Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-04-04
WEDNESDAY. APnIL :, 1seo.
Andrew JOHNSON and the Homestead
Policy.

Policy.
ANDREW JACKSON believed, and in one Of ms mes
sages to Congress declared that the Public Domain
should ceased to be looked to as source of reye-
nue., but should be held by the government as
homes for such Of our citizens as would open the /
wilderness and reduce the lands 70 cultivation. /
Gen JACKsoN's policy was to dispose Of them al a
nominal valuation, sufficient only to cover their ne
cessary expenses to the government, looking to |
their settlement by hardy and industrious pop
ulation the chief source Of benefit to the exist
ing States. We have little doubt that the views /
Of Gen. JACKSON on this subject harmonized with
the sentiments CT the great mass of the American
people not only at that time but at every time |
since and yet they have never been reduced to anv
wei-defned and established policy in legislation.
On the contrary, every improper use conceivable
has been made Of the public domain through the
influence Of local interests and corrupt combi-
nations
In l64G, ANDREW Johnson embodied this idea Of
ANDREW JACKsoN's into a bill which he introduced
in Congress, throwing open the lands and inviting
actual settlement and cultivation Of the same, by
donating one hundred and sixty acres to every head
Of family who would emigrate to and make
homes Of them. Many persons who concurred in
the opinion Of Gen. JACKSON, and the leading idea
sought 70 be carried out by ANDREW Johnson. have
opposed this particular measure, on the ground
that it failed to come within the limits of the Con-
stitutOn, inasmuch as it contemplated git, which
they regarded as beyond the power Of the Federal
Government in this connection. It is not our pur-
pose to discus these differences. Suffice it to
say, they have been honestly entertained by gem
tlemen belonging to the same political organization
without rendering one the more or the other the less
orthodox in their party faith.
This question in the frequent discussions it has
undergone in our National and State legislatures.
has never assumed partizan aspect receiving sup
port and meeting with opposition from gentlemen Of
all parties. In Tennessee. however, the principal
favor it has received has been from Democrats and
the principal resistance it mas met has been from
members Of the Opposition. In 1853, MEREDITH p.
GENTRY and ANDREW JOHNSON were candidates for
Governor. The latter had favored and the former
had opposed the HOMESTEAD policy, while in Con
gress which fact entered more or less into the dis
cussions Of that canvass. In the Legislature Of
1854 resolutions Of instruction were introduced,
declaring that, " Whereas, we members Of the
General Assembly, view the 6enefcent policy Of
granting to every head Of a family one hundred and
sixty acres of the public land out of our immense
public domain, as embraced in the HOmetead bill,
which passed the House of Representatives by a
majority Of nearly two to one, on the 18th day Of
May, 1852 and which was then transmitted to the
Senate Of the United States as calculated ia az emf
Het degree 10 OdUaHce The lcegH end prosperity Of the
'0boe Nation, esUats and aaeiOrats tie condition Of
the tOilb,g thousands, AND AT THE SANE TINE, INCREASE
RATHER THAN DIMINISH THE REVENUE FROM TIE PUBLIC
DOMAIN; and we, in common with all lovers Of our
kind, shall hail the day Of its final consummation
into law constituting one of te brightest epochs
in our National annals, and as an unmistakabe har-
biuger Of the incalculable good which VIII descend
to childrens children in thear distant future"
These resolutions, based upon such a preamble.
after having been referred to the judiciary Com
mittee of the Senate, and reported back with
lengthy and able argument in their favor, pass
ed that body with but three dissenting voices
Messrs. COOKE NELSON and REID; while it was voted
for by Messrs. BELL, BENTON, Burnley, BowLEs CAR
EIGEE, DAVIS, DUNLAP Of Shelby, DUNLAP Of Henry,
FARQUAHAKsoN, FRAZER, HALL, HAyRoN, JONES, MOORE,
NAVE, Nixon, NoErHCUTT, PERKINS, REAGAN, ROBERT
son, ROGERS, and Speaker Polk. Not having the
the House journal before us we are unable to give
the vote in that body. We remember that similar
resolutions We're again introduced in 1888, and we
believe passed one Of the houses and were strongly
supported IN both. Again in lS57-S they were in
troduced and discussed before the Tennessee Legs
lature. passing the Senate by vote Of Seventeen to
SIR, and passing the House by vote of Atgtoar to
ilrGty-sir gentlemen Of both parties voting for and
against them.
This same Legislature elected ANDREW JOHNSON to !
the United States Senate, when he Immediately re-
ncwed his efforts TO secure the passage Of home
stead measure. The Black Republican trcksters
having discovered its great popularity in the North
west-ts de5ata5e ground Of the ensuing Presidential
eeconare endeavorlng to become Its especial cham
pions that whatever popularity may attach to the
measure may enure to them; and we regret to say
that there are those in the South who take special
pride in aiding them in their endeayors
We have no objection to any reasonable Opposit-
ion winch gentlemen disagreeing with US on this
question may choose to make, but when in their
anxiety to render IT odious, they are willing to |
stoop so low as TO subserve the interests Of our
common enemy by holding itup a Black Republic 1
can measure, we can neither esteem their intellI-
gence nor give COuntenance TO their motives 1t is /
a species o. warfare dscreditable to themselves and
insulting TO the people of Tennessee, who have on .
different occasions and in various ways shown |
themselves the advocates of this policy, years before
the grand discovery had been thought of that twas
a Black Republican measure.
To those who are serious in their hostility to the
dogmas Of Black Republicanism. we can say that .
there is no more efectual way Of building up that
party than to make blind and senseless opposition
to any and every thing that may be favored by it,
whether bad good simply because Of their
hateful fanaticism on another question Though
not accustomed to questioning the sincerity Of 9TH
ers simply because Of their differences with us,
we have but little confidence in the sincerity with
which many of the champions of Black Republi-
canism pretending to rally to the support Of
this policy. We believe them to be actuatcd by
similar motive TO those in the South who seel, TO
disparage the Democratic friends of the Homestead
bill by characterzing it as a Republican meas
ure." Each are anxious Of building mp their sep
arate fortunes by pandering to different imaginary
weaknesses. ,
ANDREW Johnson and those who concur with
him have nothing to fear from so shallow device.
1t originated in the folly of undertaking the intclli-
gence Of the people The Black Republicans viii
not be permitted basey the popularity of this
measure by choosing the right side and forcing the
Democrats to make an issue with them. And those
at the South who seek to aid them in it will not
be less mistaken. They viii find that when the
Charleston Convention shall have nominated its
candidate, that, while acceptable at the North
west he vii not be less strong in the confidence {
and support of the great masses Of the South. The
Democracy are not in the habit of letting their
enemies either shape their issues ormake their can
didates for them.
THE ITALIAN QUEsuoN.-A brief sentence, penned
February Is, 1860 by Lord JOIN RUsSELIr and put
into diplomatic note, gives the pith Of the diff
Guilty as to the Italian question:
Is Between the doctrine that il will be the duty
Of Congress- to restore the authority Of the Pope
in the Romagna, and the doctrine that no force i
ought to be used to impose a Government or Con
sututon on the people Of Central Italy, there can
be no agreement" t
Austria goes for force France goes for no force
and England viii not 60 into Congress unless the
viii of the people of nation is to govern the decs
on of the Congress as to such nation. To show
he feeling of Austria, Count RECHBEEG about the
b. L.