The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-07-27
CONCLUDED

The prosperity of States depends not on
the mass of wealth, but its distribution.
That country is greatest and most glorious
in which there is the greatest number of
happy fresides. And if you would make
the freside happy, raise the fallen from their
degradation, elevate the servile from their
groveling pursuits to the rights and digni-
ty of men, you must first place within their
reach the means for supplying their press
ing physical wants, so that religion can
exert it's influence on the soul and soothe
the weary pilgrim in his pathway to the
tomb.
But as a question of revenue merely, it
would be to the advantage of the Govern
ment to grant these lands in homesteads to
actual cultivators, if thereby it was to in
duce the settlement of the wilderness, in
stead of selling them to the Spectator
Without settlement. The revenue to the
Government from the lands, if considered
annual, is the interest on the purchase
money which would be on a quarter sec
ton, at one dollar and twenty five cents
per acre, the interest on two hundred dol
lars, equal, at six per cent, to twelve dol
lars per year.
But as the revenue of the General Gov
eminent with the exception of the sales of
the lands) is derived almost wholly from
duties on imported articles consumed in the
country, the amount collected depends upon
the quantity consumed. On an average
each individual consumes of imported arti
cles about eleven dollars worth per year );
and calling seven the average number of
family, then each family consumes annually
seventy-fve dollars worth of imported ar
ticles, upon which duty of not less than
twenty dollars was paid.
So the Government would be the gamer
of eight dollars per year on each quarter
section, by giving it away to settler in
preference to selling it without settlement
In addition, as you cheaper the necessaries
and comforts of life, or increase men s
means to pay for them, you increase their
consumption; and in the same proportion
as yon increase the means to pay for i'm
ports, you increase the consumption of
home products and manufactures; SO that
the settlement of the wilderness by a thriv-
ing population is as much the interest of
the old States of the new. The amount
now received by tie Government of the
settler. for the land, would enable him 10
furnish himself with the necessary stock
and implements TO commence its cultiva-
ton.
For the purposes of education, building
railroads, opening all the avenues of trade
and of subduing the wilderness, the best
disposition to be made of these lands is To
grant them in limited quantities to the set
tier, aud thus secure him in his earnings, by
which be would have the means to sur
round himself with comfort and make his
Preside happy; to erect the school house,
the church, and all the other ornaments OF
higher civilization, and rear his children
educated and respected members of society.
This poIioxr apI
nues of the General Government and the
taxable property of the new States, but
will increase the productive industry and
commerce of the whole country, while
strengthening all the elements of national
greatness.
The first step in the decline of empires
Is the neglect of their agricultural interests;
and with its decay crumbles national DOW
ers. 1t is the great fact stamped on all the
ruins that strew the pathway of civiliza-
ton. When the worlds unwritten history
shall be correctly deciphered, the record of
the rise, progress, and fall of empires will
be but the history OF the rise, development
and decline os agriculture. Hooke, in de-
scribing the condition of agriculture among
the Romans more than two thousand years
ago. the process of absorption of the lands
by the rich, and their consequent cultiva-
49, " 9ios co. luI hlsheo 'he etuueht VI us
tory with the secret causes that undermined
the empire and destroyed its liberties.
read from book six, chapter seven, of his
History of Rome, volume two, page 522:
From the earliest times of Rome. il had
been the custom OF the Romans, when they
suodued any of the nations in Italy, to de-
prlVe them of part OF their territory. \
portion of these lands was sold and the rest
gwen to the poorer citizens; on condition,
says APptan, Of their paying annually a
tenth Of the corn and a fifth of the fruits OF