The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1860-05-02

re- are men WIZ " u.s. W. NNIINlLtl ufutE
the provisions of this bill. The men who
filed that Mississippi regiment were land
holdcrs: they We're men Of substance
they were men who had the capital that !
have spoken Of they were men who sup
ported themselves; they were ireemen;
they had bought their homes they lived
on that which was their own. and which
they had paid for. They never begged
or stole. They were respectable, decent
men. and that l. the character of the peO-
Die Of Mississippi. They were men who
would not go ON one hundred and sixty
acres If given to them, nor hold them rs
gift. You speak of Texas. ] say thereare
no men in Texas who have ever received
donations Of public lands. We have no
uuuper- there and we have got no men,
at least non who have come into the
State since annexation. who have not paid
Tor all they own. ] speak in defense of
Mississippi rs well a. Texas.
Mr.. BROWN. lam much obliged to my
friend for defending Mississippi against
any supposed assault Of mine.
Mr.. WIGFALL. really considered it
so.
Mr.. BROWN. The Senator thinks so.
Sir. know what belongs to the honor of
nv State: and Il does not sound very
kindly for Senators to tell me that am
making assaults on my own constituents.
They. at least. have never charged me
with being derelict in their defense here
or elsewhere Il does not belong TO Sena-
tors from adjoining States to taunt me
with being uniaithtul 10 my own constitu-
HI.rV
States. have held this language on 9TH
or occasions: and have been twice return
ed TO this body, and twice to the House of
Representative. That my constituents
approve Of all my views. do not pretend
but ! doubt if they will thank the Sena-
tor from Texas and my friend from Ala
bama for the special guardianship which
those gentlemen are assuming for them.
have said that the bold men, with bone
and muscle and brains. were entitled TO
one hundred and sixty acres Of land and
50 they are. They bought the right and
paid for it. Ny proposition does not pro
pose to give it 70 them. / know where
the graduation bill came from. II was
an Alabama proposition. ] recollect that
my friend from Alabama Mr.. CLAY was
exceedingly anxious that IL should pass
II reduced Alabama lands TO twelve aud a
half cents an acre. Ii reduced Mississippi
lands to that standard very nearly. Gen
tlemen from the land States at that time
were very anxious to have It pass. You,
sir, Mr.. FITZPATRICK in the chair were
anxious for its passage. That graduation
was next to giving It away. You reduced
the price to the lowest standard-reduccd
il totwelve and half cents an acre and |
now declare. what all men know, that the
graduation bill has iurni-he homes, in a
given time, to more homeless people than
all the bills that ever passed Congress.
Now, appeal to Senators whether, un-
der the operation OF that bill, men who
have bought homes az twelve and a half
cents an acre are not as patriotic. and
have not a. much brain and muscle and
bone, as those who had the means TO pay
a dollar and a quarter an acre
Gentlemen sIeak OF men a. being worth
less, when they cnanot buy land az : -
an acre. in the paltry little quantity o, one
hundred and sixty acres. Let me ask
gentlemen how many patriotic men there
are in all the states, who would have been
entirely unable 10 buy land at : -. and
who secured comfortable homes, when We
reduced the price TO twelve and a hall
cents per acre? You reduca 10 with d
view to encourage that state ~ things
Men who have never seen the misiorluues
with whichsthe settler IN frontier coun
has 10 contend. can have no idea Of hi.
difficulties and dangers, his tolls, his troub
les, and his Cmbarias- ments Why. sir
imagine a man going from. Virginia. OF
Mary land, OF New York. or elsewhere
into one at the western States, ,cttlIn.
