Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-04-19

the Iicinian law, under which Rome pr0spered. To |
show what was the policy of Rome in hermost pros
porous days, win read portion Of one Of the old
Roman lays, translated and published by Macauiay
For Romans in Romes quarrel
Spared neither land nor gold,
Nor WIFE nor limb nor life,
In the brave days Of old
esrhen none was for party;
Then all were for the state
Then the great man helped the poer,
And hs poor nan loved TIC great
Then sPolls were fairly sold
Then Romans were like brothers
In the brave days Of old
Mr. President / have trespa5sed now longer than !
intended to trespass the Senate but there are
few other facts that will advert to- It seems to
be conceded by all who have paid any attention TO
the operations Of this Government that now is the
time to prevent the state Of things that we have
been speaking of, which occurred in Rome. While
the public lands belong to the people hold out reas
enable inducements for people to go and settle on
them and become cultivat0rs of the soil Who is it
that is willing suspend and hang the destnies of
this Republic upon cities? for one am not; and I'M
less the present tendency of things is arrested, and
arrested nOw-and the policy Of this bill viii arrest
1t and result IN different SYSTEM fear the conse-
quences, ana fear this Government Will go as Rome
went. We are in swaddling clothes; we have
scarcely reached mans estate; yet these spots of
decay are visible, and the tendency of the PERM
cous policy that has been pursued must be observed
BY all What then is our true policy? Build up your
I
the productions Of agriculture go hand in hand with
mechanism. Let each man have a home, and when
your elections come around he IS a freeman ne Is
an independent man; he goes to the ballot-box and
votes his vote and not the vote of his landlord
or his master Build up these districts, and there
you will have virtue; there you will have honesty
IN private well public affairs for after all, the
people of the rural districts to be trusted Into
their hands this Government must go. 1t IS their
interest do right in all governmental affairs. 1t
being their interest to 90 right they can be relied
upon and cOniided in implicitly. They expect no
office. They do not live by politics, but they live by
their labor, and they want the best government the
pufest government that they can get 10 there
amidst your rural populations there Is industry,
there is virtue, and intelligence, and might speak
of them in the language OF a celebrated author:
/ ..Unlearned, he knew no sohoolnan's subtle art,
No language but the language Of the hear
By nature honest, by experience wise,
Healthy ty temperance and exercise"
That is the population to sustain this Government.
] 1t is a population to rely upon If you do not,
your Government is gone. Why, then, do the Senate
resist this state things being brought about. Why
will the Senate Of the United States longer stand up
in opposition to an enlightened public Judgment that
has been rendered this question three several
times? l trust in God that the time will come when
the Senate instead Of being chosen by the Legisa-
lures of the respective States, will be chosen by
the people Of the several States and then they will
feel and know their relative position to the people
that constitute the State. / hope that time will
come; l trust it may. 1t Is districts like those
have been describing, represented the principles
have Just referred to, that constitute States.
These are the men and the description of men who
are necessary and proper to make vIrtuOuS in
| telligent and patriotic State; a State capable of
governing itself-men like these who know their
rights, and knowing dare maintain
The bill before the Senate meets another objec-
ton that has been urged; and that Is, that the pub
lie lands should be made to pay for themselves. l
have no scruples upon that question myself; bat
,,y,Ioo fI,.l -p,l
the reach Of constitutional scruples, beyond the
! reach Of questions to eXpediency: and beyond
the reach of the exercise of the veto power. do
not speak er cahedrd this point; do not speak adj
visedly at ALL but have heard it thrown out in the
way of taunt. perhaps with the view of frightening
some, that it would receive the Executive veto. l
do not believe it. and viii give you reason why
| do not believe it. Look at this bill. 1t provides
for the settler detrayiug the expenses, paying the
the Office fees; and 1t holds out reasonable IN
ducement to settlers and imposes the condition Of
the settlement and cultiV~iOn for five years. 1t IS
not bill for paupers for miserable laZarOnl, Tor
persons from Warehouses, for yagabOnds, not for
what are denominated sometimes poor people lone
sense: but it is for men who have arms, who have
muscles, who have snews, and who have willing
hearts to work. What business would vagabOnd
have on one hundred and sixty acres! y vagrantls
a man running about, unsettled. with no particular
abiding place To fix down and set him to
work is the precise opposite of vagabondism. Be-
cause man Is poor, because he has not got a CON
venent or a sufficient amount Of this world means,
that does not make him oafer; and the fact that
man is poor is no crime. If beingpoor was a crime,
and was before you as my judge upon trial, and
the charge was read to me. and ] was asked to put
in my plea | should have to plead that guilty;
that l was a great criminal; that had been born
criminal; and that | had lived a criminal large
J portion of my life. Yes, have wrestled with pow
/ ecty the gaunt and haggard monster; have met 1t
in the day and night; have felt his whitening APP
proach and his bIghting influence; but did l feel
| myself a criminal? No: felt that | was chastened.
