Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1862-07-19
The Homestead Law.

*
provisions Of this law. says:
A copy Of this very important Act. nj
passed by Congress and signed BY the Presi
dent has reached us in the latest mail from
the East. The law will take effect on the
first Of January. 1S63, and from that date We
may safely count upon the rapid settlement OF
the public lands in all the fertile regions of the
Great West, and wherever can bc found ioca-
tions for good farms, with prospect of having
access to market. Lands lying along watery
highways or in the vicinity of projected rail
ways will be most eagerly sought, and not
many years will clapsc before the vast wilder.
n"ss :...roug !, which the transcon,incn,al rail
road is to pass will be ;..y;;..a with the homes
of thriving and industrious population,
forming chain of living links between tn.
Atlantic and Pacific States. No measure has
been adopted by Congress calculated to con-
tribute more powerfully and rapidly to the
development of our immense unoccupied ter.
ritory than this Homestead Law. 1t is based
upon the principle that the free settlement
and consequent opening out OF the resources
of the vacant lands will more than compensate
for the sacrifice of the revenue derived from
the sale of the soil. This point has been
clearly demonstrated by distinguished states
men who have long contended for the adoption
of tho homestead policy. Though vigorously
advocated at every session of Congress for
the past ten years, bills similar in principle to
that which has become a law met the opposi-
ton of Southern politicians, who, always keen
in seeming danger to their darling institution,
discovered in the free settlement of the public
lands formidable barrier to the extension Of
slavery. Willie L. Mangum, once distin-
nou,.cel the homestead policy as Il plan for
"otitring premium to Abolition squatters." "
Nothing can be more certain than the effect
Of this bill in securing the supremacy Of free
labor in the Territories belonging to the Uni
ted States, and in those portions Of Texas and
other States where the General Government
still holds large tracts Of desirable land.
The quarter section farms will support no
slave.owning aris,ocracy, but they will fur
nish free, hard-wo,king ycomanry with n
comfortable subsistence and give to our new
Territories n population fitted to dcvcloro
their resources in peace. defend the integrity
of the sell in time of war. That tho rebellion
has rendered the adoption of such Il policy all
accomplished fact should be cause OF gcncr-
al congra:ula,ion. The law is one Of many
good fruits that Il contest which originally
appeared to be an unniligltcd evil has yield
cd for the benefit OF present and future gcncr-
ions.
The Homestead Law is very liberal in its
provisions. Its advantages are extended to
single men MS well as t. heads of f'mily-to
na,uralizrd citizens, as we'll as to those who
were born beneath our flag. Foo gncrs who
serve in the army and navy are also entitled
to its benefits, as they give proof OF their de-
votion to the Republic by p.riiing their lives
in defense of the Government. But it is eX-
prcssly provided that no person who has borue
arms against tho Government Of the United
States shall be admitted to the freedom of tho
public lands. The emigration movement.
therefore. which the passage Of this law prom.
isps to excite, will b. almost exclusively con-
fined to the loyal States; the poor white I'm
ionists in portions Of Dixie, being only par
tally affected, and the rest of tho Southern
people being dcbarred by their hostile service
from taking advantage Of tho law. Upon tho
Pacific coast tho provisions Of the bill will be
scanned with much interest. Tho ideas of
thousands who now make their way to these
as promising more certain results than gold.
seeking in the mining regions, or the fierce
competition of trade. The great desideratum
Of the Pacific States is the increase of quar-
ter section farms. We look for the multipli-
cation of genuine homcsteads, about which
family feelings and associations may cluster
the more thorough cultivation Of the soil
the capabilities of which are not more than
onr.half ascertained-as consequence Of the
iuaux of steady and laborioas population,
such as Illinois. Wisconsin, and Minnesota
have received. There arc thousands already
here, who are anxious to take advantage Of
the opportunity NOW offered by tho Govern
ment.
WHAT VANITY FAIR SAys.-The follow
ing is from number Of Tamity Fair, dated
May Gath:
Which REMINDS Us OF A LITTLE Story.
The Mayor of New Orleans, in surrender
ing that thrifty municipality to Commodore
Farregut, intimates that the act is wholly due
to compulsion-in fact, not to put too fine
point on it. he surrenders the city because he
can't help himself He adds that his people
are " sensitive" and gives us to understand
that although conquered, they still repudiatc,
as idiotically a. ever the Star Spangled Ban
nor. This reminds us Of the perverse inebri.
ate, who, having fallen under tho festive board
at disgraceiully early hour, was strongly
urged by his friends to 60 out and take tho
air. "Novrr," he said. "a billion times new
er.' But they nevertheless took him quietly
up and set him out on the door stone "I'm
out herc," he said, "by brute force. Thatz
way (hic) I'm oct here; but + yer shink I'm
goin' (hic) to take 'ey air, yer very mush sta