The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1860-09-26
From the Illinois state Register.
"Free Homes for Free Men

EpITon REGISTER: vociferous ap.
pesls which are now made wherever q
Black Republican orator can obtain an
audience for support aud sympathy, be-
cause the party, as he always says, boldly
proclaims the principle Of free homes for
free men," would lead an uninterested
person to believe that this party was both
the author and sole advocate of the home
stead measure. propose to sho7 from
the records that this party is not the au
thor, that its leaders are not all united in
favor of It, and that 1t is not and never
was q party measure.
The irst recognition which this princi-
pie ever found upon the record of the
country. was one year preyiousto the
adoption of the Constitution, when. by an
act Of Congress, passed June goth. II SS,
provision was made "for laying off certain
lands TO the heads Of the families residing
in the Illinois country" [See American
State Papers, vol. l6, No. 25l
BY an act of Congress. approved March
3. l79l, by President Washington, it was
ordered that flour hundred acres of land
be given. TO the heads of families in Hi
nois Territory. [See Annals of Con.
gfess 1889 0l; also. o. S. Statutes at
Large vol. LIP 22l
--ss winthrop Sargent, in report dated
Oetobert 28, 1877, and, also, one dated
Mississippi Territory. March Is. 1898,
!. gives list Of lands, the titles for which
= wers asked to be confirmed by Congress
hidndSr the homestead bill of l79i.datThe
: list embraced descriptions Of millions o.
I. acres Of land. CSee American State
Papers, vol. l6, No. A.. sig
tad President jackson, in his message o.
lSS9,. advocated the principle. He said
= Ut seems to me to be our true policy
that the public lands shall cease. as soor
-sas practicable, to be source of revenue
. aud that they shall be sold to settlers. ir
limited parcels, at prices barely sufficient
to reimburse the United States the ex
pense of the present system, and the cos
arfsi1g from our Indian contracts.
- To avert the consequences which
snsy b spprshended from this cause, te
stop forever all partial and interested leg
islation on this subject, and to afford tt
every american citizen of enterprise the
opp6stupity Of securing an Independent
freehold, 1t seems to me, therefore, bes
to abandon the idea Of raising futur'
revenue Of the public lands"
,edsU is not necessary to 60 further int
these early records. Those already citet
eSle6rIy indicste that this principle of ''fre'
iHomes for free men, Is not one Of moderl
Black Kepublican creation. ,a. I
vi a bomestead bill, fulfilling the presen
lddba; wss FIRST introduced by q Democrat
on the eth day Of March, ls4e, Mi
lrXnifew johnson. Of Tennessee. aske,
s leave 10 introduce bill, hut leave wa
/, not granted On the l2th of the sam
month, Mr.. johnson again attempted t
introduce q homestead bill. 1t was Q
the following title: s -
"A billto authorize every poor man i
the United States, who is the head of
fsmily, to enter leo acres of the publi
domain, without money and without price
a-rGlobe, vol 10, p. 4s2., I'D
70 ron the 26th:' ar
ri s.Mr. McC ConnefI moved to lay asid
tie bill under consideration yesterday
with the view TO take up the bill to Civ
to every man, maid and widow 16o acre
OF land. tx + - Z ..is DIV .lsdJ ssgsi
The motion Was rejected. On the 27t
of the same month,
"Mr. o. B. Ficklin, Of Illinois. In pur
suance to previous notice, asked, obtaine'