and that ] vas an honest and that would res
! cue myself from the grasp of the monster. But
there Is SIN and there Is more committed some
times in becoming poor than almost anything else
We told upon high authority that the drunkard
and the guttOn snail see poverty but because 1t IS
affixed penalty that does not make 1t a crime.
1t may be the penalty of committing crime.
Then, ca the other hand, we see some some start
from poverty and commit great deal OF sin IN get
ting rich. Poverty Is no crime. If every man Is
criminal in this country who Is poor the country IS
full Of criminals and we have got enough places
Of confinement to contain them. l demur; put IN
, a plea of not guilty, on behalf of the poor men OF
the country and say they are lot criminals. 4 man
| can be poor and honest. sometimes poverty drives
/ 4 man to commit sin. and that SIN may be crlmI-
nall but poverty itselfis crime. 1t Is great in
convenience and great misfortune; but If poverty
is crime, where the ten thousand, yea, the mil
lions OF little boys that are thrown out on the world!
Where Is tits rising population Three out OF every
four are poor: and they all criminals Suppose
they poor; they have got muscles and bOEes and
/ WILL and by this measure say to every man:
notwithstanding you have not got $780, 90 and take
your one hundred and sixty acres OF and take care
of your wife and Children educate your boys; build
up your sChoOl-hOuses; have your stock about you,
and become free and independent man. Even on
the Of revenue 1t will be advantage to the
! Treasury. When a manls poor, he buys little. You
increase his means buying and he buys more; and
! the Government in bestOwIng one hundred and six
ty acres of land, increases the occupants means to
buy; and, in 4 few years, by the operation Of your
tariff the articles used for the consumption of
! his family, the Government will be remuuerated
twenty times even in dollars and cents Is that all
No. He is a better citizen; he is more elevate
man. better calculated to perform all the duties of
| a sovereign.
1t is said that this is giving away the public
lands greatly below what they cost. When turn
to report made by distinguished man Of Virginia
for have been dealing in Virginia authorities all
day find that up to 1850, Mr. Stuart, who was then
Secretary Of the Interior, made this estimate:
That this may correctly understood, an the value
OF these lands Of revenues b properly appreciated
beg leave to state that, by careful examinations it is ascertain
ed mat the entire area o. the pubic domain exclusive oil the lands
in Oregon California New Mexico, Utah, the Indian and Ne
hundred and three thousand hundred aud fifty
About one fourth Of this land has been sold and the purchase
The cost Of the whole of these lands including the
gmOunt paid to France for Louisiana to Spain
the Elozides and the amount paid for extinguish.
ing the Indian title. Sol, l2l,1la
portion only Of these lands has been
surveyed the cOstOf which, including
salaries Of surveyors general and
clerks, and expenses attending the
surveys, e 36g,s3s
Less than half the surveyed has
been ssld, and the whole Of sell
ing aud managing the same, including
every expense not previously Charg
ed s,.........,... ......-... r..,...... 4G6,32i
Aggregate outlay Of every "A 81 $40
profit the Government 500 35l 2I3
Since 1850 there has been received from the pub !
lie lands about thirty-seyen millions Where is the (
balance? Where is the deficit? The measure be-
fore you provides for the settlement of each alter
nate leaving the remaining sections to be entered |
either at 81 p 81 so Add the twelve and half |
cents proposed to be charged to the 81 % and you
H., IL.