East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1860-09-06
TEE HOMESTEAD BILE.

The black republican journals of this
State, and particularly the whining,
grumbling Sdgiaa'o Enterprise, have for
long time INDUCED in an unearthly
howl Of complaint against Mr.. DovdLAs
and the whole Democratic party on ac.
count Of their alleged opposition to the
Homestead Bin, while the record shows
that not only Mr.. DOUGLAS, but the ma
jority of the Democrats Of both Houses
Of Congress, have uniformly supported
that measure, and that LINCOLN & HAM.
LIN together with many other Black Re
publicOns have pcrsistently opposed it.
We commend to our readers care.
full persual of the following in order
that they may learn who are the real
friends of the Homestead Bill:
The black republicans in some por-
tons of the State have good deal to say
about a homestead law, and seem anX-
ious to make it one of the prominent is
sues of the campaign. This fact, to all
those acquainted with the records of the
Presidential candidates. is surprising, for
the simple reasons that all the facts and
all the records are against the republi-
cans and in favor of the democrats, and
If an issue is to be made upon it we great
ly fear the black republicans will be vast
ly more damaged than benefited. Ii wa,
at the last session of the legislature, in
January, 1859, that law, introduced
by democrat, advocated by democrats
and carried by democratic votes, wa,
passed giving to settlers upon the public
lands of the State homestead of fort,
acres. That simple fact is sufficient 70,
the people to know which party in thi
State is the real friend of the homestead
measure.
But when we 90 to the records of tn,
Presidential nominees, we discover fact
relative to the homestead measure tina
should make the whole black republican
party hold its peace. These record
show that Mr.. Douglas has always beer
an advocate of such law, and that, 81
far as Lincoln has record at all, it il
against 1t, while Hamlin has always beer
one OF the most persistent opponents i
has had to encounter. 1t is unneecssar,
to 90 back to the various bills that hav,
been introduced into Congress for tn,
last eight years, for every one of which
Mr Douglas has voted and every one o
which Mr.. Hamlin has steadily opposed
but ventilation of the record on TN
Grow bill, on which the black republi
cans have so much to say, will be sufli
cient. That bill passed the House il
March last, by the aid of such democratic
votes as Cooper, Of Michigan; Davis
English, Holmon and Niblack, of Indi
ana; McClernand, Robinson, Logan an,
Foukc, of Illinois; Larrabee of Wiscon
sin; Cox, Howard Martin and Valland
imam, Of Ohio, and others. 1t went I,
the Senate, aud after some time tn
committee to which it had been referred
made report substituting the Senat,
bill in its place. On the 10Th of May
this bill being under consideration, Mr.
Douglas offered an amendment extend
ing its provisions to land which had al
ready been pre-empted as well as to thai
which had been surveyed and was sub
ject to presumption. The Congressiona
Globe reports as follows:
"Mr. DoUaLAs--I shall move TO amend
the bill by striking out the words sub.
ject to private entry, and putting in the
words subject to presumption so that
1t will then apply to all lands subject to
presumption, whether they be so subject