Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-03-23
rha aomestead Bin.

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positioa resisted thepasssge of the bill almost to
= uan.--Craig, a Missouri Demscsat only break
ing The force u the omitted Southern opposition to
ths measure. To cay nothing OF the terms upon
which the public laads were originally cedcd 9"
the Federal government BY the Statcs,-terms
which are clearly violated in this 'biil,--we can
scarcely conceive Il . greater injustice to the
sostA thsn this miserable bantling If the teem-
inn brain of Andy johnson, -fruidsl as it is, Of
every species Of aemasogueism, would PROMOTE
The Black Republicans openly asow their object
in advocating this measure, and do not hesitate ID
declare that it is "a bill in the interest 81 free
Labor The first issue ef the New i"fk T.'
bsne, after the passage sf the bill thf""sh inc
Hoose. asserted that :" the friends ~ ire labor
througbout the Unian w0nii send up We OF
;ov in learning thai t.,n iause Of Representa- scs
Re. ra.sed The Homc.,.s, Bill The Tribune
desires SAM ne seed s't'irueat of the rno''c
domain - ana a1iy1 J. oer coun'rs aot already.
in ue absencc ii any G. saprlinary stimulus
filing M uuu inc,easitig ~ population VITA u
exnnpici rapdsty. Estimating en- present mp
ula,ion at dirty milli.rs--it eann"t he les, hni
may read, thir,s Eve miEiens-~e have had an
increase uf aimasi thirty -tafec per r"nt ~ S't
Gle ,i,sai, l. act dis ~ ieuea II oHtft "a
as no other nat "a tb1 'aet Of So
nish? What need "a. t.. other iI,l"f iH.eb fh''' -
ALREADY Afforded " CT % installations and gene
raj prosperity, in ofd-r :" ,ecuie "a sreea, set
Element Of til public nain?' Are We + hoii
out bonus to every ~. ihond foreigner that We
would draw hitberg A." eur magnificent terri.
tories the joint property of oil the States, IN
which Virginia was. originally, tho largest rrapr
ctor--to be given awny-,to have their stnias fix.
ed By that short Cut to all tho ends OF Back
Republicanism," Mr.. Douglas Squat,er Sovereign
ty principle, that the disproportlou between free
and Slave States may be speedily increased to
such an extent as to insure the triumph and con
tinued domination Of tho Black Republican
partyi
This il, unqueet onably, the Object Of that par
ty. But, what right has the Congress Of the I'M
tied States to make any such disposition Of the
public domain? Tan il have any right not con.
ferred aud specified in the original grant from the
States, which was. by no means, an unconditional
onef When Virginia made her princely ccssion
she carefully stipulated that, all the lands with
in the territory 40 ceded to the United States, and
not reserved for or appropriated to any oi tie DO.
fore mention purposes, lthc payment of the war
debt) or disposed of in bounties to the officers aud
soldiers Of the American army, shall he consider.
ed u common fund FOR the use and benefit OF such
Of the United States Us have become, or shall he.
come, members Of the Confederation or Federal
alliance Of the States, Virginia inclusive, accord
ing to their usual respective proportions in the
general charge and expenditure; and shall DO
faithfully and bona .tide disposed of for that pur'
pose, and for no other purpose or use whatever
This was the substance of, and almost the very
language employed by all the States that coded
territory so that, to use the words OF Mr.. Clay,
as found in his celebrated report on the public
land system, "by the clear and positive terms OF
these acts of cession, was a great public aud ma,
tional trust created and assumed by the general
government. 1t became solcmnly bound IT, hold
and administer the lands ceded US a common fnni
for the use and benefit Of all the States, aud for
no other use purpose whatever. To WASTE or
misappiy this fund, or to diee,t it from the com.
mon benefit for which it was conveyed. would be
a violation OF the trust" And yet instead OF
"disposng Of these lands in bountics to the Off
GERS and soldiers o. tho American army, or in
holding them for lac use aal benefit Of all the
States" as ,he ,5rH!s { cesson stpulatcs, it ia
proposed, in che LANGUAGE u Henry Clay. to mis-
apply aud divert them, Ia the injury OF tho
bencfcari therein pto,,lei Tor. Cannot any.
body perceive that tue cihccrs and soldiers who
have received bounties in lands under the various
laws OF the Untod States, Will be seriously ia''".
ed by this Homestead law? As eones ;.e,e,
they sell their land warrants AZ = =, ,hc very
time that the gosernment is awarding them pub
lie land for services rendered in the army If he
United States and in tho national delenee. also
gives away millions If acres to a.. who ask ,lcm
in many cases perhaps TO the descendants in the
first generation, Of tilose against whom they bore
our arms-will not the Grant to old soldiers be
rendered comparatively northeast Who will
buy their land warrants when they can get land
without money and without price? We maintain
therefore, that the Homestead bill is a fragrant
injustice to the very class of bencfciarcs provd
ed for 10 tho terms of cession. The Southern
States will also be excluded from "equal benefit
in this matter in that, as We have before intimat
ed, the purpose of those who espouse this schem,
and under whose particular auspices il will b,
consummated, if ccnsummabed at all, is to settl,
these lands with persons unfriendly to their in
situations, and thus build up more States to cas-
in the balance to weigh against the Slave States
Here again. the terms of cession are violated
There is yet another view, presented by Mr.. Cla,
in the report to which reference has been made
that win apply to the measure ia hand. Mr.. Cla,
was combating proposition to reduce the pric'
of the public lands to merely nominal rate, or t
give them to the States in which they were locat