down upon piece of land. wish MUSCLE,
and bones and brains, 20 earn an homes
| livelihood for himself. his wife, and tire,
| or four children. He sets 20 work il
| good earnest to make an hor.est living
| 10 is not his fault and certainly it Is no
/ his crime. if disease fan r.ron him. Ii j
| no crime Of his IT the season be unpro
/ pitious. II j. no crime OF his IT bankrupt
/ ~ should overspread the country and dc
troy the value OF his products. MI,iol
/ tunes of a thous9ni kinds NAV break hin
Il up az the end OF the year leaving hin
\ not only destitute Of money, but even
/ debtor on account of the years labor
| Where l. he 70 obtain the 500 to ente
one hundred and sixty acres OF. land
lie las reared his little cabin, cleared hi
| little spot Of ground. fenced 10 IN, am
made preparation for another crop; ar,
if YOU will indulge him the next year q
three. or four, or FIVE years, he may b
able to pay for his home; but stop him a
the end of one, as your law now does
and the chances are three To one tina
some man with money, who may hav
neither muscle, nor bones. nor brain, bu
who has gold, will come and enter hi
home and turn him alrilt on the world
| What encouragement has such a man /
struggle against the cold charities Of you
| lawsr
Mr.. President. / am opposed to treatin
the settlers on the public land in this wa,
Ny proposition does dot give the land /
any body. Itsimply, under proper guard
and restrictions. authorizes the man VIII
settles a piece ofland to OCCUPY il so Ion
as he chooses to occupy it. Wheneve
from any cause, he desires the title. the
my bill requires him to pay for it; but
docs not compel him to pay at the end
one year, or two years, or four years
= Misfortune may be close upon his heels
death may take in it, cold embrace his wi
and children he may struggle against
thousand misiortunes but-malk m
J words-whenever that man makes n
r land worth more than the Goyernmei
minimum, and has the money. he will pa
r for II. The pride TO which the hcnorab
senator from Texas Unsupported wouI
tell him to do il. The natural desire
: every man 10 be the owner in fee Of Il
: own estate will prompt him to do it.
! desire 70 be landholder, and to be ind
pendent, will urge him on. He will wor
; all the more earnestly, and with all Il
! more zeal and energy. because your Ia
does not eramp him either in body
|, mind. implore you, sir. not to mainta
: the harsh rule which compels this man
have the money at a stated day, or
y turnedout Of his home?
Z Mr.. President. there is no use in closi'
, our eyes 70 stubborn facts. Take up q
b; newspapers from our western St.Hcs. al
y what do We find Half the controver-i'
T. hall the murders. half the scenes of bloc
J. shed. grow out Of this matter Of dlstur
e ing squatters on the public lands. I'M
n settles down and bestows his labor on
a piece Of land. and some man with me
p money comes and buys it-buys II iro
o the Government-the Government ia
e selling out one man 10 another, the 90
e eminent selling one mans home to an"l
e or, who chances to have more money
y pay for IT, / am against the system.
IT am for protecting men IN their SET.
y ments. Ny bill docs not propose 70 =
the land. ltproposes to give me r'sil'
Is occupancy. add to give u until thS III
It who settles l. prepared to pay Tor the I
IT the price which the Government as
p Then. what do yoJ give You give
1t bare chance Of selling the land i'r h''
Re- Der Of years. You may lose the inter-
e Of the $500. which at six per cent. is j
is twelve dollars. For that YOU get iilr y
D. You take a family from among the g.
n SINNER and NUT them in the more prof
=. bic class of producers. on take IN
e from the purlieus Of your cities ana TOW
d whore Won found them in squalid power
a md r,alre them Independent settlers ~
m 80 bundled and sixty acres OF land. Y
l. tsLe their children out OF the stree
:. vvbsre they beg their bread from door
: Joor and plant them on piece OF Ia
!. ,vb;cb Il yours. and teach them ener
;rJu.try and perseverance. by the prot
= TON which YOU give them. The man h
!, nc his wife and little children, will
- bocome more energetic because they
m tb,t the Government has extended o
We them its protecting arm and will ne
or allow them TO be disturbed. Let mis-
OF tune come let sickness, with all its blil