The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1860-10-24

MIR. Lovtjoy--Weli, you are a thoughtful
man. [Laughter.1 Now do not propose
to express any extreme or ultra opinions. II
| 10 contrary, as you all know, who know me
at all, 10 my usual ideas and impulses, be-
cause am conservative and NATIONAL
! Laughter and applause. But do say that
you might put down the expenses Of that
army and navy by as much as ten times what
you get annually from the proceeds OF the
public lands, and it would be Just as efficient
and accomplish it's purposes Just ms well as
ii does now. And therefore say we can
we'll spare the comparatively mere pittance
to the poer pioneer, and let him 60 upon the
land and cultivate il.
That brings me to what consider the COR
ner stone of the the Homestead bill. 1t is
based upon principle, which, as believe,
harmonizes and comedies With the idea that
was in the mind OF tho Creator when be
made the world and clothed the so,l with its
productive properties. [Applause.1 What
was thatp Was ID that this earth was given
to man TO be bought up-to be specnlated
in? Never II was to DO cultivated, to
produce fruit for the service OF man and
beast. [Applause.1 You remember that
the Roman outlaw was denied earth, air and
water-the three elements. Now, my idea
is, you might last as well bottle up the air
and let rich men turn the key upon ii, and
then dole ii out for us 10 breathe, as to place
the land in the bands of capitalists, 10 be
given out in little tracts, at exorbitant rates,
to the poor settlers. That is ultra, il 1t +? -
II is not ultra fit falls within the idea and
design Of Infinite Wisdom when he made the
world, and believe it docs. Build huge
tanks and collect 10 them ell the water in the
haY t,srp mir and anlc
it out to the people. will you'll Look up this
air that,the Divine Father poured all over US
aud thcn sell it TO me in pints as can pay
for IL! That is not what God designed in
making the earth, the air and the water.
DO not care to be extreme, and perhaps YOU
will think that is an extreme illustration !;
but my idea is that this does not harmonic
with the original plan of the Creator when
he made the world and eudued it with its
productive power. 1t was that man might
cultivate it, and not that he should be sub.
iect of speculation. That is the idea Of the
Homestead bill, whether il falls within the
original idea OF the Creator or not. think
it is based upon this principle; We propose
to allow the actual settler TO enter upon the
possession OF, cultivate, and finally acquire
a title in fee simple to these unotcupid pub
lie lands.
But the government wants it. What makes
the government want its Who upholds the
government? Who are the ornament, the
support and the stability Of any and every
government under heaven, unless il be that
very middle class, as they are called, which
we propose to multiply, and which we would
encourage 10 pour in one broad, strong wave
of Christian civilization over these terrific
rias Is IL not that middle class, repeat,
which always has been the support, the de-
tense, the ornament, and the glory Of every
nation? Take away the middle class from
Eng and to day, leaving a bloated aristocra-
cy on one hgnd, and it's antagonist, the i'm
mense mas OF the oppressed laboring popu-
lation, on the other, and that country would
collapse into a great ruin in less than twelve
months. Cheersl So it was in Rome. When
Rome had only an aristocrscy and a race of
slaves, the Republic ceased to exist, its glory
was extingnished, and the long era OF Is
decay only afforded 3 theme to the historian
Gibbon to write tho "Decline and Fall Of
the Roman Empire" SO must il be in any
country.
Nations are built Of men,
The mighty arm Of that hugs skeleton, the State,
| Govern w ii by priest or potentate,
Is IN de the same,
tlesh, sinews, blood and bones Of living men
Moulded gether and made one
BY that tremendous charm, the mind,
And Iuted-if ruin We would shun,
By one great bond ef brotherhood,
Sway TO one obj o. human good"
That is the great purpose of governm emf.
Now IN regard to tho army--and will soon
pass away from this part of the subject
suppose there Was m actual state or war
with any nation under heaven; suppose any
hostile footssep should evsr dare pollute our
soil, or insult our flag, who would rally for
ts defense? The men paid eight dollars a
month to kill and be killed-mere mercena.
RESP Never. Il will be this very class OF
| yeomanry to whom we now propose to give
| the unoecupied public lands. They would
/ leave their homes and fresides, and instead
/ Of shoulderng shese--what do you call this
/ Wide Awake arrangement, laughter, these
lamp poles they will shoulder their muskets,
march to the defence of their country, and
/ fight it's battles as they have always fought
! lGreat applause. They did it in II; they
/ did it in the Mexican war they will do it ir
any war that ever occurs hereafter in thi.
country. 1t is the yeomanry, the voluntar,
! soldiery, that will fight it's battles. A sold
iery made up by the intelligent freemen, who
own some part OF the land, never can be con
| quered, Applause.