion of the public pro-
pertv If that policy is to be carried out, let us
look for a few moments, and see if my amendment
does not fortunately, free the subject from all the
difficulties that are in the way OF It,
Senators will see that the present homestead bill
is liable to two or three objections. One objection
is that it operates very hard upon the settlers Tn.
der its provisions man is obliged to 81 on public
land and work upon it for five years. He must go
into the woods, make some outlay Of capital, labor
there continuously for five years before he gets any
title believe if he happens to remit his laborS for
only six months for any unforeseen cause he loses
the benefit of all that he has already done. 1t is
hardly necessary for me to say to gentlemen that
our Americans who of changcable minds and
rove up and down the country, do not like to be
tied down to any place for long while; and it may
happen that man may settle in a location which
he finds to be unhealthy, and after two three Or
four years it may be necessary for him to emgrate
to some other. Under the existing bill. as | under
stand it. he loses the benefit of all that labor he is
not allowed to sell it; he must 60 Oft and some
body else comes in. The Senator from Ohio Mr.
PughI said, in the last Congress, that those men
who went into the new Territories and ahorcd there
for five years really PIT more work on the land than
it was worth. UndrT his view, therefore, take it
he will see that my amendment is what they ought
to have. If my amendment be adopted, as soon as
the settler goes and takes his position the public
domain he is monarch of all he surveys lie has
a title at once he may improve it, lie may live on
it forever or he may SELF it. Ny proposition, there
FORE is clearly better for the settler than the org
nal bill.
Well what is the second objection to the bill
which strikes every mind with great force? Here
is land belonging to all the people of the United
States. You say that those who 90 and settle On it
shall have one hundred and sixty acres each hut
nineteen twentieths of the American people never
expect to go there. | do not suppose that out of
every fifty men whom | represent, more than one,
if one, expects to go and take the benefit. Why
should the other forty whine lose their share of the
public property? What justice is there in it |
will appeal to the Senators the other side of this
Chamber; take, for example, the twelve New Eng
land Senators; there is no public land in New Eng
land; and the only way any New England man can
get foot of it is to expatrate himself and go to
the West Now, is it right to drive our people
from New England, or North-Carolina, or anywhere
else to enable them to get their share of the pub
lie property? put it to every gentleman on prin-
ciples of Justice. You may say that all have an
equal advantage in this that any has the right
to 60; but remember what it costs man to move
his property and pull Up stakes Suppose should
advocate proposition that the Secretary OF the
Treasury should give ten dollars to everybody who
would apply at the Treasury tomorrow, or next
week 1t mi ht be said every citizen OF the United
States may go in and get his share; but We know
that living at distance could not 90 without
loss, and the effect would be to give the money to
men living in this locality, and to exclude Others
So, if you pass the provisions contained in this
rioT1n tba IL L.,
pen to live in The new States, and you exclude eve
rvbody the old States | should like to see any
man 90 before my constituents and address an as
sembly and say to Them - have given away
part of your property to the men in the new States
and refused to give you any portion of unless you
emigratc" Everybody secs that it is grossly I'm
just 1t is not only unjust 10 the individuals but
unjust to the States What right have You to dis
criminate between the States and to try 10 drive off
their people? What right have You to impose a
burden on my constituents, and say that they shall
submit to these things cmgrate to a distant coun-
try? The force ofths is 50 obvious that it seems TO
that it ought to strike the mind of every Senator
Again, sir, there classes Of men who cannot
avail themselves Of it. The mechanics do not want
to abandon their business and turn land owners.
Go up to Massachusetts,, where hundreds and thou
sands of men are now striking for higher wages. |
should like to how the Senators from that State
or any other State in that region would 90 before
their constituents and say to them: You COM
plain that you nave difficulty in making living;
we'll, we have taken portion Of your property and
given it to men in the West, and if YOU choose to
leave your own country and emigrate out there,
you can have share of it" The great body of
those men who would say at once: at does not
suit US to leave our country it does not suit us to
engage in farming"
Ny proposition, then, Mr.. President, fortunately
gets US out of all these difficulties. Pass it and
the Secretary issues his warrant to every man in
the United States who falls within the provisions of
the bill; that is, every man who is the head of
family and who is citizen That will include the
shoemaker in Massachusetts and New Hampshire-
for | see the strike has gotten mp there; and as
catch the eye of the Senator from New Hampshire
Mr.. Hale, will say that should like to see him
go before bis people and explain these two systems.
do not think misunderstood his position. take
it for granted he will adopt my proposition in pre-
ference to that contained in the BILL but SUPPOSE
ne was to take different course, how could he de-