The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-03-15

oping the better impulses of our nature.
In the obscurity of the cottage, away
from the seductive influences of rank and
affiuenoe, are nourished the virtues
which counterfeit the decay of human in
tstitutions, the courage that defends the
national independence, and the industry
that supports all classes of the State
The prosperity OF State depends not so
much on the mass of wealth as upon its
distribution, being the greater and more
glorious as the number of happy firesides
increase: To increase these, you must
place within reach the means of supply
ing pressing physical wants, and this
the homestead measure helps to do. For
the purposes Of education, the building
of railroads, the opening of the avenues
of trade, and the subduing of the wild
erness, the best course is to grant our
lands in limited quantities to the settler.
This policy would not only add to the
revenues of the general government, and
the taxable property of the new States,
but will increase the productive industry
and commerce Of the whole country, and
add to all the elements of national great
ness.
This measure also fosters the great and
fundamental interest ofagriculture. Mr..
Grow said that the first step in tue de-
cline of empires has been the neglect OF
their agricultural interest. 1t is the great
fact stamped on all the ruins that strew
the pathway of civilization, that with the
decay of this interest crumbles national
power. He quoted authority to show
the correctness of this argument relative
to the decline of the Roman empire
Had the policy advocated by TIBER1us
Gracious, of distributing the public
lands among the landless citizens Of the
empire, been adopted, the Eternal City
would not have fallen an easy prey 10 the
Goth and the Vandal, and the EN- ire
would have fourished long subsequent
to the date Of its dissolution. An indie
pendent yeomanry is the best and surest
guarantee for the perpetuity of a nations
liberty, for their arms are the citadel of "a
nations power. their hearts the bulwark
of its freedom. The most pernicious Of
all the baneful seeds of national existence
is a policy that degrades its labor and
American statesmen should adapt the
legislation of the country TO the develop
ment Of its material resources, the pro-
motion of its industrial interests, and
thereby dignity its labor, and make strong
the prime elements of national power.
Thus Mr.. CHOW goes on and demon
strates the great importance and vast ben
efts of this policy of Gland for the land
less" 1t is policy that tends to give
dignity to labor, and elevation to the Ia
boring man. 1t is therefore measure
In which every working man has d.
rect interest. 1t is, too, measure which
above all others will advance the great
cause Of freedom in our own country
will insure to our territories the bless
ings of free white labor. 1t is, therefore,
a cause that will be advanced by the tri-
umph Of the Republican party, and must
sink as the scale of pro-slavery Democ-
racy goes up. A glance at the history
ofthe measure shows this. 1t is true
that the measure has supporters in the
Democratic party. but it is equally true
that that party has heretofore stood in
the way ofits adoption. Three times has
the bill passed the House Of Representa-
tiyes but each time il has been defeated by
Dem ocrats in the U. S. Senate. In the
last Congress only 81 Democrats voted
for the measure in the House, out Of 1870,
and in the Senate every democrat but
one voted to kill the bill. Of;he Repub
Iican Senators every one voted for the
bill, and in the House every Republican
but one voted in its favor, and that one
voted nay only that he might move re-
consideration in certain contingency.
Ofall the representatives of the slave
States, but three in the House voted for
it, and but two at any time in the Senate.
1t is therefore very apparent that if this
measure, so benifcent III its results to
the laboring man and to the country, is
to triumph. it must be through the as
tendency Of the Republican party.
The Coppic Case.
@ The Democratic press of this
State has been very loud in denunciation